Notifiable Events

Overview

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, a notifiable event is when any of the following occurs as result of work:

1. Death.
2. Injury.
3. Illness.
4. Incident (when a person's health and safety are seriously threatened or endangered as a result of a work situation).

The keyword 'work' is important: a death, injury or illness unrelated to work is not a notifiable event. For example, a diabetic worker slipping into a coma at work is not a notifiable event.

What is a notifiable injury or illness?

A notifiable injury or illness is a specified serious work-related injury or illness.

All injuries or illnesses that require (or would usually require) a person to be admitted to a hospital for immediate treatment are notifiable.

Other types of injuries and illnesses that also require notification are set out below:

• Amputation of any body part that requires immediate treatment (other than first aid).
• A serious head injury that requires immediate treatment (other than first aid).
• A serious eye injury that requires immediate treatment (other than first aid).
• A serious burn that requires immediate treatment (other than first aid).
• Skin separating from an underlying tissue (degloving or scalping) that requires immediate treatment (other than first aid).
• A spinal injury that requires immediate treatment (other than first aid).
• Loss of a bodily function that requires immediate treatment (other than first aid), for example, through electric shock or acute reaction to a substance used at work.
• Serious lacerations that require immediate treatment (other than first aid).

'Medical treatment’ is considered to be treatment by a registered medical practitioner, for example, a doctor.

‘Immediate treatment’ is urgent treatment, and includes treatment by a registered medical practitioner, registered nurse or paramedic. If immediate treatment is not readily available, for example, because the injury happened at a remote site, the notification must still be made.

What is a notifiable incident?

A notifiable incident is an unplanned or uncontrolled work-related incident that exposes the health and safety of workers or others to a serious risk arising from immediate or imminent exposure to:

• A substance escaping, spilling, or leaking.
• An implosion, explosion or fire.
• Gas or steam escaping.
• A pressurised substance escaping.
• Electric shock from anything that could cause a lethal shock, for example, it would not include shocks due to static electricity, from extra low voltage equipment or from defibrillators used for medical reasons.
• The fall or release from height of any plant, substance, or thing.
• Damage to or collapse, overturning, failing or malfunctioning of any plant that is required to be authorised for use under regulations.
• The collapse or partial collapse of a structure.
• The collapse or failure of an excavation or 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.
• A collision between two vessels, a vessel capsize, or the inrush of water into a vessel.
• Any other incident declared in regulation to be a notifiable incident, for example, those listed in:
  • Regulation 19A of the Health and Safety at Work (Adventure Activities) Regulations 2016.
  • Regulation 6 of the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016
  • Regulation 33 of the Health and Safety at Work (Major Hazard Facilities) Regulations 2016.
  • Schedule 5 of the Health and Safety at Work (Mining Operations and Quarrying Operations) Regulations 2016.
  • Regulation 70 of the Health and Safety at Work (Petroleum Exploration and Extraction) Regulations 2016.

Notifiable incidents do not include controlled activities that form part of the business or undertaking, for example, the controlled release of water from a dam.

A notifiable incident is where someone’s health or safety is seriously endangered or threatened. People may be put at serious risk even if they were some distance from the incident, for example, from a gas leak.

How to notify Worksafe

If there has been a death, call WorkSafe immediately on 0800 030 040

In the case of injury, illness or incident call 0800 030 040 or complete the online triage Notify WorkSafe form.

You can also complete an online notification or a PDF form (for some events). WorkSafe has a Notify WorkSafe tool to use.

Further resources

For more information on notifiable events, including definitions and notification processes, visit Notify WorkSafe.