Incident reporting

Persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) must notify their WHS regulator when serious injuries, illnesses and dangerous incidents happen at work. These are referred to as ‘notifiable incidents’. 

Notifying the WHS regulator of these serious events can help identify the cause and prevent it happening again at your workplace and other workplaces.  

It is also the law to report notifiable incidents.  

Notifiable incidents 

A ‘notifiable incident’ is:  

  • the death of a person  

  • a ‘serious injury or illness’, or  

  • a ‘dangerous incident’ that exposes someone to a serious risk, even if no one is injured.  

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

The incident notification information sheet has more information on what type of injuries, illness and incidents need to be reported.  

When there’s an incident 

If a notifiable incident occurs, you must: 

  • report it to the regulator immediately, and 

  • preserve the incident site until an inspector arrives or directs otherwise. This doesn’t prevent you helping an injured person or make the site safe. 

Call 000 if there is an immediate risk to life. 

Reporting an incident to the WHS regulator 

Notifications need to be made directly to state, territory or Commonwealth WHS regulators. Contact your WHS regulator for advice on how to make a notification.  

The Incident notification information sheet provides information on the incidents that need to be reported to the WHS regulator. 

Supporting information