Compliance codes, declared under the 2004 OHS Act, provide practical guidance to those who have duties or obligations under the Act. These now replace the old "Codes of Practice".
The compliance codes were developed after the 2004 OHS Act and aligned to the 2007 OHS Regulations. With the new OHS Regulations 2017 in effect, the compliance codes that align with the regulations were also under review. In March 2018 five new codes were released. This page will be updated as new codes are released.
The compliance codes now available are:
- Lead 2022
- Managing exposure to crystalline silica – engineered stone 2022
- Demolition, 2019
- Excavation, 2019
- Facilities in construction, 2018 (previously the Building and Construction Workplaces Code of Practice, 1990)
- Hazardous manual handling, 2019 (previously the Manual Handling Code of Practice, 2000)
- Hazardous Substances, 2019
- Managing asbestos in workplaces 2019
- Removing asbestos in workplaces 2019
- Noise, 2019 (a new code based on Your health and safety guide to noise, 2007, and the Guide for assessing and fixing noise problems and work, 2005)
- Plant, 2019 (previously the Plant Code of Practice, 1995)
- Prevention of falls in housing construction 2019
- Prevention of falls in general construction 2019
- Workplace facilities and the working environment, 2023
- Communicating occupational health & safety across languages, 2008
- First Aid in the workplace, 2021
- Foundries, 2008
- Confined Spaces, 2019
Go to the Workplace and Facilities section in FAQs for advice on specific matters which are dealt with in the First Aid and Workplace facilities and work environment codes.
Note: Development of other Compliance Codes was interrupted due to work on the national model Work Health and Safety regulatory package, wherein Model Regulations and Codes of Practice were being developed. However, in 2012, the Victorian Government determined not to adopt the national system and the process to update the compliance codes has been recommenced. The last of these are currently being reviewed.
In January 2020 a number of amended codes were released - these are dated 2019 and reflect minor changes that were made to the Regulations.
Last amended February 2024