By law, certain incidents are notifiable to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ). An incident is notifiable if it arises out of the conduct of a business or undertaking and results in the death, serious injury or serious illness of a person, or involves a dangerous incident.

Serious injury or illness

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011 set out that a serious injury or illness of a person is:

• an injury or illness requiring the person to have
  • immediate treatment as an in-patient in a hospital
  • immediate treatment for
    • the amputation of any part of his or her body
    • a serious head injury
    • a serious eye injury
    • a serious burn
    • the separation of his or her skin from an underlying tissue (such as degloving or scalping)
    • a spinal injury
    • the loss of a bodily function
    • serious lacerations

• • medical treatment (treatment by a doctor) within 48 hours of exposure to a substance
• any infection to which the carrying out of work is a significant contributing factor, including any infection that is reliably attributable to carrying out work
• • with micro-organisms

  or

  • that involves providing treatment or care to a person

  or

  • that involves contact with human blood or body substances

  or

  • that involves handling or contact with animals, animal hides, skins, wool or hair, animal carcasses or animal waste products
• the following occupational zoonoses contracted in the course of work involving the handling or contact with animals, animal hides, skins, wool or hair, animal carcasses or animal waste products
• • Q fever
  • Anthrax
  • Leptospirosis
  • Brucellosis
  • Hendra virus
  • Avian influenza
  • Psittacosis.

Dangerous incident

A dangerous incident is an incident in relation to a workplace that exposes a worker or any other person to a serious risk to a person's health or safety emanating from an immediate or imminent exposure to:

• an uncontrolled escape, spillage or leakage of a substance
• an uncontrolled implosion, explosion or fire
• an uncontrolled escape of gas or steam
• an uncontrolled escape of a pressurised substance
• electric shock
• the fall or release from a height of any plant, substance or thing
• the collapse, overturning, failure or malfunction of, or damage to, any plant that is required to be authorised for use in accordance with the regulations
• the collapse or partial collapse of a structure
• the collapse or failure of an excavation or of any shoring supporting an excavation
• the inrush of water, mud or gas in workings, in an underground excavation or tunnel
• the interruption of the main system of ventilation in an underground excavation or tunnel.

Also consider...

• Refer to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011
• Find out more about incidents, notifications and contacting WHSQ.

Obligations for notifying Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) of an incident

A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must make the notification immediately after becoming aware that a notifiable incident arising from the business or undertaking has occurred.

Notifying details of incidents

Notification must be made by the fastest possible method.

During business hours – 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) – you can notify WHSQ by 1 of the following options:

• phone 1300 362 128
• complete and submit the online incident notification form
• fax the completed incident notification form (PDF, 241KB) to fax number (07) 3874 7700
• email the completed incident notification form (PDF, 241KB) to whsq.aaa@oir.qld.gov.au.

Outside of business hours:

• phone the WHS Infoline on 1300 362 128 to be connected to WHSQ's after-hours messaging service. Your notification details will be referred to a WHSQ on-call inspector who will contact you within a time frame that has regard to the seriousness of the incident.

If you make the notification by phone, written notification is not required. WHSQ will provide the person notifying for the business or undertaking with details of the information received.

Keeping records of notifiable incidents

The person conducting a business or undertaking must keep a record of each notifiable incident for at least 5 years from the date notified to WHSQ.

WorkCover Queensland notification of an incident

An injuries claim to WorkCover Queensland or your workers' compensation insurer is not the same as notifying WHSQ of an incident.

WorkCover Queensland and other workers' compensation insurers have a different role to play to WHSQ following a workplace incident. WHSQ investigates the cause of the incident and how similar incidents can be prevented in the future. WorkCover Queensland and other workers' compensation insurers provide financial compensation to people injured in the course of their employment.

WHSQ is the work health and safety regulator in Queensland. It uses notified incident information to investigate workplace incidents and contraventions of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. This information is also used to develop programs that identify solutions to workplace safety issues across all industries.

Notification to WHSQ is in addition to any workers' compensation claim made to WorkCover Queensland or self-insured businesses.

Also consider...

• Refer to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011.
• Find out more about incidents, notifications and contacting WHSQ.

The person with management or control of a workplace at which a notifiable incident has occurred must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the site where the incident occurred is not disturbed, unless it is for a prescribed reason, until an inspector arrives at the site. The site includes any plant, substance, structure or thing associated with the notifiable incident.

A prescribed reason to disturb an incident site is action:

• to assist an injured person
• to remove a deceased person
• that is essential to make the site safe or to minimise the risk of a further notifiable incident
• that is associated with a police investigation
• for which an inspector or Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) has given permission (a direction that a scene may be disturbed may be given in person or by a phone call).

Phone the WHS Infoline on 1300 362 128 if the incident occurs outside of business hours and you wish to disturb the incident site. A WHSQ on-call inspector will contact you within an appropriate time frame.

Also consider...

• Refer to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Safety in Recreational Water Activities Act 2011.
• Find out more about incidents, notifications and contacting WHSQ.