Across Australia there is a range of Workplace Health & Safety rules, requirements, procedures, standards, and laws which provide that all workplaces must be safe and that all Australian workers have an entitlement to work in a safe environment – free from harm or risk of injury. This includes being free from mental and emotional damage as well as physical harm or injury.
If you are injured at work, the rules require that the first thing you need to do is report it. Once reported your employer has an obligation to address your injury, investigate how it occurred and take any remedial action required to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
In the case of a serious injury – where you are required to take time off work, usually a “Workcover claim” is required. This process involves medical intervention/assessment and a prognosis about your injury and a graduated return to work program. In some cases, depending on the extent of the injury, the facts and law surrounding Workcover payments can be complex.
