Dangerous incidents are applicable to all duty holders under the jurisidction of the Work Health and Safety Act 2020.
The regulator must be notified of any incident in relation to a workplace that exposes any person to a serious risk resulting from an immediate or imminent exposure to:
- an uncontrolled escape, spillage or leakage of a substance
- an uncontrolled implosion, explosion or fire
- an uncontrolled escape of gas or steam
- an uncontrolled escape of a pressurised substance
- electric shock:
- examples of electrical shock that are not notifiable
- shock due to static electricity
- ‘extra low voltage’ shock (i.e. arising from electrical equipment less than or equal to 50V AC and less than or equal to 120V DC)
- defibrillators are used deliberately to shock a person for first aid or medical reasons
- examples of electrical shocks that are notifiable
- minor shock resulting from direct contact with exposed live electrical parts (other than ‘extra low voltage’) including shock from capacitive discharge
- the fall or release from a height of any plant, substance or thing
- the collapse, overturning, failure or malfunction of, or damage to, any plant that is required to be design or item registered under the WHS regulations, for example a collapsing crane
- the collapse or partial collapse of a structure
- the collapse or failure of an excavation or of any shoring supporting an excavation
- the inrush of water, mud or gas in workings, in an underground excavation or tunnel, or
- the interruption of the main system of ventilation in an underground excavation or tunnel.
There are additional classes of dangerous incidents for petroleum operators.