If an injury or illness occurs
Injuries or illness can happen in the workplace as a result of work-related incidents. These injuries can be serious or life-threatening. Others can be less serious but still need managing correctly.
Whether you’re an injured worker or an employer, there are steps you must take if a work-related injury or illness occurs. This guide outlines what you’ll need to do, from seeking medical attention and making sure people are safe, to reporting the injury and making a workers’ compensation claim.
Information in this guide is for both injured workers and employers. Simply explore the section that’s relevant to you.
People’s safety and wellbeing is always the absolute priority. If someone’s been seriously injured or has died, it’s considered an emergency.
At your place of work, the first thing you must do is call 000 immediately.
If you or someone else is experiencing a mental health crisis and need immediate help, call one of the following:
- Triple zero (000) if you feel like you may hurt yourself or someone else
- Beyond Blue - 1300 22 46 36
- Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14
- MATES in Construction on 1300 642 111
- 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
What else should I do in an emergency?
- If it’s safe, provide first aid to the injured person until the ambulance arrives.
- Make sure there’s no danger to yourself or anybody else around the incident site.
What if it’s an electrical emergency?
Electrical emergencies have a specific way of being managed to keep people safe.
- Don’t touch anyone who’s receiving an electric shock
- Turn off the power.
Find out more about what you should do in an electrical emergency.
Don’t disturb the site of an incident
Don’t touch or move anything at the incident site, unless it’s to provide first aid or stop further injury or property damage. This is because the site may need to be investigated.
Find out more about why you must make sure an incident site isn’t disturbed.
After an injury has occurred
The next steps you take after an injury has happened will depend on whether you’re an employer or an injured worker as well as the severity of the injury.