Notify us of a workplace injury or illness

What to do when an injury occurs

If you're injured at work, your first priority is to seek first aid or medical attention if required, and to let your employer know what’s going on as soon as possible.

Your employer must notify their claims service provider of the injury or significant illness within 48 hours of you informing them.

If your employer hasn’t notified their claims service provider of your injury, you or a representative nominated by you (e.g. family member, doctor) can fill out our icare Claim Management form instead, which will notify your employer’s claims service provider. 

If you’re a NSW government employee, your employer will report this incident and make a claim on your behalf. For more information, visit our Making a claim page dedicated to government agencies.

What you'll need to lodge an injury notification

The more detail we have about your injury, the sooner your employer can determine the right level of support for you, so we recommend gathering as much information as possible.

If you need support, you can always contact us or your employer’s claims service provider.

Information you must provide

The following information is required when you notify us of an injury:

• your name, address, contact telephone number and date of birth
• name and address of the company where you work
• date and time of the injury and description of the injury and details of how it happened
• name and contact details of someone where you work who will be able to discuss your injury (for example human resources (HR) representative or business owner)
• date when you stopped work
• if you had time off work, and if medical treatment was required.

Information you can provide if available

The following information is optional, and should be provided if it's available:

• a NSW workers compensation certificate of capacity
• details of any time off work
• date of the consultation with the doctor and a diagnosis
• date when the injury was reported to employer
• wage information including wages, overtime and allowances
• your employer's Australian Business Number (ABN), or workers insurance policy number
• bank details where compensation payments are to be made if required
• any relevant medical information such as: medical reports, referral letters, X-rays and scans, medical reimbursement receipts
• outstanding invoices
• return to work plans

You can also update your claim with some of these documents if they become available later on.

About the NSW workers compensation certificate of capacity

You must have a valid NSW workers compensation certificate of capacity to ensure you continue receiving any weekly payments and treatment services that you’re entitled to.

The certificate is usually completed by your nominated treating doctor and is the main channel of communication between your doctor, your employer, and your employer’s claims service provider. The information also allows your employer’s claims service provider to:

• make decisions about your capacity for work and your entitlement to compensation,
• facilitate a tailored approach to your injury management, and
• plan for your recovery and return to work.

Your certificate will cover your injury or illness for up to 28 days, unless special circumstances have been agreed by your employer’s claims service provider.

In your certificate, your doctor should identify:

• your diagnosis and its relationship to employment
• medical treatment you need
• your capacity for any work (such as how much and what type of duties you can perform)
• if a referral to a workplace rehabilitation provider is needed
• any delays in your recovery
• details of previous related injuries expected return to work date.

While most of the certificate is completed by your doctor, you will need to sign the following sections: 

• Injured person’s consent: To allow communication between your treating health practitioner/s, your claims service provider, your employer and any workplace rehabilitation provider about your injury.
• Employment declaration: To confirm whether you have engaged in any employment (paid, voluntary, or self-employment) since the last certificate of capacity was submitted.

It's your responsibility to have a current certificate so you continue to receive any weekly payments and treatment services you are entitled to.

Time limits for making a workers compensation claim

It's important for you to notify your employer immediately of your injury or illness, so that they can inform their claims service provider.

The Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 advises that claims must be made within 6 months of the injury occurring.

If there is a reasonable cause why a claim was not made within 6 months of the injury (such as ignorance, mistake, or absence from the State), a claim can be made within 3 years. If the injury resulted in a death or serious and permanent disablement, a claim can be made more than 3 years from the date of injury.

Any claims made outside of a three year period requires approval from the State Insurance Regulatory Authority. 

For more information and advice on whether you’re able to claim, call the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) customer experience team on 13SIRA (13 74 72).

Who to contact for more support

If you have a general enquiry about a worker’s compensation claim or if you’re looking for your employer’s claims service provider’s contact details, please visit our dedicated key contacts page.

Uninsured employers

If you have suffered an injury and have confirmed that your employer does not have a valid workers insurance policy in NSW, please contact us:

Phone: 1800 221 960

Email: wiclaims@icare.nsw.gov.au

To determine liability, we may conduct investigations and seek further information.

Investigations can help us determine that:

• You're a worker as defined by the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998.
• You were employed by the business you've identified as your employer.
• The injury you're notifying us of occurred while you were working for the nominated employer, and
• Your employment is a major contributing factor to the injury.

Normal benefits under the Workers Compensation Legislation 1998 Act apply to claims under these conditions. There are heavy penalties for employers who fail to have a current workers insurance policy. 

Claims Service Provider contact information