By name: whs-regulation-checker-nsw description: Complete New South Wales Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 reference. Use this skill whenever generating WHS compliance content, risk assessments, regulatory references, or any document that cites NSW WHS Regulation provisions. Covers all chapters of the WHS Regulation 2025 (NSW) — from preliminary definitions through to general provisions. Trigger on any mention of NSW WHS duties, workplace exposure standards, noise exposure, crystalline silica, hazardous chemicals, airborne contaminants, asbestos, risk management, hierarchy of control, confined spaces, falls, high risk work, construction, plant registration, major hazard facilities, psychosocial risks, electrical safety, demolition, diving work, or any other regulatory compliance topic under New South Wales WHS law.
New South Wales WHS Regulation 2025 — Complete Reference
Purpose
This skill provides the complete verified text of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW), extracted directly from the official New South Wales legislation (current as at 3 October 2025). It ensures Claude cites accurate clause numbers, provisions, and requirements when producing occupational hygiene reports, compliance analyses, and WHS documentation for NSW workplaces.
Critical Rules
- Only cite provisions that appear in the chapter files. Never fabricate or assume clause numbers or content.
- Citation format: Use "cl [number]" for individual clauses, e.g. "cl 49 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW)" or "cll 57–59" for a range. Note: NSW uses "clause" (cl) not "regulation" (r) for subsidiary legislation numbering.
- Use conservative, factual language when describing regulatory obligations. Avoid subjective terms — describe what the regulation requires in objective terms.
- Always use Australian English spelling (e.g. behaviour, organisation, colour, defence, licence [noun]).
- If a provision cannot be located in these files, state that the specific clause should be verified against the current legislation and indicate which chapter it is likely found in.
- Standards references: Only cite Australian Standards that are explicitly referenced in the Regulation text. Do not assume or add standards from general knowledge.
- Distinguish NSW from QLD. While the NSW and QLD WHS Regulations share a common model framework, the NSW Regulation 2025 has been remade (replacing the 2017 Regulation) and includes jurisdiction-specific provisions (e.g. psychosocial risks, food delivery riders, mines exclusion). Always specify "(NSW)" when citing this Regulation.
Chapter Index
Read the relevant chapter file(s) based on the regulatory domain of the query:
| File | Chapter | Key Clauses | When to Read |
|---|---|---|---|
chapters/ch01-preliminary.md |
Ch 1 — Preliminary | cll 1–15 | Definitions, application of regulation, incorporated documents, meaning of PCBU, meaning of supply |
chapters/ch02-representation.md |
Ch 2 — Representation and Participation | cll 16–31A | Work groups, HSR election, issue resolution, cessation of unsafe work, WHS entry permits, training authorisation |
chapters/ch03-risk-management.md |
Ch 3 — General Risk and Workplace Management | cll 32–55D | Hazard identification, hierarchy of control, PPE, first aid, emergency plans, workplace facilities, psychosocial risks (cll 55A–55D), falling objects, remote/isolated work, airborne contaminants, exposure standards |
chapters/ch04-hazardous-work.md |
Ch 4 — Hazardous Work | cll 56–184S | Noise (Pt 4.1, cll 56–59), manual tasks (Pt 4.2), confined spaces (Pt 4.3, cll 62–77), falls (Pt 4.4, cll 78–80), high risk work (Pt 4.5), demolition (Pt 4.6), electrical safety (Pt 4.7), diving work (Pt 4.8), traffic control work (Pt 4.9), food delivery riders (Pt 4.10) |
chapters/ch05-plant-structures.md |
Ch 5 — Plant and Structures | cll 185–288E | Plant duties, general duties for plant/structures, registered plant, plant design registration, plant item registration, registration process |
chapters/ch06-construction.md |
Ch 6 — Construction Work | cll 289–327 | WHS management plans, principal contractor duties, high risk construction, excavation, general construction induction training |
chapters/ch07-hazardous-chemicals.md |
Ch 7 — Hazardous Chemicals | cll 328–418+ | Workplace exposure standards, atmospheric monitoring, health monitoring, SDS, GHS, registers, storage, placarding, lead risk work |
chapters/ch08-asbestos.md |
Ch 8 — Asbestos | cll 419–526 | Identification, registers, management plans, licensed removal, air monitoring, clearance, asbestos removal licences |
chapters/ch08a-crystalline-silica.md |
Ch 8A — Crystalline Silica | cll 527–529R | Silica definitions, crystalline silica substances, prohibited/restricted processes, engineered stone prohibition, silica risk management plans, air monitoring, health monitoring, RPE, silica worker register |
chapters/ch09-major-hazard.md |
Ch 9 — Major Hazard Facilities | cll 530–606+ | MHF notification, safety cases, emergency plans, MHF licences |
chapters/ch10-mines.md |
Ch 10 — Mines | — | Not adopted in NSW. See the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013 |
chapters/ch11-general.md |
Ch 11 — General | cll 676+ | Reviewable decisions, fees, codes of practice, transitional provisions |
chapters/schedules.md |
Schedules 2–14 | — | Schedule 2 (fees), Schedule 3 (high risk work licences), Schedule 4 (competency requirements), Schedule 5 (registration of plant), Schedule 6 (classification of mixtures), Schedule 7 (SDS), Schedule 8 (disclosure of ingredients), Schedule 9 (classification/packing/labelling), Schedule 11 (placard/manifest quantities), Schedule 12 (manifest requirements), Schedule 13 (placard requirements), Schedule 14 (health monitoring) |
Workflow
- Identify the regulatory domain from the user's query
- Read the relevant chapter file(s) using the
viewtool — read only what is needed, not all files - Cite provisions accurately from the extracted text
- Cross-reference between chapters where appropriate (e.g. Ch 3 risk management process applies alongside Ch 4 noise requirements)
- Flag any gaps — if the query requires provisions from the WHS Act 2011 (not covered in this skill) or from Codes of Practice, note this clearly
Common Query Routing
| Query Topic | Primary Chapter(s) | Key Clauses |
|---|---|---|
| Noise assessment / hearing protection | Ch 4 (Pt 4.1) + Ch 3 | cll 56–59, cll 32–38 |
| Dust / silica survey | Ch 8A + Ch 3 | cll 527–529R, cll 32–38, cll 49–50 |
| Hazardous chemical exposure monitoring | Ch 7 + Ch 3 | cll 49–50 (WES), cll 32–38 |
| Asbestos identification / removal | Ch 8 | cll 419–526 |
| Confined space entry | Ch 4 (Pt 4.3) + Ch 3 | cll 62–77, cll 32–38 |
| Fall prevention | Ch 4 (Pt 4.4) | cll 78–80 |
| Construction WHS management plan | Ch 6 + Ch 3 | cll 289–327, cll 32–38 |
| High risk work licensing | Ch 4 (Pt 4.5) | cll 81–141 |
| PPE requirements | Ch 3 (Div 5) | cll 44–47 |
| Plant registration | Ch 5 | cll 185–288E |
| Health monitoring obligations | Ch 7 + Ch 8A | Ch 7 health monitoring, cll 529G–529J |
| Workplace facilities | Ch 3 (Div 2) | cll 40–41 |
| Emergency plans | Ch 3 (Div 4) | cl 43 |
| Psychosocial risks | Ch 3 (Div 11) | cll 55A–55D |
| Electrical safety | Ch 4 (Pt 4.7) | cll 144–166 |
| Demolition work | Ch 4 (Pt 4.6) | cll 141A–142E |
| Diving work | Ch 4 (Pt 4.8) | cll 167–184 |
| Traffic control work | Ch 4 (Pt 4.9) | cll 184A–184L |
| Food delivery riders | Ch 4 (Pt 4.10) | cll 184M–184S |
NSW-Specific Provisions
The following provisions are specific to NSW or differ from the model WHS Regulation:
| Feature | NSW Provision | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Psychosocial risks | Ch 3 Div 11 (cll 55A–55D) | Explicit psychosocial hazard/risk definitions and control measures |
| Chapter 10 — Mines | Not adopted | NSW uses separate mines legislation (WHS (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013) |
| Food delivery riders | Ch 4 Pt 4.10 (cll 184M–184S) | NSW-specific provisions for food delivery booking providers and riders |
| Traffic control work | Ch 4 Pt 4.9 (cll 184A–184L) | NSW-specific licensing and training provisions |
| Crystalline silica | Ch 8A (cll 527–529R) | Includes engineered stone prohibition and silica worker register |
| Regulation year | 2025 | NSW remade its Regulation in 2025 (replacing 2017 version) — note different numbering from QLD Regulation 2011 |
Version Information
- WHS Regulation 2025 (NSW): Current as at 3 October 2025
- Staged repeal status: Currently due for automatic repeal under the Subordinate Legislation Act 1989 on 1 September 2030
- Source: NSW Legislation website, certified by the Parliamentary Counsel's Office
- Extraction method: Full text extracted from official PDF using PyMuPDF, with page headers/footers removed
Note: This skill covers the WHS Regulation only. For the WHS Act 2011 (NSW) — including primary duty of care (s 19), officer duties (s 27), incident notification (ss 35–39), and industrial manslaughter (ss 34B–34F) — consult the companion whs-act-checker-nsw skill. Legislation is subject to amendment; for critical compliance decisions, verify current provisions at https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/