Hard hats, high-vis and period products: what the WHS Code on workplace facilities means for your organisation.
Australian workplaces are now expected to treat access to period products as a workplace health and safety issue, not a “nice-to-have,” under updated WHS guidance on workplace facilities.
Australian employers are rethinking workplace facilities in light of recent changes to the WHS Code of Practice: Managing the work environment and facilities, which now explicitly recognises lack of access to period products as a health and safety risk. In our recent Menopause Friendly Employer Series webinar, “Hard hats, high-vis and period products – the new face of workplace safety,” legal experts, leading employers and advocates explored what this shift means in practice for workplaces across Australia.
What the WHS Code now says about period products
Safe Work Australia has amended the national model Code of Practice on managing the work environment and facilities to include specific guidance on period products in workplace facilities. The Code now states that a lack of access to essential sanitary products (period products) can directly impact a worker’s health and safety, potentially leading to unhygienic conditions, health complications, stress and other risks.
The updated WHS code for workplace facilities highlights that in workplaces where access to personal period products may be limited (such as remote locations, long or irregular shifts, or where workers cannot easily reach their belongings), it may be reasonably practicable for employers to provide a small supply of regular absorbency pads in toilets, with hygienic disposal options. While codes of practice are not law, they are important evidence of what is considered reasonably practicable, and may be relied upon in proceedings to show whether a business met its WHS duties.
Why period products are a workplace health and safety issue, not just wellbeing
Our panel emphasised that providing period products is now clearly part of meeting WHS obligations to provide adequate, clean and accessible workplace facilities, alongside toilets, drinking water and safe amenities. Legal expert Sara Summerbell explained that the Code’s language around “directly impacting health and safety” and “unhygienic conditions” positions period products firmly within workplace risk management, not discretionary wellness.
The discussion also connected the WHS code for workplace facilities with the national focus on psychosocial hazards, including poor physical environments and poorly maintained amenities that can contribute to stress, anxiety and psychological harm. For workers who cannot readily access products – such as FIFO workers, those on remote sites, first responders or staff who spend long periods in vehicles – lack of period products can create both physical risks and psychosocial hazards.
“It’s not much of a stretch to say that when you’ve got unpleasant work conditions, such as poorly maintained amenities, and you add lack of access to period products into that, you’re creating a psychosocial risk on top of a physical health risk.” Summerbell explained.
The business case: productivity, safety and retention
Data shared from Share the Dignity’s “Bloody Big Survey” shows that more than half of respondents reported missing work due to their period, with fear of leaking and lack of access to products a key driver. The survey attributes billions of dollars in lost productivity to period-related absenteeism, and identifies anxiety about leaking and managing heavy bleeding as a major factor in women staying home from work.
“This isn’t about pampering staff; period products are as fundamental as soap and toilet paper if you want people to manage their health and dignity at work.” Rochelle Courtenay, Share the Dignity. “In just 11 years we’ve collected nearly six million packets of period products and our Bloody Big Survey shows one in four people in Australia have experienced period poverty, that’s how widespread this problem is, and why access to products can’t be optional.”
Workplace research highlighted by Rentokil Initial’s Washroom Dignity program found that many women feel they do not have adequate access to period products at work, and that a significant proportion have taken sick leave because they do not feel confident their workplace facilities can support them. The panel emphasised that the cost of providing period products is low compared to the hidden costs of absenteeism, presenteeism, unplanned breaks to source products offsite, and the impact on talent attraction and leadership pipelines when women feel they cannot safely manage menstruation at work
What best practise WHS-aligned facilities look like
Speakers agreed that best practice goes beyond merely complying with the WHS code for workplace facilities and period products.
Key elements include:
- Conducting a facilities audit: reviewing toilets, hooks for bags, mirrors, shelves, sanitary bins, lighting and overall “washroom dignity” as part of WHS risk assessments.
- Providing free period products: a standardised supply of pads and tampons in female, gender-neutral and accessible toilets, with clear signage and hygienic disposal options.
- Considering incontinence and life stages: including incontinence products in relevant male and gender-neutral bathrooms, and acknowledging menopause, perimenopause and reproductive health in WHS planning.
- Integrating into WHS systems: embedding period product access into WHS policies, inductions, psychosocial hazard assessments and emergency planning, rather than treating it as a stand-alone wellbeing perk.
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood shared how they rolled out free period products for employees and donors nationwide as part of their “Support the Pause” perimenopause and menopause at work program, starting with products in bathrooms and parallel communications to normalise the change. Feedback from their annual survey shows that period products are among the most accessed and highly valued supports, contributing to a stronger employee value proposition and a sense that the organisation genuinely cares about workers’ health and safety.
“We started with products first, not policy – we wanted people to walk into any Lifeblood bathroom and see pads and tampons there, alongside clear communication about why we were doing it, so it felt normal, practical and like a genuine sign that we care about their health and safety.” Holly Patterson.
Practical steps for employers to align with the WHS code
- Audit your workplace facilities through a WHS lens
Map where workers actually spend time (offices, vehicles, remote sites) and identify locations where access to products is limited, then review bathrooms against the Code’s expectations for hygienic, accessible amenities. - Provide period products where they’re needed most
Prioritise sites with remote work, long shifts or limited access to personal belongings, and ensure pads, tampons and disposal options are available in toilets that afford privacy. - Update WHS policies and training
Incorporate menstruation, period products and, where relevant, menstrual and menopausal health into WHS policies, psychosocial risk assessments and training so managers understand their duties and workers know what support is available. - Engage leaders of all genders
Involve male leaders and colleagues in education about menstruation, the updated WHS code for workplace facilities, and the safety rationale for providing period products, to reduce stigma and build psychological safety. - Leverage awareness days to launch initiatives
Use World Menstrual Health Day (28 May) and other key dates to kickstart workplace campaigns, supported by communication packs, posters, factsheets and live education sessions.
“For the first time, workplaces are being asked to recognise that people come to work with ovaries, uteruses and real health needs, we are still capable and high‑performing, we just might need a period product and a psychologically safe way to ask for support.” Grace Molloy
Menopause Friendly Australia is now supporting organisations to interpret the WHS code for workplace facilities and period products, build the business case, train leaders and teams, and design practical, dignified facilities that keep people safe at every life stage. By treating period products as a core part of workplace health and safety, as essential as hard hats, high-vis and clean toilets, employers can reduce risk, support psychosocial health, and demonstrate that their WHS systems truly include everyone who menstruates.
What more support? Our menstruation friendly resource pack for World Menstrual Health Day on 28th May is now available. Reach out to us to find out more.
Grace Molloy, CEO and Co-founder, Menopause Friendly Australia