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Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

Health and safety at work - Interpretation - Key terms

24: Meaning of notifiable incident

You could also call this:

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

A notifiable incident is when something unexpected or unplanned happens at work that could seriously harm someone’s health or safety right away. This could be you or anyone else at the workplace.

Some examples of notifiable incidents are:

When something dangerous spills or leaks out. When something blows up or catches fire. When gas or steam escapes. When something under high pressure escapes. When someone gets an electric shock. When something falls from up high. When a machine that needs special permission to use breaks down or doesn’t work properly. When a building or structure falls down, even if it’s only part of it. When the ground caves in where people are digging. When water, mud, or gas suddenly rushes into an underground tunnel. When the air system in an underground tunnel stops working. When boats crash into each other, tip over, or fill up with water.

There might be other things that count as notifiable incidents if the rules say so. But sometimes, the rules might also say that certain things don’t count as notifiable incidents, even if they seem like they should.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM5976877.

Topics:
Work and jobs > Workplace safety
Health and wellbeing > Public health
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23: Meaning of notifiable injury or illness, or

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

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25: Meaning of notifiable event, or

“What counts as a serious work-related event that must be reported”

Part 1 Health and safety at work
Interpretation: Key terms

24Meaning of notifiable incident

  1. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, a notifiable incident means an unplanned or uncontrolled incident in relation to a workplace that exposes a worker or any other person to a serious risk to that person's health or safety arising from an immediate or imminent exposure to—

  2. an escape, a spillage, or a leakage of a substance; or
    1. an implosion, explosion, or fire; or
      1. an escape of gas or steam; or
        1. an escape of a pressurised substance; or
          1. an electric shock; or
            1. the fall or release from a height of any plant, substance, or thing; or
              1. the collapse, overturning, failure, or malfunction of, or damage to, any plant that is required to be authorised for use in accordance with regulations; or
                1. the collapse or partial collapse of a structure; or
                  1. the collapse or failure of an excavation or any shoring supporting an excavation; or
                    1. the inrush of water, mud, or gas in workings in an underground excavation or tunnel; or
                      1. the interruption of the main system of ventilation in an underground excavation or tunnel; or
                        1. a collision between 2 vessels, a vessel capsize, or the inrush of water into a vessel; or
                          1. any other incident declared by regulations to be a notifiable incident for the purposes of this section.

                            1. Despite subsection (1), notifiable incident does not include an incident declared by regulations not be a notifiable incident for the purposes of this Act.

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