An incident is an event that arises out of workplace activities and causes harm or could cause harm.
They include:
- injuries and illnesses — physical or psychological harm to workers or visitors (for example, a dancer spraining an ankle during rehearsal). As well as dealing with it as an incident, it is important to manage and support injured workers. Learn more about dealing with a workplace injury or illness.
- property damage — damage to equipment, vehicles, or a venue (for example, stage rigging collapses)
- near misses — incidents that don’t result in injury but had the potential to (for example, a lighting fixture falling near crew members)
- equipment failures — malfunctions that could pose a risk (for example, electrical failures during a film shoot).
Why it matters
Managing and reporting incidents properly is important for:
- compliance — to meet workplace health and safety (WHS) compliance obligations and avoid penalties
- safety — to identify and address risks to prevent future harm
- confidence — to reassure staff, contractors and the public that safety is a priority
- operational continuity — to reduce disruptions by addressing risks proactively.
How to respond to an incident
When an incident occurs, immediate action is essential:
- Make sure everyone is safe: remove workers and others from danger. Check whether anyone needs first aid and provide it if they do. Look for hazards associated with the incident, and control them to prevent further harm.
- If an incident involves a serious injury, secure the site: if an incident is serious it may be a notifiable incident. It is important to avoid disturbing the site of a notifiable incident unless doing so is necessary to protect safety (for example, to control a hazard) or provide assistance (for example, providing first aid or making the site accessible for emergency services).
- Communicate: it is important to tell workers about the incident. This helps to make sure that everyone is aware of potential hazards, any requirements to preserve the incident site and any other ongoing safety measures.
How serious is it?
Non-critical incidents include minor injuries such as minor cuts, damaged equipment or near misses.
These don’t need to be reported to a WHS regulator. However, they do need to be addressed and recorded.
Serious or critical incidents are events that involve death, life-threatening injury or illness, or dangerous occurrences (for example, a scaffolding collapse).
Examples of serious incidents include hospitalisation, amputations or injuries from falls.
PCBUs are legally required to notify their state or territory WHS regulator immediately. (These incidents are called notifiable incidents).
Not sure who the PCBU in your workplace is? Learn about notifiable incidents.
In practice:
Non-critical injuries during sculpture installation
During the assembly of a series of large outdoor sculptures in the botanical gardens, multiple workers suffer minor hand injuries.
First, the studio provides first aid to the workers.
Upon reviewing the installation process, the studio responsible for coordinating the work found that better lifting equipment was needed.
To make sure similar injuries don’t happen again, they:
- purchase appropriate lifting equipment
- provide protective gloves for workers
- deliver specific training on the assembly process of the sculpture.
Critical incident - stage collapse at a music festival
During a major music festival, a temporary stage structure collapses due to strong winds, injuring several crew members and performers.
The incident requires an immediate emergency response and compliance with WHS reporting obligations.
The organisers initial response
The organisers immediately:
- ensure everyone is safe: staff immediately stop all activities and secure the area to prevent further injuries
- provide first aid: first aid responders help injured workers and performers while emergency services are called
- notify relevant personnel: the festival director and WHS officer are informed, along with the production team managing the stage setup
- notify authorities: as there are serious injuries and a structural collapse, the incident is classified as a notifiable incident. The festival director promptly contacts the state WHS regulator, providing details about the time, location, and severity of the incident.
Preserving the scene
To allow for an official investigation, the collapsed stage area is cordoned off.
Equipment is left undisturbed, except where movement is necessary for medical treatment or immediate hazard reduction.
Investigation and follow-up
As a part of the follow up:
- witness statements are taken from crew members, security staff, and performers
- structural engineers are consulted to determine the cause of the collapse
- the festival’s risk management procedure is reviewed, leading to improvements in weather monitoring, stricter stage construction guidelines, and emergency evacuation planning for future events.
Who needs to be notified
Some incidents must be reported to your WHS regulator (notifiable incidents)
The PCBU must notify their WHS regulator immediately if an incident involves:
- death of a person
- serious injury or illness (hospitalisation, amputations, serious head or eye injuries)
- a dangerous incident (explosions, electrical shocks, falling objects)
It’s a legal requirement to report notifiable incidents to the WHS regulator.
Not sure who the PCBU in your workplace is? Learn about WHS roles and duties.
SafeWork Australia has more detailed general information about incident notification requirements.
Each state or territory WHS regulator has specific notification requirements about what incidents need to be reported and how. Contact your local WHS regulator to find out what else might be required:
In practice:
Grandstand seating collapse during rehearsals
During rehearsals for an outdoor Christmas carols event, a section of a temporary grandstand seating collapses. Thankfully no one is injured, but the incident posed a severe hazard.
The organisers secure the site, notify the WHS regulator and arrange for them to come for an inspection.
Following advice from the regulator, the organisers improve seating construction protocols to prevent it from happening again.
Near miss on the film set
During the filming of a special effects scene, a firework effect was accidentally triggered before the designated safety countdown.
The firework ignited unexpectedly, narrowly missing a crew member. Although no one was injured, the incident had the potential to cause serious harm.
The production team identified this as a notifiable incident under WHS law and promptly reported the incident to their local WHS regulator.
After making the report, the production company conducted a thorough review of their pyrotechnic safety procedures and implemented stricter controls including:
- improved communication and countdown protocols before ignition
- extra training for crew handling special effects
- improved fail-safe mechanisms to prevent premature activation
Communicating internally
It is important to keep workers and management informed of incidents and the outcomes.
Communicating with workers:
- builds trust by demonstrating a commitment to workplace safety
- involves them in the ongoing management of hazards and risks.
Read our information on WHS consultation: talking about safety to learn more about how to talk with workers about safety.
Workers’ compensation insurers
In cases of an employee injury or illness, the workplace must inform their workers' compensation insurer as soon as they can.
Keep records of incidents
Workplaces are required by law to maintain records of all workplace incidents.
Incident reports should include:
- the details of the incident (including the date, time and location)
- the people involved and any witnesses
- the nature of injuries or damage to property or equipment
- details of the actions taken by those responsible in response to the incident.
SafeWork NSW has a hazard and incident report template. (It’s useful even if you’re not in NSW.)
Accurate records help identify patterns, prevent future incidents, and demonstrate compliance with WHS laws.
Learn more about safety reporting and record keeping.
Keep learning:
More in this section:
About workplace injuries and incidents
There are important actions to take if there is a safety incident or injury in the workplace.
Dealing with a workplace injury or illness
This page has information for workplaces and workers about how to manage an injury or illness that happens at work.
