Heat rules in Queensland: no set temperature, the WHS Regulation and the code of practice

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It restates four pages and documents from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (part of the Office of Industrial Relations, on the WorkSafe Queensland site) and two pieces of Queensland legislation, all read on October 10, 2026. The office's public line is 1300 362 128. Queensland is a harmonised work health and safety state, so the national picture is on the Australia heat page and the other places are in the heat rules overview.

No exposure limit for heat

The Heat stress page, last updated September 11, 2018, says there is no workplace exposure standard or limit for heat stress. It says heat stress indices are guides and not safe or unsafe limits, and that a limit based on air temperature alone is not appropriate. It describes heat stress as the body being unable to cool itself fast enough to hold a core temperature of around 37 degrees Celsius, and names three factors: the individual, the work environment and the type of work.

What the statute and regulation say

Provision	What it says, in short	Read on
Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld), section 19	A person conducting a business or undertaking must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers, including a work environment without risks to health and safety and monitoring of workers' health and workplace conditions	October 10, 2026, reprint in force from August 3, 2026
Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld), section 40	Among the listed duties for general workplace facilities, workers carrying out work in extremes of heat or cold must be able to do so without risk to health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable	October 10, 2026, reprint in force from March 29, 2026
Regulation, section 41	Adequate facilities for workers, including drinking water	October 10, 2026
Regulation, sections 42 and 43	First aid duty (section 42) and an emergency plan duty (section 43); the heat stress page says the plan needs emergency procedures for heat stroke where heat stress risk exists	October 10, 2026
Act, sections 26A and 274	Duty holders must comply with an approved code of practice or manage the risk in a different way that gives an equivalent or higher standard (section 26A); approval of codes (section 274)	October 10, 2026

The code of practice

The Managing the work environment and facilities Code of Practice 2021 (Queensland, 42 pages) is an approved code under section 274 of the Act. Its foreword says codes are admissible in court and that an inspector may refer to one when issuing an improvement or prohibition notice. Its heat and cold section says environmental conditions and workers' health must be monitored when work involves prolonged or repeated exposure to heat or cold. It separates a threat to health from discomfort, and lists personal factors (medication, age, health, physical activity, pregnancy and breastfeeding, clothing, duration) and environmental factors (air temperature, humidity, air movement, radiant heat). It gives 20 to 26 degrees Celsius as the optimum for sedentary work and says people doing physical exertion usually prefer lower.

The code says that where exposure to extreme heat cannot be eliminated, the risk of heat-related illness must be minimised so far as is reasonably practicable. It sorts example controls into groups: those it lists first (such as fans, air-conditioning, mechanical aids and changes to scheduling) and those it calls "least effective if used on their own", such as a cool rest area, water and training. For drinking water, the code says clean water must be provided free of charge at all times, positioned close to hot or strenuous work, and that its temperature should be at or below 24 degrees Celsius.

Assessing heat: three levels

The Heat stress page describes a three-level approach from published research. Level 1 is a non-technical review using the office's online Heat stress (basic) calculator, which the page calls an initial qualitative review and not a definitive assessment tool. Level 2 is a technical assessment by a competent person such as an occupational hygienist, using ISO 7933 Predicted Heat Strain or Thermal Work Limit. Level 3 is expert physiological monitoring, for cases such as encapsulating suits or allowable exposure times under 30 minutes. The page groups control measures into engineering, changes to the work, administrative measures and protective equipment.

Training and other points from the regulator

The Heat stress page says training is required for all workers likely to work in hot environments, do strenuous work at raised temperatures or wear impermeable protective clothing. The February 2024 eSafe newsletter item, "Heat stress - know the facts to protect your workers", says employers must help prevent exposure to heat stress hazards and have plans against heat-related illness. It lists sunlight, reflected heat, strenuous work, climate, clothing, lack of acclimatisation and fatigue among the contributors, and says air temperature is only one factor.

The office issued an incident alert on heat-related illness in 2023. Its text on duties says that after an incident a business needs to show the regulator it used an effective risk management process under the primary duty of care, and that risk assessment should be conducted regularly because conditions change daily.