Collection of personal and health information statement

Collection of personal and health information

Please note: references to ‘your claim’ include any provisional payments you may be entitled to. If your employer is an approved self-insurer, references to ‘WorkSafe’ and ‘agent’ should be read as if they were references to ‘self-insurer’ and ‘approved agent of a self-insurer’.

In processing your claim, the Victorian WorkCover Authority (WorkSafe) and any WorkSafe agent acting for WorkSafe in relation to your claim may collect personal and health information about you. WorkSafe and its agents are required by law to ensure that all people about whom they collect personal and health information are provided with the following information.

WorkSafe is a body corporate established under the Victorian workers compensation legislation. Agents are appointed by WorkSafe under that legislation to act on its behalf in managing workers compensation policies and claims for compensation.

Personal and health information about you is collected on this form and may also be collected during the processing, assessing and management of your claim. It may be collected from your current, previous and future employers, other government agencies, credit reporting agencies, health service providers and other persons who can provide information relevant to the claim.

Personal and health information about you may also be collected by legal practitioners, private investigators, loss adjusters and other service providers acting on behalf of WorkSafe or the agent managing your claim. Personal and health information collected about you is used and disclosed for the purpose of processing, assessing and managing your claim and to verify any evidence you may submit in support of the claim.

The information may also be used for:

• one or more of the purposes listed in Victorian workers compensation legislation and other legislation administered by WorkSafe
• the purposes of legal proceedings arising under that legislation, to assist with your rehabilitation and return to work, and to assist WorkSafe and its agents to better manage claims generally.

WorkSafe and its agents may disclose personal and health information about you to each other and to the following types of organisation.

• Employees, contractors and agents of WorkSafe and its agents, including providers engaged to conduct research and assess programs implemented in accordance with WorkSafe’s statutory functions.
• Your employers.
• Your treating health practitioners.
• Medical practitioners and other health service providers, legal practitioners, private investigators, loss adjusters and other service providers acting on behalf of WorkSafe or the agent in relation to the claim.
• The Workplace Injury Commission and Medical Panels.
• Any committee established under legislation to advise WorkSafe.
• Courts or tribunals where required or authorized by law.
• Any other person, organisation or government agency authorised by you, or by law, to obtain the information.

Collection of your personal and health information may be required by Victorian workers compensation legislation. If you do not provide any part or all of this information, your claim may not be accepted or processed. You may request access to personal and health information about you collected by WorkSafe or its agents by contacting the agent managing your claim.

WorkSafe's policies for managing personal and health information are set out in its Privacy Policy, which is available from your nearest WorkSafe office or at the WorkSafe website. Information relating to your right to access your WorkSafe claim information is also available at the website.