Notify us that you've been injured at work

First steps

If you’re injured at work, it’s important to tell your employer immediately. They should provide first aid if it’s appropriate, and help you seek medical treatment.

If you're a NSW government employee, your employer will report this incident and make a claim on your behalf.

For all other employees, your employer will need to notify us or their current claims service provider, of an injury or significant illness within 48 hours.

In the event that your employer hasn’t notified us of your injury, you or your representative (eg. family member, doctor) may notify us on your behalf. If you have any questions or are unsure which claims service provider to lodge your claim with, you or your representative can contact us, or ask your employer.

If you’ve had time off work and/or medical treatment, we'll contact you, your employer, and if necessary, your doctor to determine how best to support your recovery.

What you'll need to notify us of an injury

Whether you, your representative, or your employer, notifies us of an injury, you’ll need to provide supporting information. 

We understand you may not have all information required to notify us of an injury, but the more information you provide, the sooner we can determine the right level of support for you. 

If in doubt, you can always call us on 13 77 22, or your employer’s current claims service provider, for further information and advice.

Information you're required to 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 (eg. 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 may provide if available

The following information is optional, and if available, may also be provided:

• 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

You may also need some of the following documents:

• NSW workers compensation certificate of capacity - this is a certificate completed by your treating doctor which provides medical evidence regarding the injury or illness you sustained as a result of your employment. See below for more information on getting a NSW workers compensation certificate of capacity.
• Wage information: pay slips, pre-injury average weekly earnings (PIAWE) form (see below), wage reimbursements
• Medical information: medical reports, referral letters, x-rays and scans, medical reimbursement receipts
• Other documents: return to work plans, outstanding invoices.

Calculate your worker's pre-injury average weekly earnings

Getting a NSW workers compensation certificate of capacity

Your doctor provides this certificate and it is the main way in which your doctor communicates with everyone involved in your notification of your injury, or if liability has been determined, your claim.

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

Your certificate should not cover a period of more than 28 days. In special circumstances, your claims service provider can agree to a longer period.

You should sign the consent section of the certificate of capacity to enable communication about your injury between your treating health practitioner/s, your claims service provider, your employer and any workplace rehabilitation provider.

You are also required to complete the declaration as to whether or not you have been engaged in any form of employment or in self-employment or voluntary work. 

The worker declaration does not need to be completed by exempt workers.

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 notifying us of an injury

It’s important for you to notify your employer immediately of your injury or illness. There are exceptions which may apply should you be unable to contact your employer right away.

You should notify us of an injury within a maximum of six months from the date of injury or accident.

However, a notification can be made for up to three years after the date of injury if it wasn’t made earlier due to a reasonable cause, such as ignorance, mistake or absence from the State.

If a notification relates to an injury resulting in death or serious and permanent disablement, the claim may still be made beyond the 3-year limitation if there is a reasonable cause for the delay.

There are special arrangements for cases where a worker is not aware of the injury at the time of the incident.

Special provisions apply for disease related injuries.

Contact your claims service provider for further advice or call the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) customer experience team on 13 10 50 for more information.

Uninsured employers

If you have suffered an injury and your employer is uninsured, you can still notify us of an injury. If you have confirmed that your employer does not have a valid workers insurance policy in NSW, please contact us on:

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 (1998 Act)
• 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 
• 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.

For further information contact us.

If you need to contact us

You can notify us of an injury online, phones, email, or post. If you email or post an injury notification, you can download an Injured Person Lodgement Form (PDF, 0.1 MB).