Workplace health and safety
Report work health and safety incidents
If an injury, illness or dangerous incident happens at your work, you may be legally required to tell Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ). Injuries can be physical or psychological.
If you think your employer is not following safe work practices, or want to report an incident, speak to an Indigenous officer at WHSQ on 1800 190 757.
Your rights and responsibilities
You have a work health and safety duty to yourself and to others. You must:
- follow all health and safety rules at your workplace
- use personal protective (safety) equipment if your employer gives it to you and shows you how to use it
- not damage, modify or misuse any of the safety equipment provided
- not intentionally put other people at risk
- not intentionally hurt yourself.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland
WHSQ run an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program to help communities and businesses create safe and healthy workplaces. Contact WHSQ if you would like to:
- report a safety incident
- notify WHSQ of an activity, action or issue that involves, for example, asbestos, demolition work or hazardous chemicals (laws may be in place that require you to report this)
- request an inspector to help you make a decision about a work health and safety issue at your workplace
- ask a question about work health and safety, electrical safety or electrical licensing
- make a complaint about a work health and safety issue
- have a WHSQ decision reviewed.
Health and safety topics
There’s a lot of information on work health and safety you can read, including information on:
- construction work (e.g. concrete pumping, scaffolding, working at heights)
- manufacturing work (e.g. metal fabrication, plastics, food processing, foundries)
- farming and rural work (e.g. animal handling, fruit harvesting, shearing)
- transport and storage work (e.g. securing loads, traffic management)
- health and hygiene at work (e.g. biological hazards, infectious diseases, noise, vibrations)
- musculoskeletal disorders (manual tasks, people handling, slips, trips and falls)
- plant, machinery and equipment (cranes, forklifts, tractors, quad bikes and machinery)
- psychosocial issues (such as fatigue, harassment, stress and violence).
