Work health and safety incident notification COVID-19
This fact sheet provides information for persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) on the approach to work health and safety incident notification for COVID-19 in each jurisdiction, including details on how to notify when required.
In most jurisdictions, notification to your state or territory WHS regulator and health authority is required. However, notification to health authorities is usually required by the relevant medical practitioner rather than a PCBU.
State and territory health authorities receive notification to monitor and control occurrences of COVID19.
Work health and safety incident notification allows WHS regulators to investigate serious work health and safety incidents and potential contraventions of WHS laws. This notification also supports WHS regulators to provide targeted advice and information to business on how best to manage risks and prevent future COVID-19 infections in workplaces.
Safe Work Australia does not receive incident notifications.
For further information, please contact the WHS regulator in your jurisdiction.
Australian Capital Territory
- PCBUs should notify WorkSafe ACT if it is suspected that a person may have contracted COVID-19 and requires treatment in hospital or meets the prescribed serious illnesses from within the workplace. Notification must be made immediately after the PCBU becomes aware of the incident.
- Notification is made by submitting the online incident notification template or by calling the ACT Government call centre on 13 22 81.
- Notifications must be made regardless of whether ACT Health Protection Service is already aware of the case.
New South Wales
- PCBUs must notify SafeWork NSW of a case of COVID-19 arising out of the conduct of the business or undertaking that requires the person to have immediate treatment as an in-patient in a hospital, and any confirmed infection to which the carrying out of work is a significant contributing factor, including any infection that is reliably attributable to carrying out work that involves providing treatment or care to a person, or that involves contact with human blood or bodily substances.
- Notification is made by calling SafeWork NSW on 13 10 50.
- A mine operator or PCBU regulated by the NSW Resources Regulator must notify the NSW Resources Regulator when they become aware of a case of a worker or other person at the mine or petroleum site.
- Notification is made by calling the Resources Regulator hotline on 1300 814 609. Provision of personal details of the affected person is not required.
- Notifications must be made regardless of whether NSW Health is already aware of the case.
Northern Territory
PCBUs should notify NT WorkSafe where:
- a person dies from COVID-19 and the infection arises out of the conduct of the business or undertaking
- a person requires immediate treatment as an in-patient in a hospital for COVID-19 and the infection arises out of the conduct of the business or undertaking
Notification is made by calling NT WorkSafe on 1800 019 115.
Notification is required regardless of whether the NT Department of Health is already aware of the
case.
Queensland
If there is a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 at your workplace, Queensland Health will be notified by the medical professional who confirms the diagnosis.
A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must notify Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) of a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 as diagnosed by a medical practitioner and arising out of the conduct of the business or undertaking:
- that requires the person to have immediate treatment as an in-patient in a hospital; or
- to which the carrying out of work is a significant contributing factor, including any infection that is reliably attributable to carrying out work that involves providing treatment or care to a person, or that involves contact with human blood or bodily substances.
To raise a concern about a work health and safety issue, use our online form or call 1300 362 128. For non-COVID-19 notifiable incidents, use our incident notification form.
South Australia
PCBUs must notify a case of COVID-19 to SafeWork SA, if the case can be reliably attributed to a
workplace exposure, and either
- results in treatment by a doctor within 48 hours of exposure to a substance (e.g. airborne contaminants, human substances), or
- death.
Notification to SafeWork SA can be made using the incident notification form which can be submitted online or emailed to notifications.safework@sa.gov.au. Alternatively, call SafeWork on 1300 365 255. SafeWork SA may request confirmation of incident details in writing within 48 hours of your telephone notification.
Notification is required regardless of whether SA Health is already aware of the case.
Tasmania
PCBUs must notify WorkSafe Tasmania when it is confirmed that a person has contracted COVID-19 through carrying out work and:
- The person dies; or
- The person is required to have treatment as an in-patient in a hospital; or
- The reason the person contracted COVID-19 is reliably attributable to carrying out work that involves providing treatment or care to a person; or involves contact with human blood or body substances. In this case, the carrying out of work must be a significant contributing factor to the infection being contracted.
Notification must be made immediately after the PCBU becomes aware of the incident. Notification is made by calling WorkSafe Tasmania on 1300 366 322 or by submitting WorkSafe Tasmania’s incident notification form.
Notification is required regardless of whether the Tasmanian Department of Health is already aware
of the case.
Victoria
Employers must notify WorkSafe Victoria of a case of COVID-19 when:
- The case of COVID-19 has occurred in the workplace and where it is the cause (or one of the suspected causes) of a death at a workplace
- They become aware that an employee or an independent contractor engaged by the employer or any employee of the independent contractor has received a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and has attended the workplace within the infectious period*
- When a self-employed person has received a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and has attended the workplace within the infectious period*
Infectious Period means the date, being 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis (whichever comes first), until the date on which the person receives a clearance from isolation from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Notification is required regardless of whether DHHS is already aware of the case. Subject to Victorian
Privacy and Data Protection Act, Health Records Act and any other statutory restrictions on the disclosure of information, DHHS may inform WorkSafe Victoria of a case of COVID-19 where a risk of
transmission has been identified in a Victorian workplace. WorkSafe Victoria may also be consulted
about cases of COVID-19 in workplaces.
Western Australia
- Employers, principle contractors and contractors must notify a case of COVID-19 to the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, WorkSafe where it is the cause (or suspected causes) of a death at a workplace.
- Employers, principal contractors and contractors are not required to notify non-fatal incidents of COVID-19 to the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, WorkSafe as WA Health are already notified of confirmed cases by medical practitioners.
- Notification is made by calling 1800 678 198.
Commonwealth
- PCBUs should notify Comcare of all confirmed COVID-19 cases that are work related and arise from the business or undertaking of the PCBU. Notification must be by the fastest possible method and as soon as the PCBU becomes aware of the incident.
- Notification to Comcare can be made using the incident notification form which can be emailed to notify@comcare.gov.au or submit an online notification. Alternatively, call Comcare on 1300 366 979. When notifying by phone, you may be asked to provide notification in writing within 48 hours. If calling outside office hours, you can be redirected to the on-call inspector.
- Notifications must be made regardless of whether the relevant Health agency is already aware of the case.