What WHS Documents Does a Subcontractor Need in Australia?

If you have tried to get onto a site recently, you have probably been handed a long list of safety paperwork. Some of it is required by law; some of it is what the principal contractor needs to manage their own obligations. Here is how to tell the difference.

Documents required by law in specific situations

• SWMS — required before high risk construction work starts. See high risk construction work categories.
• Hazardous chemicals register — required where hazardous chemicals are used, handled or stored at the workplace (model WHS Regulations, r346), with current safety data sheets.
• Records of notifiable incidents — must be kept for at least 5 years (model WHS Act, s38).
• Licences and high risk work licences for the tasks you carry out, plus general construction induction (white card) training.

Documents principal contractors commonly ask for

• A WHS policy and supporting safety procedures.
• Safe work procedures for tasks and plant that are not high risk construction work.
• Plant and equipment registers and inspection records (tagging, servicing).
• Training and competency registers.
• Insurance certificates (public liability and workers compensation).
• Pre-start checklists, toolbox talk records and incident report forms.

Not every business needs every one of these. What you need depends on your trade, your crew size, the principal contractor’s requirements and the state or territory you are working in.

Victoria regulates workplace safety under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the OHS Regulations 2017, which use different terms and some different thresholds from the model WHS laws used in other states and territories. Always check the requirements that apply where you work.

Getting it right the first time

Generic templates are a common reason paperwork gets knocked back. Documents need to match how your business actually works — your plant, your chemicals, your people and your sites.

Our Tradie WHS Package brings the core documents together for small crews, and our WHS Registers service covers the registers sites ask for. Tell us what your principal contractor is asking for.