Rental, hiring and real estate services
This industry takes in all activities that allow the rental, hire, or use of owned assets, by others.
It includes:
- all real estate services
- rental and hiring of vehicles and equipment
- patents and trademarks
- artificial insemination services.
Top causes of injury
This industry covers complex workplaces. While there may be a significant amount of sedentary and administrative work, there are also workers moving between workplaces, often into unfamiliar environments.
Common causes of injury are:
- lifting and moving heavy objects
- slips, trips and falls
- being hit by moving objects including machinery
- electric shock.
Common hazards
Each workplace presents its own safety challenges. You need to know what the hazards are in your business so you can assess the risk they pose.
To help you get started, we’ve prepared information on how to identify hazards and manage the risks common to the rental, hiring and real estate services industry, including:
Resources to help you
As the work health and safety regulator in NSW, we have a wide range of technical, business, management and support services to help you make our business safe.
Our 'resource' and 'hazard' libraries
Our resource library and hazard library is where you will find up-to-date information on managing hazards and risks as well as codes of practice.
We also have extensive information that will help you improve and review your risk management processes. This includes videos, checklists, training and supervisory information, and safety alerts.
SafeWork Australia also has a fact sheet on developing a hazardous chemicals register.
Our safety management resources
Our Safety starts here section has a range of essential resources including:
- business must haves like emergency plans and first aid
- the basics for physical safety at work
- the basics for mental health at work
Our business resources
Our safety support services
If you employ fewer than 50 workers, you can book request a workplace advisory visit by one of our SafeWork inspectors who will help you identify hazards and develop risk management procedures.
You can call us on 13 10 50 at any time for assistance in finding the services you need quickly.
Keeping up to date
Get into the habit of checking our website twice a week for updates on your legislative obligations, on current incidents and prosecutions, for new safety tips and general health and safety information.
Link your business to our social media channels including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and never miss any of our news.
Subscribe to the SafeWork Wrap, our monthly newsletter, which contains safety tips, general information, industry updates, and news about our prosecutions and enforceable undertakings.
Subscribe to industry publications and join your industry group. For workers in the real estate sector, the Real Estate Institute of NSW (REI) and the Real Estate Institute of NSW are the peak bodies. For real estate owners, the Real Estate Employers’ Federation of NSW (REEF) will provide industry information.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) represents workers in roles within the hiring and equipment rental sectors.
Legislation
The NSW Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) and the NSW Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (WHS Regulation) define the obligations both employers and workers have to health and safety in the workplace.
The WHS legislation is supported by our Compliance policy and prosecution guidelines, which supplements the National compliance and enforcement policy.
You can find a complete breakdown of business operations that fall within the administrative and support services industry from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).