I had an incident
What to do right now, within 48 hours, and after the situation has stabilised. WorkSafe reporting obligations have strict timeframes — check Step 2 immediately.
Death or serious injury? Report to WorkSafe immediately.
Call WorkSafe on 0800 030 040 — available 24 hours. Do not wait to complete your incident report first.
What events must be notifiedMake sure everyone is safe
Your emergency response plan is the first thing to activate. Get medical help if needed, secure the scene, and account for all participants and staff. Do not move injured people unless there is immediate danger.
Is this a notifiable event?
Certain incidents must be reported to WorkSafe immediately — including deaths, serious injuries, and incidents that could have caused serious harm (near misses). Under the Adventure Activity Regulations there are additional specific obligations under Regulations 19A and 19B. Check now — there are strict timeframes.
Preserve the scene
Unless doing so creates further risk, do not disturb the scene until WorkSafe has been notified and confirmed you can do so. Take photos, note conditions, and record the names and contact details of all witnesses.
Complete your incident report
Document everything while it is fresh — sequence of events, conditions at the time, actions taken, people involved, equipment used. A complete record protects you and creates the foundation for learning.
Notify your insurer
Contact your liability insurer as soon as practicable after a serious incident. Delays in notification can affect your cover. Provide them with your incident report once complete.
Investigate what happened
A proper investigation identifies contributing factors — not just the immediate cause. Look at your procedures, the environment, equipment, supervision, and decision-making. The goal is learning, not blame.
Update your SMS
If the investigation reveals a gap in your procedures, risk assessments, or controls — fix it. Update your SMS to reflect the change. Your Technical Advisor will expect to see evidence of this at your next audit.
Share what you learned
Brief your team on what happened and what changes you've made. Consider whether the lesson is worth sharing sector-wide — the outdoor recreation sector learns best when operators share honestly.
Unsure if you need to report?
When in doubt, notify WorkSafe. They would rather receive a report that turns out to be unnecessary than miss one that should have been filed. The notifiable events page covers all the criteria specific to adventure activities.
Notifiable events — full guide