Resources for sex work workplaces and workers
Review our health and safety guidance and resources for sex workers and businesses that provide sex work services.
Following the decriminalisation of sex work in Queensland, all sex workers and sex work businesses will be covered by work health and safety legislation. The changes come into effect on 1 August 2024 and will 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.
The Sex work - Work health and safety guidance 2024 (PDF, 1.32 MB) has been developed to support businesses and workers to understand their workplace health and safety rights and duties. 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 the reporting of incidents.
Multilingual versions of the guidance document and several other supporting resources will soon be available in Thai, Korean and Mandarin/Simplified Chinese.
- Overview to sex work WHS guidance – explains that industry specific guidance has been developed to support sex work workplaces and what is covered in the guidance.
- How to manage work health and safety risks – covers who has workplace health and safety responsibilities and their duties.
- Workplace hazard prevention – hazards can take many forms and workplaces have a responsibility to ensure that they are managed.
- Fatigue and other psychosocial risks – managing psychological hazards at work is just as important as physical safety.
- Working safely – simple examples of steps sex work workplaces need to take to ensure the health and safety of workers.
Multilingual versions of the guidance document, videos and posters will soon be available in Thai, Korean and Mandarin/Simplified Chinese.