WHS Shield • Incident Reporting Guide
WHS Incident Reporting Guide for Australian Workplaces
Learn what incidents must be reported under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, how to notify SafeWork, how to conduct investigations, and what records you must keep to stay compliant.
This guide provides general WHS information only. Always check the WHS laws and codes of practice in your state or territory.
What incidents must be reported to SafeWork?
Under the WHS Act 2011, you must immediately notify SafeWork of any notifiable incident. These include:
- Death of a worker or other person
- Serious injury or illness requiring immediate hospital treatment
- Amputation or permanent loss of bodily function
- Serious head or eye injury
- Serious burns
- Spinal injury
- Loss of consciousness
- Exposure to a dangerous substance
- Any incident that exposes a person to serious risk (e.g., structural collapse, explosion, electric shock)
Notifiable incidents must be reported immediately to SafeWork in your state or territory.
Immediate actions checklist
- Ensure the injured person receives immediate medical attention
- Make the area safe to prevent further harm
- Preserve the incident scene (unless unsafe)
- Collect photos, equipment and physical evidence
- Identify and record witness details
- Notify SafeWork immediately if the incident is notifiable
- Notify your WHS manager or supervisor
- Record the exact time, location and circumstances
SafeWork notification requirements
For notifiable incidents, you must contact SafeWork immediately. You will need to provide:
- Name and details of the injured person
- Description of the incident
- Time and location of the incident
- Business/PCBU contact details
- Actions taken immediately after the incident
A written report may be required within 48 hours depending on your state or territory.
Incident investigation procedure
- Appoint an investigator (internal or external)
- Interview witnesses and the injured person
- Collect and preserve physical evidence
- Review relevant WHS policies and procedures
- Identify root causes and contributing factors
- Develop corrective and preventive actions
- Document findings in an investigation report
- Communicate findings to workers
- Implement actions to prevent recurrence
Documentation and record‑keeping requirements
- Maintain an incident register for all incidents (including minor ones)
- Record date, time, location and persons involved
- Describe the injury, cause and contributing factors
- Document immediate actions taken
- Record SafeWork notification details and reference numbers
- Keep investigation reports and correspondence
- Retain records for at least 5 years
Incident Reporting FAQ (Australia)
What is a notifiable incident?
A serious incident that must be reported to SafeWork immediately, including death, serious injury, serious illness or dangerous incidents.
How quickly must I notify SafeWork?
Immediately — by phone. Written follow‑up may be required.
Do minor incidents need to be recorded?
Yes. All incidents must be recorded in your incident register, even if they are not notifiable.
Manage incident reporting and investigations with WHS Shield
WHS Shield helps Australian businesses record incidents, track investigations, generate reports and stay compliant with the WHS Act 2011.