[1] Regulations were formulated under occupational health and safety statutes to set the standards to be achieved for the management of particular hazards such as noise, chemicals, machinery and manual handling.
The process of harmonization commenced in July 2008 when the Australian Commonwealth, state and territory governments signed an intergovernmental agreement to agree to harmonise health and safety laws across Australia.
That process resulted in a National review with over 232 recommendations submitted to workplace relations ministerial council members for approval.
Following on from the review and recommendations being endorsed by ministers the National model Work Health and Safety Act was drafted and sent out for public comment in late 2009.
Implementation dates in different territories were: The process provides legislative clarity for all stakeholders, giving businesses a clearer understanding of health and safety law regardless of the state they operate in.