Key takeaway
What This Development Means
Safe Work Australia's workplace AI risk guidance confirms that existing WHS duties cover new and updated digital systems. Duty holders should consult affected workers, assess physical and psychological hazards, document controls and check the laws enforced in their jurisdiction.
Does The Guidance Create Separate Workplace AI Laws?
No. The material explains how existing model WHS duties apply to AI and digital technologies rather than creating a separate regime. A PCBU must eliminate or minimise related risks and consult affected workers. Applicable legal duties and enforcement depend on the Commonwealth, state or territory jurisdiction where work occurs.
What Risks Should A PCBU Assess Before Deploying AI?
Assess foreseeable physical and psychological harm, including unsafe machine actions, automation bias, reduced awareness, workload, monitoring, stress, maintenance and emergencies. Consider workers, contractors and others who may be affected. Consult users early, test controls, define human oversight, provide training and reassess whenever technology or work changes.
Source basis: Safe Work Australia, New AI and digital technologies guidance now available (23 July 2026)
Safe Work Australia issued workplace artificial intelligence risk guidance on 23 July 2026 for persons conducting a business or undertaking, workers and other duty holders introducing or changing AI and digital technologies. It confirms that existing work health and safety risk-management duties apply across manufacturing, laboratories, warehouses, offices and other digitally enabled workplaces.
What The Workplace AI Risk Guidance Covers
The workplace AI risk guidance covers computers, software, wearable devices, advanced robotics, automation and related digital systems. It also applies when an existing system changes, including through a software update pushed by a provider.
Safe Work Australia says digital technologies can support productivity and improve risk management, but poor design, implementation or use can create or worsen physical and psychological hazards. Examples include unsafe robotic movement, overreliance on automated outputs, limited ability to override a system, work intensification, fatigue, intrusive monitoring, unclear accountability and stress.
Wearables may introduce ergonomic, heat, vibration or electrical risks. Connected robotics can create crushing or hazardous-substance exposure risks. The appropriate controls depend on the work, people, environment and technology, not simply whether a supplier describes a system as AI.
Existing WHS Duties Apply To Digital Change
Under the model WHS framework, a person conducting a business or undertaking must eliminate risks so far as reasonably practicable, or minimise them where elimination is not reasonably practicable. Duty holders must also consult workers who are, or are likely to be, directly affected.
Safe Work Australia develops national policy and model guidance but does not enforce workplace laws. Commonwealth, state and territory regulators administer the applicable legislation in their jurisdictions, so organisations must check local requirements alongside the new national material.
Practical Governance For Technology Buyers
Using the workplace AI risk guidance, procurement, engineering and health and safety teams should involve workers during specification, trials and change management. Assessments should cover normal operation, maintenance, foreseeable misuse, degraded modes and emergencies. Human override, competence, supervision, workload and accountability should be clear.
Organisations should record consultation, training, control testing and review triggers. Technology suppliers can support customers with transparent information about limitations, integration requirements, updates and residual risks.
Summary
Safe Work Australia's workplace AI risk guidance confirms that existing WHS duties cover new and updated digital systems. PCBUs should consult affected workers, assess physical and psychological hazards, eliminate or minimise risks, document controls and review changes. Enforcement remains with Commonwealth, state and territory regulators under each applicable jurisdiction's legislation.
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