Visitor management systems assist Australian organisations in fulfilling their duty of care obligations to Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) under harmonised Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation by providing a documented record of who is on site and their whereabouts, crucial for emergency response and incident investigation as of December 2025.
These systems, now commonly software-based, operate by capturing visitor details – name, contact information, purpose of visit, and host – and recording check-in and check-out times. Functionality currently includes pre-registration options, automated emergency notifications (via SMS or email), and integration with access control systems. Data is typically stored for a period aligned with WHS record-keeping requirements, generally between 5-30 years depending on state/territory legislation and potential legal hold requirements. Compliance frameworks, such as those built into some platforms, verify data collection aligns with Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and relevant data handling regulations. In 2026, many systems will continue to expand features for contactless check-in and real-time occupancy tracking. Emergency services integration, allowing direct access to visitor data during an incident, is becoming increasingly common.
Ultimately, visitor management provides a verifiable audit trail demonstrating reasonable steps were taken to ensure the health and safety of everyone on the premises.