- Scene secured — injured person attended to, area made safe
- Determine if the incident is notifiable under s.38 OHS Act 2004
- If notifiable — call WorkSafe Victoria immediately on 13 23 60
- Incident site preserved under s.39 — do not disturb for clean-up or production
- Initial witnesses identified — names and contact details recorded
- Investigation lead assigned — not the injured worker's direct supervisor
- Physical evidence documented — photos, measurements, equipment state
- Witness accounts collected — separately, not in a group
- Written notification submitted to WorkSafe within 48 hours (if notifiable)
- Contributing factors identified — physical and psychosocial
- Contributing factor analysis completed — systemic, not individual
- Corrective actions identified using the hierarchy of controls
- Responsibilities and deadlines assigned for each action
- Workers consulted on proposed controls (s.35 OHS Act 2004)
- Investigation report completed, connecting findings to s.20/s.21 obligations
- Corrective actions verified as implemented — not just assigned
- Risk assessments updated to reflect investigation findings
- Similar hazards at other locations, tasks, or equipment reviewed
- Psychosocial impacts considered — for the injured worker and witnesses
Incident Investigation Checklist — Victoria
A 3-page checklist covering all four phases — from first response to close-out — with "Inspector lens" callouts showing what WorkSafe expects at each step. Built by a former WorkSafe inspector.
Includes: s.20 and s.21 framing, physical and psychosocial contributing factors, the five most common investigation failures, and where to get help.
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No. Only notifiable incidents must be reported — death, serious injury requiring hospital, or a dangerous occurrence that exposed a person to serious risk (even if no injury occurred). The full list of triggers is set out in s.37–38 of the OHS Act 2004. If you are unsure whether your incident is notifiable, treat it as though it is until you have confirmed otherwise.
Section 39 of the OHS Act 2004 requires the incident site to be preserved until a WorkSafe inspector attends or directs otherwise. Disturbing the site — for clean-up, production resumption, or any other reason outside the four permitted exceptions — is itself a contravention. An inspector assessing a disturbed site will also question the quality of any investigation conducted on it.
The OHS Act does not prescribe who must investigate. An internal investigation can satisfy WorkSafe — provided the investigator is competent, independent of the work being investigated, and the investigation is systemic rather than disciplinary. Where the incident is serious, involves a fatality, or implicates management, an independent external investigation is the most defensible approach.
Yes. Under s.21 of the OHS Act 2004, health includes psychological health. An investigation that examines the physical hazard but ignores the organisational conditions — time pressure, fatigue, inadequate supervision, unclear procedures, understaffing — has not examined the full risk profile. WorkSafe expects contributing factor analysis to cover both physical and psychosocial dimensions.
An inspector reviewing your investigation expects it to be prompt, properly scoped, evidence-based, focused on systemic causes, and connected to your obligations under s.20 and s.21 of the OHS Act 2004. The corrective actions should follow the hierarchy of controls, with clear responsibilities and deadlines. If the report reads as a disciplinary exercise rather than a risk management exercise, it raises more questions than it answers.
Yes. Forklifts are classified as plant under the OHS Regulations 2017. Part 3.5 sets out specific duties for plant, including registration and notification requirements. From 1 July 2024, additional types of plant and equipment must be reported to WorkSafe when involved in an incident. If plant was involved, your notification threshold may be lower than you expect, and your investigation must address the plant-specific compliance requirements as well as the general employer duties.
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