What should happen when I lodge an incident report?

(This information sheet can be downloaded in PDF format via the link at the bottom of the page.)

This is a question often asked by members when they put in a report of their injury and hear no more.

You should lodge an incident report for any work related injury, including stress.

The WorkCover legislation requires your employer to ‘acknowledge [the report] in writing’. More importantly, the same legislation requires your employer to take steps to reduce the risk of subsequent injury. They must set out how they plan to do that in their Risk Management Program. You should ask to see a copy.

If for instance you are experiencing headaches, panic attacks, or aches and pains due to work overload, your employer must investigate this and take action to prevent further injury.

If your colleagues are suffering similar symptoms, you should all complete incident reports.

You should also notify your health and safety representative because they have an important role in resolving workplace health and safety issues, using their powers under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

When you lodge an incident report your employer must:

give you written acknowledgement that they have received the report;
carry out an investigation under their Risk Management Program, and take steps to reduce the risk of further injury. That is, on receipt of an incident report your employer is required by legislation to do what they can to prevent further injury occurring.

Note: You should lodge an incident report within 30 days of becoming aware of an injury. With stress injuries this is difficult to pin point, but if you doctor diagnoses work related stress you should lodge an incident report immediately, because you are now aware of the injury. If you do not lodge the report within 30 days it may limit your access to WorkCover.