WorkSafe WA is the workplace health and safety regulator in Western Australia. They work with businesses to maintain a safe and healthy workplace and to support the safe transport and handling of dangerous goods in Western Australia.
You can contact WorkSafe to report a workplace hazard, lodge a complaint, or notify the regulator of a death, serious injury/illness or dangerous incident.
What types of complaints can you make?
WorkSafe handles the following complaints, reports, and notifications:
Report a Workplace Hazard, incident or injury: Workplace hazards are unsafe work practices that could cause injury or illness, or damage to property or the environment, such as:
- Noisy machinery
- Moving forklifts
- Chemical spills
- Exposed live electrical parts
- Working at heights
- Inappropriate behaviour causing harm
- Unresolved work health and safety issue previously raised
Lodge a Complaint: You can lodge a complaint about any workplace hazard that can cause harm to your psychological or physical health, such as:
- Workplace violence or threatening behaviour
- Aggressive behaviour such as yelling or humiliation
- Sexual harassment and sexual assault
- Workplace bullying
- Retaliation for raising a work health and safety issue
Notification of a Workplace Incident: WorkSafe should be notified immediately if there is a workplace-related death, a serious illness or injury, or a dangerous incident.
Please refer to the factsheet provided below for more information on additional reporting requirements for specific fields.
- Dangerous Goods and Explosives: Any dangerous goods incident where people, property or the environment are harmed, or nearly harmed, must be reported.
- Mining Incidents: Mines and mine sites have an additional reporting requirement to notify reportable incidents including mine-site sexual harassment or assault concerns, seismic events, and toxic exposure.
- Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Operations: Additional notification requirements exist for all ‘notifiable occurrences’ and ‘dangerous incidents.’ Examples include the failure of safety-critical equipment, and significant damage to containment or facility structures.
WorkSafe cannot help with:
- General employment disputes
- Workers' compensation claim
- Criminal sexual assault investigations
- Review of workplace’s internal investigation
Location/Jurisdiction: WorkSafe WA can assess and investigate work health and safety matters under the laws of Western Australia, specifically the Work Health and Safety Act 2020.
Scope: Workplaces within Western Australia including mines, petroleum operations, and geothermal energy operations.
Time limits: There is no specified time limit for reporting non-urgent workplace hazards or lodging a complaint. Notifications of a death, serious injury or illness, or dangerous incident must be reported to WorkSafe immediately.
- Dangerous Goods and Explosives: A person responsible for managing dangerous goods must report the incident to a Dangerous Goods Officer as soon as reasonably possible. A dangerous goods incident report must then be lodged within 21 days.
Discretion: WorkSafe does not investigate every complaint or report but will prioritise serious cases.
Who can you make a complaint against?
Workplaces in Western Australia have a legal obligation to take reasonable steps to keep people safe and protect their health. A PCBU (a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking) is a person or organisation that runs a business or workplace and is responsible for managing health and safety risks.
If you believe a workplace is not meeting its health and safety obligations, you can make a complaint about a PCBU, business, employer, government department, mine operator, petroleum or geothermal operator, or anyone responsible for managing dangerous goods.
Are you eligible to make a complaint?
Anyone can submit a report or lodge a complaint to WorkSafe WA.
You may submit a workplace hazard report to WorkSafe on behalf of another person with their permission, but first-hand reports are given higher priority.
What can this body do to help?
WorkSafe WA may provide:
- Enforcement Action: If WorkSafe investigates and finds a breach of the law, it may take enforcement action. (note: The purpose of this process is to promote safety and compliance, not to provide a personal remedy.)
- Improvement Notice: WorkSafe may issue an Improvement Notice requiring system improvements or a problem be fixed.
- Prohibition Notice: immediately stops unsafe work or activity.
- Inspector Determinations: WorkSafe may appoint an inspector to make a decision concerning an unresolved workplace hazard.
- Dangerous Goods Compliance Action: this may include directions, remediation notices or infringement-related action.
- Prosecution: WorkSafe can initiate legal proceedings for serious or repeated breaches: This can lead to court penalties and sanctions. This pathway does not provide personal compensation.
WorkSafe cannot:
- Award compensation
- Give legal advice
- Facilitate Mediation
- Issue an apology
- Offer legal advice
- Discipline workers
How to prepare your complaint:
Your report, complaint, or notification should include the following:
Personal details: Include your name and contact information. WorkSafe WA cannot guarantee confidentiality and will only proceed with your consent.
Workplace details: Include the name and address of your workplace, the type of workplace, and the names of the people of businesses involved.
Relevant Facts:
- Clearly describe in the specific incident or unsafe practice
- Explain why you believe it to be unsafe
- Date and time of the incident or unsafe practice
- Location of the incident
- How you became aware of the incident: describe if this is a first-hand account or if you heard of it through other sources.
- Describe any actions that have already been taken to resolve the issue, including the names of anyone you have dealt with.
- Witness details
- Describe your desired outcome
- For a Notifiable Incident Report: Clearly indicate if the incident included a death, serious injury or illness, or dangerous incident.
- For a Dangerous Goods Incident Report: Include the incident reference number if available.
Evidence: Provide any documentation to support your complaint such as photos, documents, emails, text messages, incident records, training records, policies and procedures etc.
What NOT to include: It is an offence to make false or misleading statements.
Other things to know: WorkSafe recommends reporting and trying to resolve workplace safety complaints internally first before submitting a Workplace Hazard report.
If you need an interpreter, help is available through TIS National 131 450.
Lodging your complaint and next steps:
The procedure for lodging your complaint will vary depending on the type of complaint:
Reporting Workplace Hazards: reports can be submitted online, by phone or by email.
- Phone: 1300 307 877
- Email: wscallcentre@lgirs.wa.gov.au
- Online: Report Unsafe Work
Lodging a Complaint about Bullying: can be made via phone or email
- Phone: 1300 307 877
1800 678 198 (after hours)
- Email: wscallcentre@lgirs.wa.gov.au
Lodging a Complaint about sexual harassment or assault (including mine-site sexual harassment or assault): can be made via phone, email, or online
- Online: Click here to make a sexual harassment report
- Phone: 1300 307 877
- 1800 678 198 (after hours)
- Email: wscallcentre@lgirs.wa.gov.au
Notification of a Workplace Incident: To report a workplace-related death, serious injury or illness, or life-threatening dangerous incident, you can make a report via:
- Phone: 1800 678 198 (24 hours, 7 days a week)
- Online: Notification of Dangerous Incident (to report a dangerous incident that is not currently life-threatening)
Dangerous Goods Incidents: report to a Dangerous Goods Officer as soon as practicable via phone or email. After initial contact, a Dangerous Goods Incident Report should then be submitted within 21 days.
- Phone: (08) 6251 2300 (business hours)
1800 678 198 (after hours)
- Email: dgsb@lgirs.wa.gov.au
What happens next: If you have provided your contact information, you will receive a reference number confirming the concern has been lodged.
Your report or complaint will be assessed and if WorkSafe decides to investigate, an investigator may contact you for further information.
More information:
Refer to the factsheet provided below for more information.
