Incident notification
Related information
Employers are required to give notice to Comcare of injuries, illnesses or diseases that meet certain notification criteria.
Notification of incidents occurring on or after 1 January 2012
The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) (WHS Act) requires a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) to ensure that Comcare is notified immediately after becoming aware that a notifiable incident has occurred which arises out of the conduct of its business or undertaking.
Written notifications
How to notify by fax:
- Complete the notification of an incident form—incidents on or after 1 January 2012 [RTF, 1.8MB]
- Fax to Comcare on 1300 305 916
How to notify online:
Requirements
The person completing the notification form should include as much information as possible about the notifiable incident. Comcare requires the mandatory information marked with an asterisk on the form. It will be possible to submit the form without mandatory fields being completed. However, mandatory information not included in the initial written notification will need to be provided in a subsequent written notification within five business days of the initial written notification being provided, or in accordance with directions from a Comcare Inspector (whichever is later).
The WHS Act imposes strict timeframes for notifying Comcare of notifiable incidents.
If you have submitted a telephone notification to Comcare and have been instructed to also provide a written notice for that incident, you have 48 hours from the time of providing the telephone notification to do so.
If you are missing mandatory information and are unsure about whether to submit a written notification or wait until that information is known before submitting a notification—you should contact Comcare’s National Assessment and Analysis Team on 1300 366 979 to obtain advice.
If you are in doubt, submit a written notification with the information you have at the time.
Need more help?
- Guide to Work Health and Safety Incident Notification—for incidents that occurred on or after 1 January 2012
- Notification decision flowchart—for incidents that occurred on or after 1 January 2012
- Contact our OHS Hotline on 1300 366 979, or by email at ohs.help@comcare.gov.au
Notification of incidents that occurred before 1 January 2012
Important: When did the employer become 'aware' of the incident ?
Became aware on or after 1 January 2012
If the notifiable incident occurred before 1 January 2012 but you, as a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) only became aware of the incident on or after 1 January 2012, notification needs to be made to Comcare in terms of the WHS Act, using the same format required for incidents on or after 1 January 2012 (above).
Became aware before 1 January 2012
If the notifiable incident occurred before 1 January 2012 and you, as an employer were aware of the incident before 1 January 2012 you need to notify Comcare in terms of the following requirements.
Requirements
Prior to 1 January 2012, employers were required to give notice to Comcare of injuries, illnesses or diseases that met certain notification criteria defined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991 (OHS Act). Information on how to notify such incidents is outlined below, along with a useful guide and flowchart to help with identifying notifiable incidents.
If a work-related incident resulted in death you, as an employer, were required to:
- call Comcare on 1300 366 979 within two hours of becoming aware of the death
- follow up with a written notification
If a work-related incident caused a serious personal injury, incapacity or a dangerous occurrence you, as an employer, were required to provide Comcare with a written notification within 24 hours of becoming aware of the incident.
If you, as the employer, were aware of the incident prior to 1 January 2012 and have not notified Comcare within the required time, you must do so immediately.Written notifications
How to notify by fax:
- Complete the notification of an incident form—incidents that occurred before 1 January 2012 [RTF,345KB]
- Fax to Comcare on 1300 305 916
How to notify online:
Need more help for incidents occurring before 1 January 2012?
- Definitions of terms—for incidents that occurred before 1 January 2012
- Notification Decision Flowchart—for incidents that occurred before 1 January 2012
- Guide to Incident Notification—for incidents that occurred before 1 January 2012
- Contact our OHS Hotline on 1300 366 979, or by email at ohs.help@comcare.gov.au