Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

 Plain Language Law homepage
Back to
22: Meaning of reasonably practicable
or “Explaining what 'reasonably practicable' means for workplace safety”
You could also call this:

“Explaining what counts as a serious work-related injury or illness”

In this law, a ‘notifiable injury or illness’ means an injury or illness that needs more than just first aid. It includes things like losing a part of your body, a serious head or eye injury, a bad burn, or skin coming off. It also means injuries to your spine, losing a body function, or serious cuts.

You might have a notifiable injury or illness if you need to go to the hospital right away, or if you need to see a doctor within two days because you touched something dangerous.

The law also says that serious infections you get from work count as notifiable injuries or illnesses. This could happen if you work with tiny living things, take care of sick people, touch blood or body fluids, or work with animals or sea creatures.

Sometimes, the government might say other injuries or illnesses are notifiable too. But they can also say some injuries or illnesses don’t count as notifiable.

The law uses some special words. When it talks about ‘animals’, it means the same thing as in the Animal Welfare Act 1999. ‘Fish’ means what the Fisheries Act 1996 says it means. And ‘marine mammals’ are defined the same way as in the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

Next up: 24: Meaning of notifiable incident

or “What counts as a serious workplace incident that must be reported”
Next

Part 1 Health and safety at work
Interpretation: Key terms

23Meaning of notifiable injury or illness

  1. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, a notifiable injury or illness, in relation to a person, means—

  2. any of the following injuries or illnesses that require the person to have immediate treatment (other than first aid):
    1. the amputation of any part of his or her body:
      1. a serious head injury:
        1. a serious eye injury:
          1. a serious burn:
            1. the separation of his or her skin from an underlying tissue (such as degloving or scalping):
              1. a spinal injury:
                1. the loss of a bodily function:
                  1. serious lacerations:
                  2. an injury or illness that requires, or would usually require, the person to be admitted to a hospital for immediate treatment:
                    1. an injury or illness that requires, or would usually require, the person to have medical treatment within 48 hours of exposure to a substance:
                      1. any serious infection (including occupational zoonoses) to which the carrying out of work is a significant contributing factor, including any infection that is attributable to carrying out work—
                        1. with micro-organisms; or
                          1. that involves providing treatment or care to a person; or
                            1. that involves contact with human blood or bodily substances; or
                              1. that involves handling or contact with animals, animal hides, animal skins, animal wool or hair, animal carcasses, or animal waste products; or
                                1. that involves handling or contact with fish or marine mammals:
                                2. any other injury or illness declared by regulations to be a notifiable injury or illness for the purposes of this section.

                                  1. Despite subsection (1), notifiable injury or illness does not include any injury or illness declared by regulations not to be a notifiable injury or illness for the purposes of this Act.

                                  2. In this section,—

                                    animal has the same meaning as in section 2(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 1999

                                      fish has the same meaning as in section 2(1) of the Fisheries Act 1996

                                        marine mammal has the same meaning as in section 2(1) of the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978.

                                        Compare