WHS Records Retention Schedule

A pre-filled Excel WHS records retention schedule for Queensland businesses. Each row names a record, who keeps it, the minimum period set by the WHS Act, the WHS Regulation or the Electrical Safety Regulation 2026, the day that period is counted from and the section that sets it: notifiable incident records, electrical records, monitoring and health monitoring reports, training records, high risk work licence evidence, plant records, safe work method statements and more. A second block lists the other records a business keeps and leaves the period to you. Type the date counting starts and the sheet works out the earliest disposal date and a status. Use it as a records retention schedule and document retention schedule template for your safety management system.

What Is Included In Our WHS Records Retention Schedule?

• A Start Here sheet: type your details once and they appear on every sheet and printed page
• 48 pre-filled records with a retention period stated in Queensland law, each with the section that sets it
• Who keeps the record: the business, the hirer, the licensed contractor, the owner, the designer or the supplier
• Years or days as a number, and the day each period is counted from
• Notifiable incident, serious electrical incident and dangerous electrical event records
• Health monitoring, air monitoring, asbestos and silica records with their long periods
• Training records with a stated period, high risk work licence evidence and registered plant records
• Safe work method statements, WHS management plans and records kept for two years after an incident
• 11 further records with the retention period left for your business to set
• An earliest disposal date worked out from the date counting starts, and a status that shows Keep, Period ended or Disposed
• Room to add your own rows, with a held-at location and a disposed-on date for each record

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld): s 38(7) (notifiable incident record), s 103F(2)(g) (assessment report)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): ss 50, 76, 77, 85, 170, 181, 182, 226, 228, 229, 230, 237, 303, 306G, 313, 340, 378, 388, 418, 444, 445, 465, 529CD, 529J and 711
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): ss 36, 41, 44, 45, 142, 204, 208, 229, 232, 276, 292
• Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld): s 133 (employer’s report of an injury)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Excel workbook with no macros
• Pre-filled with 48 records that have a retention period stated in Queensland law, and 11 that your business sets
• Automatic earliest disposal date and status, with room to add your own rows
• Print-ready pages with your business details repeated on every printed page
• Drop-down options you can change on the Lists sheet

Review it and adjust it to suit your business, your sites and the way your team works, and talk it through with your workers. If you have any trouble downloading this template, you can contact us at any time. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading.