Information report about Australia

The model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act sets out certain types of workplace incidents that need to be notified to regulators. Only the most serious safety incidents are intended to be notifiable and they trigger requirements to preserve the incident site pending further direction from the regulator.

Notifiable incidents are:

• the death of a person
• a ‘serious injury or illness’, or
• a dangerous incident arising out of work carried out by a business, undertaking or a workplace.

Notifiable incidents relate to any person—whether an employee, contractor or member of the public.

If a notifiable incident occurs the model WHS Act sets out that:

• immediate notification of a ‘notifiable incident’ to the regulator, after becoming aware of it
• if the regulator asks—written notification with 48 hours of the request, and
• preservation of the incident site until an inspector arrives or directs otherwise.