Healthcare Code of Practice 2026: What PCBUs Must Do

The Healthcare Code of Practice commencing February 2026 is a landmark regulatory development because it is the first approved code of practice specifically designed for healthcare workplace safety in Australia. Previous codes covered hazards that exist across all industries — manual handling, hazardous chemicals, noise, and plant — but did not address the unique combination of hazards, work environments, and workforce characteristics that define healthcare. The new code fills this gap by providing specific guidance on patient manual handling, sharps safety, management of aggressive patients and visitors, healthcare-specific chemical hazards, fatigue from shift work, and psychosocial risks inherent to healthcare delivery. From 1 July 2026, Section 26A of the WHS Act makes this code legally binding. Failure to follow the Healthcare Code will be a standalone offence unless the PCBU can demonstrate that an alternative measure provides equal or greater protection. Healthcare organisations should obtain the final code text immediately on publication, conduct a comprehensive gap analysis against their current systems, and implement all necessary changes before the binding date.

The Healthcare Code addresses patient manual handling with a level of specificity not found in the general Hazardous Manual Tasks code. The code requires individual patient handling risk assessments that identify the patient's weight, mobility, cognition, behaviour, and medical factors affecting handling, and that specify the mechanical aid, technique, and assist level required for each handling task. It requires healthcare PCBUs to provide sufficient mechanical aids — ceiling hoists, mobile hoists, stand aids, and slide sheets — to ensure that no worker is required to manually lift a patient's body weight during routine care. The code specifies competency requirements for workers using mechanical aids, requiring practical demonstration of proficiency before unsupervised patient handling. It requires handling plans to be documented and accessible at the point of care, and communicated to all workers including agency and casual staff. The code addresses the common failure mode in aged care where mechanical aids are available but not used due to time pressure, insufficient charging infrastructure, or cultural resistance. It requires PCBUs to monitor mechanical aid utilisation and investigate the root causes of non-use rather than simply relying on availability as evidence of compliance.

The Healthcare Code requires healthcare PCBUs to manage risks from patient and visitor aggression using the hierarchy of controls, with specific requirements that go beyond the general psychosocial hazard provisions of Regulation 55C. Environmental design controls must include two exits from clinical areas, clear sight lines for staff, removal of potential weapons and projectiles, and safe rooms for staff during violent incidents. Duress alarm systems must be installed in all areas where workers interact with patients or visitors, and must be tested regularly to ensure rapid response. Risk assessment and flagging systems must identify patients with known aggression history or current risk factors, and this information must be communicated to all workers before they interact with the patient. De-escalation training must be provided to all patient-facing workers, with specific modules addressing the unique aggression presentations in different healthcare settings — acute psychosis in mental health, sundowning in aged care, pain-driven aggression in emergency departments, and fear-based aggression in paediatric and dental settings. Post-incident support must include immediate first aid, critical incident debriefing, psychological first aid, and follow-up support with referral to professional psychological support where indicated.

The Healthcare Code addresses chemical and biological hazards specific to healthcare settings with guidance that supplements the general Hazardous Chemicals code. For sharps safety, the code requires healthcare PCBUs to implement safety-engineered sharps devices for all applicable procedures, establish sharps disposal systems with containers positioned at point of use, and maintain post-exposure prophylaxis protocols with 24-hour access to assessment and treatment. For cytotoxic drug handling, the code requires preparation in biological safety cabinets, use of closed-system transfer devices, specific PPE including double chemotherapy-rated gloves, and handling of treated patient body fluids as hazardous for a specified period post-treatment. For disinfection and sterilisation, the code requires substitution assessment for high-risk agents such as glutaraldehyde, enclosed reprocessing systems where feasible, and local exhaust ventilation for manual reprocessing areas. For formaldehyde in pathology, the code requires downdraft grossing station ventilation, enclosed tissue processors, and health monitoring for all exposed workers. The code also addresses anaesthetic gas scavenging requirements, radiation safety for workers in imaging and nuclear medicine, and infection control as a WHS rather than merely clinical obligation.