Here at the Health & Safety Handbook, we have hit the ground running in 2026 to ensure we don't miss a beat when it comes to keeping up to date with the latest developments in work health and safety laws.

Since the start of the year, we have made updates to several chapters of the Handbook, with the biggest updates happening here:

1. We have reconfigured two chapters to eliminate duplication and make finding the information you need easier. The chapter Incident investigation was previously titled ‘Incident reporting and investigation’. The incident reporting information has been redistributed to chapter Notification of incidents so that Incident investigation now deals solely with investigating safety incidents. This chapter also now includes a checklist on what to include in your investigation report, while Notification of incidents includes updates about notification requirements in the model Work Health and Safety Act and penalty rates.
2. Mental illness (previously titled ‘Mental health’) has been updated to include the latest statistics from Safe Work Australia, which show how mental illness is accounting for an increasing proportion of workers’ compensation claims. We also provide tips on how to manage a worker who can’t perform their work due to mental illness. There are also minor changes to the helpline and resources information.
3. Obligations and standards has had its comprehensive list of model codes of practice updated as new codes have been introduced.
4. Psychosocial hazards now includes information about the Work Health and Safety Amendment (Digital Work Systems) Bill 2025 (NSW).
5. Traffic management has been updated to include the latest vehicle statistics from Safe Work Australia and updated guidance materials from the regulators.
6. Working environment now includes water risks and more information about the provision of amenities, and we have updated several laws and codes.

We have also been keeping abreast of the most important cases to come before the courts and are routinely inserting summaries of relevant cases into chapters to illustrate how the law is being applied in practice. For in-depth analysis of cases and the lessons to takeaway, visit our dedicated Case Law page.

And don't miss the latest Q&As. Topics this year range from safe work method statements to workers' compensation.

Enjoy!