Notifiable Events: What New Zealand Businesses Need to Know
- Sep 1, 2016
- 3 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Last updated April 2026.
In 2015, the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) replaced the old concept of serious harm with notifiable events. While the language changed, the purpose did not. To ensure WorkSafe is informed when serious work‑related harm or risk occurs.
More than ten years on, notifiable events are still an area of confusion for many businesses. This is often because people rely on outdated examples or focus on injury outcomes rather than the legal test.
This blog explains what a notifiable event is, what actions to take, and how to make better decisions when incidents occur.
What is a notifiable event?
A notifiable event is any of the following that arises from work:
The death of a person
A notifiable injury or illness
A notifiable incident (a serious near miss)
These definitions come directly from HSWA and are supported by WorkSafe guidance.
Your health and safety system should reflect these definitions, but WorkSafe guidance should always be treated as the source of truth, as it is updated more regularly than internal documents.
What to do when a notifiable event occurs
The required actions remain consistent:
Look after people first
Preserve the scene, so far as is reasonably practicable
Notify WorkSafe as soon as possible
If you are unsure whether an event is notifiable, WorkSafe encourages businesses to call and discuss the situation rather than delay or guess.
Understanding notifiable injuries and illnesses
A notifiable injury or illness is one that is serious and work‑related. The key factors WorkSafe considers include:
The severity of the injury or illness
Whether the person was admitted to hospital as an inpatient
Whether the injury matches a specified category in the legislation
The following examples help clarify common areas of confusion.
Common questions about notifiable events
What about cuts that require stitches?
Stitches alone do not determine notifiability.
A cut may be notifiable if it involves:
Serious damage to muscles, tendons, nerves, or blood vessels
Permanent impairment
Admission to hospital as an inpatient
Cuts treated by a GP or emergency department and discharged the same day are often not notifiable, even if stitches are used.
Are fractures, sprains, or strains notifiable?
Only specific fractures are notifiable, including:
Fractures to the skull
Fractures to the spine
Fractures to long bones
Minor fractures, sprains, and strains that do not require hospital admission are not notifiable.
The focus is on injury type and severity, not simply whether treatment was required.
What if a worker gets something in their eye?
Eye injuries may be notifiable if they:
Involve serious penetration or exposure
Result in, or are likely to result in, permanent loss of sight
Require specialist medical treatment
Minor irritation or discomfort alone is not notifiable, but any eye injury with potential for serious harm should be assessed carefully.
Notifiable incidents: serious near misses
A notifiable incident is an unplanned or uncontrolled event that exposes people to serious risk, even if no one is injured.
Examples include:
Uncontrolled releases of substances
Structural collapses
Failures of plant or equipment that could have caused serious harm
Near misses matter because they indicate high‑risk failures in systems or controls.
When in doubt, notify or call
WorkSafe’s guidance is clear. If you are unsure whether an event is notifiable:
Notify WorkSafe, or
Call and discuss the situation
Early notification is always preferable to failing to notify when required.
How Safewise can help
Safewise supports businesses across New Zealand to:
Understand notifiable event requirements
Review incident reporting and escalation processes
Train leaders and workers on decision‑making
Align internal procedures with current WorkSafe guidance
Clear systems and confident decision‑making reduce confusion when incidents occur.
Notifiable events are not about blame. They are about ensuring serious harm and risk are identified, responded to, and learned from.
By understanding the principles behind notifiability, rather than relying on outdated examples, businesses can meet their obligations and better protect their people.
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