Accident in the Northern Territory (step by step guide)
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a death of a person (whether an employee, contractor or member of the public);
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a serious injury or illness of the person (Even if immediate treatment is not readily available, for example because the incident site is rural or remote or because the relevant specialist treatment is not available, the notification must still be made) Trigger Examples: Immediate treatment as an in-patient in a hospital. Admission into a hospital as an in-patient for any duration, even if the stay is not overnight or longer. Amputation of a limb such as arm or leg, body part such as hand, foot or the tip of a finger, toe, nose or ear. Head injury, skull or any potential organ injury.;
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a dangerous incident.
- calling 1800 019 115, or
- filling out the Incident Notification Form (faxing it to 8999 5141 or emailing it to ntworksafe@nt.gov.au)’
Incident site
As soon the regulator is notified, then you are required to preserve the site of the incident until an inspector arrives or directs otherwise (subject to some
exceptions).
An incident site may be disturbed:
- to assist an injured person
- to remove a deceased person
- to make the site safe or to minimise the risk of a further notifiable incident
- to facilitate a police investigation, or
- after an inspector has given a direction to
- do so either in person or by telephone.
The sooner the regulator is notified, the sooner the site can be released.
An incident is not notifiable just because it happens at or near a workplace.
Incidents may occur for reasons which do not have anything to do with the conduct of the business or undertaking, for example:
- a worker or another person suffers a heart attack while at work which is unrelated to work or the conduct of the business or undertaking
- an amateur athlete is injured while playing on the local soccer team and requires immediate medical treatment (this is not work)
- a person driving to work is injured in a car accident (where driving is not part of their work)
- a person with epilepsy has a seizure at work.
These kinds of incidents are not notifiable.
Still unsure?
If you are still unsure about whether a particular incident should be notified then contact your regulator for guidance.
Northern Territory NT WorkSafe 1800 019 115 worksafe.nt.gov.au
Who is responsible for notifying?
Usually it is the senior management. Procedures should be put into place to ensure work health and safety incidents are promptly brought to the
relevant individual’s attention, for example a manager and then notified to the regulator, if required. For more information on the definition of a PCBU see the Interpretive Guideline: The Meaning of ‘Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking’.
What information will be requested?
What happened
When
Where
Who suffered: Injured person’s name, salutation, date of birth, address and contact number.
Injured person’s occupation.
Relationship of the injured person to the entity notifying.
How and where are they being treated (if applicable)
Description of serious injury or illness—i.e. nature of injury
Initial treatment of serious injury or illness.
Where the patient has been taken for treatment.
Who is the person conducting the business or undertaking (there may be more than one)
Legal and trading name.
Business address (if different from incident address), ABN/ACN and
contact details including phone number and email.
Action taken
Details of a person notifying.
Other cases requiring notification
Notification is also required for the following prescribed serious illness:
Any infection to which the carrying out of work is a significant contributing factor, including any infection that is reliably attributable to carrying out work:
i. with micro-organisms
ii. that involves providing treatment or care to a person
iii. that involves contact with human blood or body substances
iv. that involves handling or contact with animals, animal hides, skins, wool or hair, animal carcasses or animal waste products.
Occupational zoonoses
The following occupational zoonoses contracted in the course of work involving handling or contact with animals, animal hides, skins, wool or hair, animal carcasses or animal waste products:
i. Q fever
ii. Anthrax
iii. Leptospirosis
iv. Brucellosis
v. Hendra Virus
vi. Avian Influenza
vii. Psittacosis.
Exposure
Notification is also required of any incident in relation to a workplace that exposes a worker or any other person to a serious risk resulting from an immediate or imminent exposure to:
- an uncontrolled escape, spillage or leakage of a substance
- an uncontrolled implosion, explosion or fire
- an uncontrolled escape of gas or steam
- an uncontrolled escape of a pressurised substance
- electric shock
And yet when an accident really happens not many of us know what to do, that is why we have developed Crisis Management Plan and Directory for NT when any of emplyees can quickly open the needed page and have a step by step guide in front of them check Products page