UNOFFICIAL OHS DATABASE
Key: accident
INCIDENT REPORTING
There are two sides to incident reporting in NSW:
1) reporting to WorkCover and
2) reporting accidents to your workers compensation insurer.
REPORTING TO WORKCOVER
Reference: FAQs from WorkCover NSW site
Online incident reporting form (WorkCover NSW - but you must call WorkCover on 13 10 50 for serious incidents)
Incident reporting brochure (WorkCover NSW)
Any work-related occurrence listed below which presents a risk to health or safety but which is not immediately threatening to life must be reported to WorkCover within 7 days. These include:
· an injury, acute or chronic illness, or an incident of workplace violence supported by a medical certificate, which results in a person being unfit to attend their usual place of work or carry out their usual duties for a continuous period of at least seven days
· damage to any plant, equipment, building or structure that impedes safe operation
· actual or risk of uncontrolled explosion, fire, or escape of gas, steam or dangerous goods
· actual or potential exposure of a person to a prohibited or notifiable carcinogenic or other hazardous substance
· removal of workers from lead risk work due to excessive blood lead levels
· exposure to body fluids that presents a risk of transmission of blood-borne diseases, and
· any occurrence that involves a risk of substantial property damage.
Ref: clause
341 of OHS Regulation 2001
» Incident Report Forms available from WorkCover NSW (Ph: 13 10 50)
Any non-disturbance occurrences must be reported to WorkCover immediately. This is an occurrence that:
· causes the death of a person; or
· results in the amputation of a limb; or
· results in the person being placed on a life support system; or
· presents an immediate threat to life, for example:
- loss of consciousness of a person due to impact of a physical force
- exposure to hazardous substances, electric shock or lack of oxygen
- major damage to any plant, equipment, building or structure
- uncontrolled explosion, fire, or escape of gas, steam or dangerous goods
- imminent risk of explosion, fire, or escape of gas, steam or dangerous goods
- entrapment in a confined space
- collapse of an excavation
- entrapment in machinery
- serious burns
- actual or potential exposure of a person to a prohibited or notifiable carcinogenic or other hazardous substance.
In addition, if there is a non-disturbance occurrance employers need to:
· ensure that plant at that place is not used, moved or interfered with after it has been involved in a non-disturbance occurrence, and
· that the area at that place that is within 4 metres (or, if the regulations prescribe some other distance, that other distance) of the location of a non-disturbance occurrence is not disturbed.
Ref: clause 344 of OHS Regulation 2001
INJURY NOTIFICATION TO WORKERS COMPENSATION INSURER
Employers also need to notify their WC insurer within 48 hours of being advised that a worker has received a workplace injury that seems that seems to be a significant injury (ie. a workplace injury that is likely to result in a worker being unfit for a continuous period of more than 7 days, whether the incapacity is total or partial or a combination of both)
Ref: section
44 of the Workplace Injury Management & Workers Compensation Act 1998
Information regarding the legislative changes to the workers compensation system can be found on the WorkCover website.
INJURY REGISTERS
In NSW, section 63 of the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 requires that employers keep a Register of Injuries book that is readily accessible in the workplace (commonly kept near the first aid kit).
The Registers must be kept for at least 5 years after the last entry is made in it but it is prudent for employers to keep them indefinitely, in case a claim for compensation is made at a later date.
The contents of the Register of Injuries must at least contain information as prescribed in Schedule 1 of the Workers Compensation (General) Regulation 1995.
The main supplier of Injury Register books is Zion Systems and they can also be obtained by first aid kit suppliers and some large newsagencies.
Note that NSW workers do not have to complete the Injury Register in order to make a workers compensation claim but doing so improves their chances of making successful claims aftet the 3 year time limit set by section 65 of the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (link above).