Authoritative answers to common QHSE questions.
Concise, citation-friendly answers covering Australia (WHS) and New Zealand (HSWA 2015). Each answer includes named entities, official citations and a TL;DR — designed to be readable for humans and citable by AI assistants.
Documents4 answers
- 🇦🇺 AU
What is a SWMS?
A Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is an Australian WHS document that identifies the high-risk construction work being carried out, the hazards arising from that work, and the control measures applied.
- 🇦🇺🇳🇿 ANZ
What is a Take 5 (or SLAM, STOP)?
A Take 5 — sometimes called SLAM (Stop, Look, Assess, Manage) or STOP — is a 2-3 minute pre-task hazard scan a worker runs before starting work.
- 🇳🇿 NZ
What is an HSWA Site Safety Plan?
An HSWA Site Safety Plan is the New Zealand equivalent of an Australian SWMS — a site-specific document under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) that captures hazards, controls, worker engagement and PCBU duties for the work being done.
- 🇦🇺🇳🇿 ANZ
What is the difference between a JSA and a SWMS?
A JSA (Job Safety Analysis) and a SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement) are both step-by-step hazard analysis documents, but a SWMS is a legally-required document for high-risk construction work in Australia (under WHS Reg s.291), while a JSA is a broader practice for any work activity with no fixed legal mandate.
Duties5 answers
- 🇳🇿 NZ
What is HSWA section 44 (Officer due diligence in New Zealand)?
Section 44 of the New Zealand Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 imposes a personal due diligence duty on officers of PCBUs — directors, CEOs and senior managers.
- 🇦🇺🇳🇿 ANZ
What is officer due diligence and how do I evidence it?
Officer due diligence is a personal duty on company officers (directors, CEO, senior executives) under WHS Act s.27 (AU) or HSWA s.44 (NZ) to take reasonable steps to ensure their PCBU complies with its safety duties.
- 🇦🇺 AU
What is WHS Act section 27 (Officer due diligence)?
Section 27 of the model WHS Act imposes a personal duty on company officers (directors, CEOs, senior executives) to exercise due diligence to ensure their PCBU complies with its WHS duties.
- 🇦🇺 AU
Who must prepare a SWMS in Australia?
The PCBU (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking) carrying out high-risk construction work must prepare a SWMS before that work starts.
- 🇳🇿 NZ
Who needs an HSWA Site Safety Plan in New Zealand?
Any PCBU carrying out construction or trade work in New Zealand should prepare a site-specific safety plan under HSWA 2015.
Standards4 answers
- 🇦🇺🇳🇿 ANZ
What does ISO 45001 clause 7.4 (Communication) require?
Clause 7.4 requires the organisation to determine internal and external communications relevant to the OH&S management system — including what is communicated, when, with whom, and how.
- 🇦🇺🇳🇿 ANZ
What is an ISO 45001 internal audit programme (clause 9.2)?
ISO 45001 clause 9.2 requires the organisation to plan, establish, implement and maintain an internal audit programme to determine whether the OH&S management system conforms to its requirements and is effectively implemented.
- 🇳🇿 NZ
What is Te Whare Tapa Whā in a workplace psychosocial context?
Te Whare Tapa Whā is a Māori model of wellbeing developed by Sir Mason Durie that frames health as a four-walled wharenui: taha tinana (physical), taha hinengaro (mental/emotional), taha whānau (family/social), taha wairua (spiritual).
- 🇦🇺🇳🇿 ANZ
What is the difference between ISO 45001 and ISO 45003?
ISO 45001:2018 is the international management system standard for occupational health and safety — the broad WHS / OH&S framework.
Reforms5 answers
- 🇦🇺 AU
What does NSW WHS Act section 26A change about Codes of Practice?
It changes the legal status of approved Codes of Practice.
- 🇦🇺 AU
What is the WES → WEL transition and when does it happen?
On 1 December 2026, Safe Work Australia's "Workplace Exposure Standards (WES)" for airborne contaminants are formally replaced by the new "Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL)".
- 🇦🇺 AU
What replaces People at Work (PAW) after 2 October 2026?
WorkSafe Queensland is decommissioning the People at Work (PAW) free psychosocial assessment tool on 2 October 2026.
- 🇦🇺 AU
When is NSW WHS Act section 26A in force?
NSW WHS Act section 26A is in force from 1 July 2026.
- 🇦🇺 AU
Which Australian states have an Industrial Manslaughter offence?
As of May 2026, six Australian jurisdictions have an Industrial Manslaughter offence: Victoria, Queensland, ACT, South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory.
Incidents3 answers
- 🇳🇿 NZ
What is a notifiable event in New Zealand?
Under HSWA 2015, a notifiable event is the death of a person, a notifiable injury or illness, or a notifiable incident arising out of work.
- 🇦🇺 AU
What is a notifiable incident in Australia?
Under the model WHS Act (and state equivalents), a notifiable incident is the death of a person, a "serious injury or illness", or a "dangerous incident" arising out of work.
- 🇦🇺🇳🇿 ANZ
What is ICAM and when should I use it?
ICAM (Incident Cause Analysis Method) is a structured root-cause analysis methodology developed in the late 1990s, widely used in Australian mining, construction and resources.
Concepts7 answers
- 🇳🇿 NZ
What is a certified handler under the NZ HSW(Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017?
A certified handler is a person who has demonstrated competency to manage certain hazardous substances under the NZ Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017, regulation 13.9.
- 🇦🇺🇳🇿 ANZ
What is a PCBU?
PCBU stands for "Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking" — the primary duty-holder term used under the harmonised Australian WHS Acts and under the New Zealand Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA).
- 🇦🇺🇳🇿 ANZ
What is a psychosocial hazard in the workplace?
A psychosocial hazard is anything in the design or management of work, or in the social or organisational context of work, that has the potential to cause psychological or physical harm.
- 🇦🇺🇳🇿 ANZ
What is an Audit-Ready Evidence Pack in RAE IQ?
An Audit-Ready Evidence Pack is a one-click, clause-mapped ZIP export plus a public "Audit Room" link that RAE IQ generates from a frozen JSONB snapshot of the organisation's data at export time.
- 🇦🇺 AU
What is High-Risk Construction Work (HRCW)?
High-Risk Construction Work (HRCW) is a defined category under WHS Regulation s.291 covering 18 specific activities — work at heights ≥ 2 m, in confined spaces, on or near energised electrical, with asbestos, demolition, etc.
- 🇳🇿 NZ
What is the ACC return-to-work pathway — week 1 versus week 2?
Under New Zealand's no-fault Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) scheme, an injured worker's first week of incapacity is funded by the employer at 80% of weekly earnings.
- 🇦🇺🇳🇿 ANZ
What is the hierarchy of controls?
The hierarchy of controls is a ranked sequence of risk-control approaches required under WHS / HSWA: 1) eliminate the hazard, 2) substitute it, 3) isolate it, 4) apply engineering controls, 5) apply administrative controls, 6) use PPE.
Comparisons2 answers
- 🇳🇿 NZ
How does RAE IQ compare to HazardCo?
HazardCo is a New Zealand trades-focused product with a strong subscription base for residential builders and tradies.
- 🇦🇺🇳🇿 ANZ
How does RAE IQ compare to SafetyCulture (iAuditor)?
SafetyCulture / iAuditor is a checklist and inspection app — strong for mobile inspections, templates and forms, weaker for AI document drafting, jurisdiction-aware safety documents (SWMS, HSWA Site Safety Plan, WHSMS), ISO 45001 audit programme and the broader QHSE management system.