Question

What is the relationship between health and safety Acts, regulations, and codes of practice?

Answer 1

Solution:

A health and safety Act is a formal description of health and safety law passed in a state or territory. It outlines the duties for each group relating to health and safety in the workplace. When a Parliament in each jurisdiction passes an Act, it becomes legally binding. Acts give us a general idea of how to make a workplace safe and healthy. An Act can be amended only by another Act of Parliament.

Regulations are a more detailed set of requirements created to support the duties which are already mentioned in the Act. These are additional requirements which are required to be followed apart from the ones mentioned in the Act. Regulations are also required to be passed by the Parliament in each jurisdiction to be legally binding. They can also be published in the Government Gazette to become legal. Regulations sets out standards which are required to be met for some specific hazards and risk. Regulations can only be amended by a notice published in the Government Gazette.

Codes of practice are a practical guide which provides various way on how to achieve the accepted standards of workplace health, safety and welfare which are mentioned in the Act and Regulations. A code of practice is also required to be approved in the jurisdiction for it to be legally binding.

The common relation between health and safety Acts, regulations and codes of practice is that all of them are required to be approved in the respective jurisdiction to be legally binding.