🇦🇺 Australia & 🇳🇿 New Zealand – Fall Protection Legal Requirements.

🇦🇺 Australia

Across Australia, fall protection requirements are governed largely by the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (WHS Regulations), which have been adopted by every state and territory except Western Australia (WA).

These regulations apply to all industries and workplaces and place duties on the Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU).

PCBU Responsibilities Under WHS Regulations.

A PCBU must:

1. Manage the risk of falls

They must eliminate or minimise, so far as is reasonably practicable, the risk of a person falling from one level to another.

2. Avoid working at height where possible

If practical, work must be performed:

• on the ground, or
• on a solid construction (i.e. stable, secure, with safe access/egress).

3. Apply the hierarchy of control for fall protection

If working at height cannot be avoided, the duty holder must minimise risk by applying the following hierarchy:

1) Fall Prevention Device

(e.g., guardrails, edge protection, walkways)
Used when reasonably practicable.

2) Work Positioning System

Used if fall-prevention devices are not reasonably practicable.

3) Fall Arrest System

Used only when the above cannot be applied.
Where fall arrest is used, the PCBU must:

• minimise the risk of injury during a fall
• provide emergency & rescue procedures
• ensure equipment is inspected and maintained

WHS Model Codes of Practice.

Three Model Codes of Practice support the legislation and offer guidance on compliance:

• Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces (applies across all industries)
• Construction Work
• Preventing Falls in Housing Construction

These codes only have legal effect if formally approved within each jurisdiction.
Duty holders should check with their local regulator to confirm adoption.

🇦🇺 Western Australia (WA)

WA has not yet adopted the harmonised WHS Regulations and continues to operate under:

• Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984

• Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996

• Code of Practice: Prevention of Falls at Workplaces

Further details:
👉 www.safetyline.wa.gov.au

🇳🇿 New Zealand.

New Zealand’s fall protection requirements fall under:

Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995

Supported by several Approved Codes of Practice, including:

• Falls from Heights – Construction and Building Maintenance
• Safe Work at Heights – Construction and Building Maintenance
• Guidelines for the Prevention of Falls

These outline safe systems of work, equipment requirements, training responsibilities, and planning considerations.

More information:
👉 www.osh.dol.govt.nz