Whether you can use existing iPads for Australia 2026 compliance depends on how your organisation manages visitor and contractor safety, and specifically, whether you utilise a digital visitor management system (VMS) integrated with emergency evacuation procedures. As of December 2025, Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation – harmonised across most states and territories – places obligations on Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) to maintain accurate records of persons on site, and to ensure their safety, including during emergencies.
Many VMS platforms now operate via iPad applications, facilitating real-time registration, automated emergency contact notifications, and digital sign-in/sign-out records. These systems often integrate with building access control and emergency management systems. Crucially, compliance isn’t about *the device* but about *the data handling and system functionality*. A VMS must securely store data in accordance with Australian privacy principles, and provide auditable records for WHS investigations. Systems must also support rapid assembly point reporting. In the United States, similar requirements exist under OSHA regulations and state-level workplace safety laws, with data privacy governed by laws like CCPA and, where applicable, HIPAA. If your existing iPads can run a compliant VMS application and integrate with your emergency procedures, they can be used. However, older iPads may lack the processing power or operating system compatibility for current VMS software versions.
Ultimately, the functionality of the VMS, its data security features, and its ability to meet WHS (or OSHA) record-keeping requirements determine compliance, not the specific hardware used to access it.
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