What is Legislation?
Legislation is the laws and rules made by the Parliament, together with, the process by which those that have been delegated the authority enforce the rules.
Standards
Many Australian and international standards providers (such as Standards Australia) require PDF files to be encrypted with digital rights management (DRM) technologies to ensure only authorised users can read and use these documents. This can make reading & printing standards more challenging.
If you are new to using standards, please follow the steps below to ensure you have the right software and the right authentication to access standards.
Software
- Download and install Adobe Reader or Foxit PDF Reader.
- Download and install FileOpen on Adobe/Foxit.
Authentication
- Create a personal account with Techstreet or Engineering Workbench using your ECU email address. Check the tip sheets linked below for instructions for each database.
- Log in as an ECU user to the standards database. Use the same details you use to log in to Canvas or Student Portal.
- Log in to the standards database with your personal account.
Once you have done this, you will be able to download the standards to read or print. Please ensure that you open downloaded standards with Adobe or Foxit Reader. To print, use a printer that is connected to your computer, or if you are on campus use the MobilityPrint app & Eduroam WiFi.
- Techstreet - Standards Australia Online This link opens in a new windowAustralian standards can be found on Techstreet.
[Registration required. Create a personal account using your ECU email address.]
Please download this tip sheet on how to access standards on Techstreet
Click here to register for Techstreet. See the database for the corporate key
- Engineering Workbench This link opens in a new window
Engineering Workbench, By Acuris is a database platform that provides access to over 2.3 m international standards (ISO, ASTM, BSI, and ASHRAE), identifying those that refer to each other. It also allows you to search for related bibliographic information inclusive of technical articles, journals books and patents, patent applications and utility modes.
[Note: You must register to use this platform by creating a personal account using your ECU email address.]
Please download this tip sheet on how to access standards using Engineering Workbench
Codes of Practice
Australia:
Safework Australia - publications include national standards, codes of practice and related guidance notes
WorkSafe Western Australia - publications include codes of practice for Western Australia, guidance
notes and bulletins.
International:
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Australian Institute of Health & Safety (AIHS)
- Australian Institute of Health & Safety (AIHS)Australia’s professional association for the health and safety profession.
- The OHS Body of KnowledgeResources supported and maintained by the Australian Institute of Health & Safety.
The OHS Body of Knowledge, was first published in 2012. Chapters have been revised and added progressively since 2012. See the list of chapters for current versions and scheduled updates. Notes about the chapters:
Each chapter is downloaded separately. However users are advised to read the Introduction contained in the learning outcomes tab of each chapter’s download page. This provides background to the information contained in individual chapters. Readers should also note the copyright requirements and the disclaimer before using or acting on the information. Each chapter page includes an overview of the chapter, the chapter for download, information about the author, learning outcomes and a range of resources.
Legislation
CCH Australian OH&S Library - Australian OHS legislation and commentary on OHS law
Lawlex: Full text database which provides links to Australian legislation hosted on selected government sites plus links to related material.
ComLaw (Commonwealth Law) - Australian Government Legislation
State Law Publisher - Western Australian Government Legislation
Workers Compensation Library (CCH) - Australian Workers Compensation legislation and
commentary on workers compensation law
Australian WHS legislation online video
Law Dictionaries/Encyclopedias
Australian Law Dictionary (3rd ed) by
The Australian Law Dictionary is a key reference for those who need familiarity with, and knowledge of, Australian legal terms most commonly encountered when studying law and in the profession. This law dictionary is specifically designed to build legal knowledge and continues the tradition of accurate, authoritative and quality dictionaries published by Oxford University Press Australia.
https://doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780190304737.001.0001
Publication Date: 2017 [ebook]- Halsbury's laws of Australia.ISBN: 0409304360Halsbury's Laws of Australia is a comprehensive legal encyclopaedia covering all Australian law.
Introductory Texts
- The new work health and safety legislation by The new Work Health and Safety uniform laws impose extensive obligations on those who conduct a business or undertaking to ensure the safety of anyone who may be affected by the operation of the business or undertaking. These obligations are not confined to the safety of employees and will cover customers, members of the public and even trespassers across most of Australia.Directors and managers are particularly vulnerable under the new law. There are hundreds of provisions which create penalties, many of them criminal. Conviction will expose defendants to large fines, costs orders and in some cases imprisonment.Authored by the Hon Francis Marks, former Judge of the Industrial Court of New South Wales, and industrial law specialists Deborah Dinnen and Lauren Fieldus, this book describes obligations under the law in clear and concise language and explains what needs to be done to comply with them.ISBN: 9781862879140Publication Date: 2013-06-05
Nutshell: Work Health and Safety by ISBN: 9780455232904Publication Date: 2014Note: eBook 3 simultaneous user access.
Print copies also held.- Safety, security, health and environment law byCall Number: 344.940465 TOOISBN: 97818628779552nd ed. 2011
WHS: A management guide by ISBN: 9780170289023Publication Date: 2020Note: eBook access: 3 simultaneous users. Older editions available.- Work health and safety by Summary: Provides a concise outline of the principles of work health and safety within undergraduate law. It highlights key cases and legislative provisions. Content includes: -A "National" and "Harmonised" health and safety framework. -How the Legislation works. -Hazards and the risk management process. -The statutory duties. -Standards to discharge health and safety duties. -Enforcement and compliance options. -Health and safety representatives. -Specific hazards - noise, lead, falls and manual tasks. -An emerging hazard - bullying. -Interaction with the common law and legal action. -Workers' compensation. -Rehabilitation and return to work.ISBN: 9780455232904Publication Date: 2014
Work health and safety law and policy by Call Number: 344.940465 JOHISBN: 9780455229836Publication Date: 3rd. ed. 2012Online and print copies.
Australian Cases
- Australasian Legal Information Institute [electronic resource] : AustLII.Free internet database providing access to Australian Legislation (acts, regulations, etc.), cases and other legal resources.
Unreported cased are generally freely available in AustLII. Cases in law reports, such as the Commonwealth Law Reports (CLR) are accessible via the Library. Cases in CLR and other full text authorised cases are available in the Library's law databases, such as FirstPoint (Legal Online).
- FirstPoint (via Westlaw AU)FirstPoint provides access to case references, citation, history, and digest information for Australian cases since 1825. All case material is classified to a detailed classification scheme, which can be browsed or searched to locate cases on legal topics. Information is sourced from the Australian Case Citator, Australian Digest and Australian Legal Monthly Digest (published by Lawbook Co.). See also CaseBase.
- Commonwealth law reports [electronic resource].The Commonwealth Law Reports database is Australia's most respected law reports series, containing a complete collection of authorised decisions from the High Court of Australia dating back to 1903 and extending to the present day.
Featured Publications
- Occupational health and safety harmonisation: Information on laws that have been put in place to help harmonise occupational health and safety across Australia. byWebpage providing links to the National Review into Model Occupational Health and Safety laws 2008/2009 and related information.
- OHS solution finder [electronic resource]. byOnline access to regularly updated Australian OHS information.