Safe Work NSW has adopted a WHS Code of Practice: Managing the risks of biological hazards at work, effective from 10 July 2026.
The NSW document mirrors the model Code of Practice: Managing the risks of biological hazards at work which was released by Safe Work Australia in March this year and was the first document of its kind in the world.
Biological hazards are substances and agents of biological origin, such as from humans, plants and animals, that pose risks to human health. They include viruses, bacteria, parasites, prions and some types of fungi (including mould). They also include allergens, irritants and toxins, such as organic dusts, sap and venom.
Biological hazards can be found in all industries and workplaces – including both indoor and outdoor settings. People may be exposed to biological hazards at work if they are:
· part of the work conducted (e.g. research laboratories working directly with viruses, healthcare workers in contact with ill patients, farmers handling sick animals and waste management workers processing untreated waste)
· associated with where the work occurs (e.g. working outside where there is a high prevalence of mosquitoes, work which involves travelling to areas with endemic tropical diseases and working in indoor spaces with contaminated air or mould growth)
· brought into the workplace from the community by workers and other people who enter the workplace (e.g. communicable diseases such as the common cold, influenza or COVID-19)
Exposure to biological hazards can result in injury, illness and disease.
The NSW Code of Practice: Managing the risks of biological hazards at work provides practical guidance to assist employers in identifying, and implementing, the most effective ways to manage the risks arising from biological hazards in their workplace and meet their work health and safety (WHS) duties. The Code is broad in scope and applies to any workplace where workers or others may be exposed to biological hazards.
Following the Code helps employers to meet their legal obligations and demonstrates what is considered reasonably practicable in managing the risks associated with biological hazards. Codes of practice are admissible in court proceedings under the WHS Act and WHS Regulation. Courts may regard a code of practice as evidence of what is known about a hazard or risk control and may rely on the code in determining what is reasonably practicable in the circumstances to which the code of practice relates.
Victoria’s workplace safety regulator, WorkSafe Victoria, does not yet have a Compliance Code dealing with this topic. HSRs and other parties interested in workplace safety can refer to the SWA Code of Practice for guidance on the current state of knowledge around biological hazards in the workplace.
Read more: Managing the risks of biological hazards at work – Code of practice