Download the Body of Knowledge chapters
What you will find:
The chapters can be accessed from the list below. Each chapter page includes an overview of the chapter, the chapter for download, information about the author, learning outcomes, and a range of resources. For a quick summary of the chapters including keywords and abstracts click here for a summary document
Use
Each chapter is downloaded separately. However, users are advised to read 1.3 Synopsis and 2 Introduction which provide background to the information contained in individual chapters. Readers should also note the copyright requirements and the disclaimer before using or acting on the information.
Keeping up with changes and updates
As you will see from the list below and the contents we have been reviewing and updating the OHS BoK chapters. See a summary of the changes for each chapter
| Chapter | Title | Author | Current Version | View Chapter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Foreword, acknowledgments | 2023 | View Chapter | |
| 1.2 | Contents | July 2022 | View Chapter | |
| 1.3 | Synopsis of the OHS Body of Knowledge | 2019 | View Chapter | |
| 2 | Introduction | Pam Pryor | 2019 | View Chapter |
| The OHS Professional | ||||
| 3 | The Generalist OHS Professional: International and Australian Perspectives | Pam Pryor, David Provan, Tristan Casey and Xiaowen Hu | 2021 | View Chapter |
| Global concepts | ||||
| 4 | Work | Mike Rafferty and Sally Wright | 2012- New chapter in development | View Chapter |
| 5 | Safety | Sidney Dekker | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 6 | Health | David Beaumont | 2021 | View Chapter |
| The Human | ||||
| Biology and Physiology | ||||
| 7.1 | The Human: As a biological system | Kelly Johnstone, Keith Adam, Mike Capra and Joanne Crawford | 2021 | View Chapter |
| Psychology | ||||
| 8.1 | The Human: Basic psychological principles | Carlo Capponechia | 2012 - New chapter in development | View Chapter |
| 8.2 | The Human: Basic principles of social interaction | Bill Pappas, Carlo Capponechia and Eleanor H. Wertheim | 2012 - New chapter in development | View Chapter |
| Socio-political context | ||||
| 9.1 | Socio-political context for OHS in Australia | Liz Bluff | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 9.2 | Work Health and Safety Law in Australia | Neil Foster, Barry Sherriff, Eric Windholtz, Leo Ruschena | 2020 | View Chapter |
| The Organisation | ||||
| 10.1 | The Organisation | Michael Griffiths, Debra Burlington | 2020 | View Chapter |
| 10.2.1 | Organisational Culture: A search for Meaning | David Borys | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 10.2.1B | Appendix Organisational Culture: Thematic analysis of data from interviews and focus groups | 2014 | View Chapter | |
| 10.2.2 | Organisational Culture: Reviewed and Repositioned | David Borys | 2020 | View Chapter |
| 10.3 | Governance and OHS | Future Chapter | ||
| Systems | ||||
| 12.1 | Systems | David Borys, Steve Cowley, Susanne Tepe, Andrew Morrell, Wendy Macdonald | 2012 - New chapter in development | View Chapter |
| 12.2 | OHS Management Systems | Nektarios Karanikas, Pam Pryor | 2021 | View Chapter |
| 12.3.1 | Rules and procedures | David Provan, Andrew Rae | 2020 | View Chapter |
| 12.3.2 | Document Usability | Klaus Hofer | 2020 | View Chapter |
| 12.4 | Contractor management | Future Chapter | ||
| 12.5 | OHS performance evaluation | Future Chapter | ||
| 12.6 | Investigations | Geoff Dell, Yvonne Toft | In development | Future Chapter |
| 13 | Managing process safety | Trish Kerin | 2019 | View Chapter |
| Hazards | ||||
| 14 | Foundation Science | Pam Pryor and Mike Capra | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 15 | Hazards as a concept | Pam Pryor | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 16 | Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders | David Trembearth and Joanne Crawford | 2021 | View Chapter |
| 17 | Chemical Hazards | Dino Pisaniello and Susanne Tepe | 2012 | View Chapter |
| 17.2 | Management of chemical hazards | Future Chapter | ||
| 17.3 | Dusts, fibres and particles | Linda Apthorpe, Dr Shahnaz Bakand, Dr Jennifer Hines, Leanne Treadwell, Jane Whitelaw | 2023 | View Chapter |
| 17.4 | Process Hazards (Chemical) | Trish Kerin | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 18 | Biological Hazards | Amanda Jones | 2021 | View Chapter |
| 19 | Psychosocial hazards and occupational stress | Kïrsten A Way | 2020 | View Chapter |
| 20 | Fatigue | Jessica L Paterson, Sally A Ferguson and Drew Dawson | 2020 | View Chapter |
| 21 | Bullying and violence | Carlo Caponecchia, Kïrsten A Way | 2021 | View Chapter |
| 22.1 | Occupational Noise | Beno Groothof | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 22.2 | Vibration | Beno Groothof | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 23.1 | Electricity | Leo Ruschena | 2021 | View Chapter |
| 23.2 | Electricity Appendix - Arc Flash | Brett Cleaves | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 24 | Ionising Radiation | Martin L Ralph | 2021 | View Chapter |
| 25 | Non-Ionising Radiation – Electromagnetic | Leo Ruschena and Martin L Ralph | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 26 | Thermal environment | Ross DiCorleto | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 27 | Gravitational hazards | Neil Adams | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 28 | Mechanical Plant | Roger Lim, Tony Payne | 2020 | View Chapter |
| 29 | Mobile plant | Gloria Kyriacou Morosinotto | 2012- Under review | View Chapter |
| 30 | Vehicles and occupational road use | Rwth Stuckey | 2019 | View Chapter |
| Risk | ||||
| 31.1 | Risk | Jean Cross | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 31.2 | OHS risk and decision making | Carmel Bofinger, Jan Hayes, Chris Bearman, Derek Viner | 2019 | View Chapter |
| Causation | ||||
| 32 | Models of causation: Safety | Yvonne Toft, Geoff Dell, Karen K Klockner and Allison Hutton | 2012 - Under review | View Chapter |
| 33 | Models of causation: Health determinants | Wendy Macdonald | 2012 - Under review | View Chapter |
| Control | ||||
| 34.1 | Control: Prevention and intervention | Leo Ruschena | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 34.2 | User-Centered Safe Design approach to control | Tim Horberry, Robin Burgess-Limerick, Neil Storey, Matthew Thomas, Leo Ruschena, Margaret Cook, Chad Pettitt | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 34.3 | Health and safety in design | Australian Institute of Health and Safety | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 34.4 | Design of work | Lisette Kanse and Laura Fruhen | 2022 | View Chapter |
| 35 | Mitigation of health impacts | Australian Institute of Health and Safety with Australian New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 36 | Emergency management | Andrew Stanbury | 2019 | View Chapter |
| Practice | ||||
| 37.1 | Introduction to ‘practice’ as a concept | 2012 - Under review | View Chapter | |
| 37.2 | A problem-solving model of OHS practice | Pam Pryor and Susanne Tepe | 2019 | View Chapter |
| 37.3 | OHS professional practice for the 2020s | Future Chapter | ||
| 37.4 | Workers Working from Home | Pam Pryor and David Provan | 2020 | View Chapter |
| Professional attributes | ||||
| 38.1 | Working in organisations | Future Chapter | ||
| 38.2 | Leadership and the OHS professional | Future Chapter | ||
| 38.3 | Ethics and Professional Practice | Australian Institute of Health and Safety | 2019 | View Chapter |
| Professional skills | Future Chapter | |||
| 39.1 | The OHS professional as a ‘critical consumer’ of research | Pauline Zardo and Pam Pryor | 2012 - Under review | View Chapter |
| 39.2 | The OHS Professional as a workplace researcher | Future Chapter | ||