Workplace health and safety laws now apply to sex industry workers

• The decriminalisation of sex work means work health and safety laws now apply to all places of sex work.
• Workplace health and safety laws will protect the health, safety and welfare of sex workers with practical guidance developed in consultation with the industry.

Following the decriminalisation of sex work in Queensland, all sex workers and sex work businesses will be covered by work health and safety legislation. This improves sex workers’ rights, safety and working conditions.

The changes, effective August, mean that the same workplace health and safety laws that apply to all Queensland businesses, apply to sex work businesses and sex workers. This includes the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011, codes of practice and guidance documents.

Every worker has the right to feel safe and healthy in their workplace, including sex workers.

The Sex work - Work health and safety guidance 2024 has been developed in consultation with the industry to explain the duties, responsibilities, and worker rights provided by Queensland’s work health and safety laws.

The guidance provides industry-specific information about workplace hazard management including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), how to manage psychosocial hazards and risks, guidance for working safely in a variety of environments and reporting of incidents.

Key materials will be translated into Thai, Mandarin and Korean to connect with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) audiences.

For more information and guidance, visit WorkSafe.qld.gov.au

Quotes attributable to Office of Industrial Relations Deputy Director-General Donna Heelan:

“Every worker has the right to feel safe at work”.

“Decriminalisation of sex work means that sex workers have the same workplace health and safety protections as other Queensland workers.

“Sex workers can operate legally and safely and rely on workplace health and safety guidance for practical information to address risks and hazards in workplaces.”

Quotes attributable to spokesperson for Respect Inc, Carly Nichol:

"Respect Inc welcomes the release of the WHS Guidance that sets out how WHS laws and regulations apply to Queensland sex work workplaces.

"This is a shift away from laws that undermined safety and access to justice, instead treating sex work as work and focusing on health and safety in the workplace for Queensland sex workers.

"This is an historic moment that sex workers have called for over decades.”

Further information:

Respect Inc is a non-profit, peer-based organisation focused on protecting and promoting the rights, health and wellbeing of Queensland sex workers.

Media contact: OIRMedia@oir.qld.gov.au or 0478 33 22 00.