You must notify us so we can investigate the events that caused the serious injury, or have the potential to cause serious injury when an aircraft is in operation.
You must notify us if someone:
You only need to notify us if the serious injury occurred while carrying out the work, or as a result of work, that your business is responsible for carrying out. Injuries might be caused by a number of factors including:
You do NOT need to notify us about injuries that are not related to work, or injuries that only require minor first aid to treat them.
If a person has suffered the amputation of any part of the body, that requires immediate treatment other than first aid, you MUST notify us.
Amputation includes:
If a person has suffered a serious head injury, that requires immediate treatment other than first aid, then you MUST notify us.
Includes:
If a person has suffered a serious eye injury that requires immediate treatment other than first aid, then you MUST notify us.
A serious eye injury includes:
Does NOT include exposure to a substance or object that only causes discomfort to the eye.
If a person has suffered a serious burn that requires intensive or critical care such as a compression garment or skin graft, then you MUST notify us.
You do NOT need to contact us if the burn can be treated by washing the wound and applying a dressing.
If a person has suffered a spinal injury that requires immediate treatment other than first aid, then you MUST notify us.
Includes an injury to the cervical, thoracic, lumbar or sacral vertebrae, including discs and spinal cord.
Does NOT include back strain or bruising.
If a person has suffered the loss of a bodily function that requires immediate treatment other than first aid (eg. through electric shock or acute reaction to a substance used at work) you MUST notify us.
Includes loss of:
Does NOT include:
If a person has suffered serious lacerations that require immediate treatment other than first aid, then you MUST notify us.
Serious lacerations include:
Does NOT include:
If a person has suffered an injury resulting in skin separating from underlying tissue (degloving or scalping), that requires immediate treatment other than first aid, then you MUST notify us.
This includes skin separating from underlying tissue where tendons, bones, or muscles are exposed.
‘Admitted to hospital’ means being admitted to hospital as an inpatient for any length of time.
Does NOT include being taken to hospital for out-patient treatment by a hospital’s A&E department, or for corrective surgery at a later time, such as straightening a broken nose.
'Immediate treatment' is urgent treatment, and includes treatment by a registered medical practitioner, registered nurse or paramedic.
If immediate treatment is not readily available (eg. because the person became seriously ill at a remote site), the notification must still be made.
For example, burns from skin exposure or inhalation of toxic chemicals that require medical treatment.
Medical treatment is considered to be a treatment by a registered medical practitioner (e.g. a doctor).
The person who manages or controls the workplace must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the site where the notifiable event occurred is preserved and not disturbed until a CAA Investigator authorises you to do so.
The site may only be disturbed if:
To ensure the site is not disturbed:
If someone is seriously injured as a result of work while an aircraft was in operation, then:
If there are multiple businesses involved with the work, then one of the businesses should be nominated to notify the CAA..
Note that all business involved with the work are responsible for making sure that the notification is made by the nominated business.
You must keep records of all notifiable events for at least five years from the date of the event.
You must notify us using the fastest means available to you.
Provide us with as much detail as possible about what has happened. You will receive an acknowledgement that the notification has been received.
Once we have received your notification, it will be reviewed by our response team. They will contact you about the next steps. There are a number of options available, including conducting an investigation or inviting the duty-holder to participate in an assisted review of your health and safety system.
If no action is required, we will confirm this with you.
While there is no requirement under HSWA for you to conduct your own investigation of a notifiable event, investigations can form part of good practice to identify and manage work risk.
After a notifiable event occurs, you should consider:
