When something serious happens at work, it can be hard to think clearly.

Someone may be injured.
Workers may be shaken.
The site may be messy.
People may be asking, “Do we need to tell WorkSafe?”

This is where the term notifiable event matters.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA), a notifiable event means a work-related death, a notifiable injury or illness, or a notifiable incident.

In plain English:

A notifiable event is a serious work-related event that may need to be reported to WorkSafe.

This article explains what that means, what businesses often get wrong, and what to do next.

What Is a Notifiable Event?

A notifiable event is not every small injury or near miss.

WorkSafe explains that only serious events are intended to be notified, and these trigger duties to preserve the site, notify the regulator, and keep records.

A notifiable event can include:

• A death
• A serious work-related injury or illness
• A serious incident where someone was exposed to immediate risk

This means the focus is not only on whether someone was hurt.

Sometimes an event may be notifiable because someone was exposed to serious risk, even if they were lucky and avoided injury.

Why This Matters for Small Businesses

Small businesses often think:

“No one went to hospital, so we’re fine.”

But that is not always true.

Under HSWA, some serious incidents may still need to be notified even if no one is injured.

For example:

• A trench collapses near a worker
• Machinery fails in a way that could have caused serious harm
• A vehicle nearly strikes a worker
• A structure collapses
• A worker is exposed to a serious uncontrolled risk

WorkSafe’s notification guidance says PCBUs must notify WorkSafe if someone has a serious or immediate risk to their health and safety because of an unplanned or uncontrolled work incident.

That is why business owners need to stop and check.

What Must a PCBU Do?

If a notifiable event happens, WorkSafe outlines three key steps:

1. Preserve the site where the event happened
2. Notify the regulator as soon as possible
3. Keep records of the notifiable event

Let’s break those down.

Step 1: Preserve the Site

If a serious incident happens, the site may need to be preserved.

That means you should not disturb the area unless it is necessary to:

• Help an injured person
• Remove a deceased person
• Make the site safe
• Prevent further harm
• Follow a direction from Police or an inspector

This can feel hard in the moment because everyone wants to clean up, move gear, or get work going again.

But preserving the site helps investigators understand what happened.

Step 2: Notify WorkSafe

A PCBU must notify WorkSafe as soon as possible after becoming aware that a notifiable event has occurred. WorkSafe confirms this requirement in its notifiable event guidance.

This does not mean you need to know every detail before you notify.

You may still be gathering information.

But if it appears to be notifiable, do not wait too long.

Notify, record what you know, and follow the process.

Step 3: Keep a Record

Under HSWA, a PCBU must keep a record of each notifiable event for at least five years from the date notice is given to the regulator.

This record should include:

• What happened
• When it happened
• Where it happened
• Who was involved
• What immediate action was taken
• Who was notified
• What follow-up actions were completed

Good records matter.

They help show that the business took the event seriously.

What Businesses Get Wrong Most

1. Assuming “No Injury” Means “Not Notifiable”

A near miss can still be serious.

If someone was exposed to immediate serious risk, it may still need to be reported.

2. Cleaning Up Too Quickly

After an incident, people often want to reset the site.

But if the event is notifiable, the site may need to be preserved.

Pause first.

Check your duties.

3. Waiting Until All the Facts Are Known

You do not need a full investigation report before notifying.

If the event appears notifiable, act promptly.

You can gather more detail later.

4. Not Recording Near Misses

Near misses are warnings.

If you do not record them, you lose the chance to see patterns and fix risks before harm occurs.

5. Thinking This Is Only a “Big Business” Issue

Notifiable event duties apply to small businesses too.

A sole trader, rural contractor, orchard business, fencing crew, or small trade business may all have duties under HSWA.

A Simple Notifiable Event Checklist

If something serious happens, ask:

• Did someone die?
• Was there a serious injury or illness?
• Was someone exposed to serious and immediate risk?
• Did the event arise from work?
• Do we need to preserve the site?
• Do we need to notify WorkSafe?
• Have we recorded what happened?
• Have we started follow-up actions?

If you are unsure, stop and check before assuming it is not notifiable.

Why This Links Back to Risk Management

Notifiable events are not just about reporting.

They are also about learning.

After the immediate response, ask:

• What failed?
• Were controls missing?
• Were controls ignored?
• Did workers understand the risk?
• Was supervision enough?
• Did the system match real work?

This is where a strong health and safety system helps.

If your business already has risk assessments, incident forms, corrective action tracking, and worker engagement records, you are in a much better position.

A Note for Businesses Outside New Zealand

This article refers to HSWA and WorkSafe New Zealand, but most countries have similar rules for reporting serious workplace events.

Australia, the UK, Canada, and many other regions require serious injuries, dangerous incidents, or high-risk events to be reported to the relevant regulator.

The names may change.
The timeframes may change.
The forms may change.

But the core idea is the same:

Serious events must be recognised.
The site may need to be preserved.
The regulator may need to be notified.
Records must be kept.
Lessons must be acted on.

If you operate outside New Zealand, use this structure and align it with your local legislation and regulator guidance.

Final Thought

A notifiable event is not just paperwork.

It is a serious signal that something has gone wrong – or nearly gone very wrong.

The goal is not panic.

The goal is a clear response.

Preserve the site.
Notify if required.
Keep good records.
Investigate properly.
Fix what needs fixing.

If you would like editable templates for incident reporting, notifiable event response, corrective actions, risk assessments, and worker communication, our Way Safe Biz DIY Compliance Bundle is currently being developed.

You can register your expression of interest below.

Clear response.
Useful records.
Safer workplaces.

– Esther, Way Safe Biz