More information about complaints

WorkSafe responsibilities

WorkSafe Victoria plays a critical role in the lives of Victorian employers and workers - as the state’s health and safety regulator and as the manager of Victoria’s workers compensation scheme. In both capacities, employers and workers are at the heart of our service.

Our aim is to keep all workplaces healthy and safe, and to deliver high quality care and treatment when workers are injured.

WorkSafe provides workers’ compensation insurance cover for employers and manages workers compensation claims.  WorkSafe is responsible for regulating health, safety and wellbeing at workplaces.

Complaints generally fall into or relate to the following categories:

• Workers compensation and claims management
• Private investigators
• Premiums
• Health and safety
• Licensing
• Inspection visits
• Privacy
• Access to information requests
• The Victorian Ombudsman
• Compliance with the Victims' Charter
• Protected Disclosures (formerly Whistle-blowers)

Workers compensation and claims management

Workers compensation complaints relate to dissatisfaction about the conduct of, or service provided by WorkSafe, its staff and/or representatives throughout the entire claims process for compensation for work-based injuries or illnesses. WorkSafe representatives can include:

• an appointed WorkSafe agent
• Independent Medical Examiner (IME)
• Occupation Rehabilitation provider (OR)
• Clinical panel

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your complaint by an Agent or if you have a complaint about a health practitioner, lodge a complaint by completing our online form or call the WorkSafe Advisory Service on 1800 136 089.

If you disagree with a WorkSafe agent’s decision and want to dispute the decision, you can also lodge a Request for Conciliation with the Accident Compensation Conciliation Service (ACCS) or request an internal review to be conducted by the agent.

Private investigator complaints

If you have a complaint about the conduct or use of a private investigator in connection with a workers compensation claim, you can lodge a complaint with WorkSafe or your agent.

To make a complaint about a private investigator to WorkSafe, complete our online form or call the WorkSafe Advisory Service on 1800 136 089.

All private investigators are required to follow WorkSafe's Code of Practice for Private Investigators.

Premium disputes

If you are an Employer and dissatisfied with the level of service provided by WorkSafe or an Agent in relation to your premium, you can submit a complaint to WorkSafe or your Agent. To make a complaint about your premium to WorkSafe, complete our online form or call the WorkSafe Advisory Service on 1800 136 089.

There is a different process if you are requesting a premium review or disputing a decision which can be found on our website by following the link below. Use the premium review application form to request a review of your premium, a premium penalty, the estimated future cost of a claim or acceptance of liability for a claim in certain circumstances.

Health and safety complaints

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of a workplace health and safety matter by WorkSafe you can lodge a complaint using our online form or call the WorkSafe Advisory service on 1800 136 089.

To notify WorkSafe of a workplace health and safety incident (in accordance with the criteria for reportable incidents), please follow the instructions via the link below.

To let WorkSafe know about a workplace health and safety concern, to request a visit by a WorkSafe Inspector, or if you have a health and safety question, you can contact WorkSafe’s Advisory service on 1800 136 089.

Licensing

If you are dissatisfied with the conduct, service or process of the licence application or renewal process made by WorkSafe, you can submit a complaint via our online form or by calling the WorkSafe Advisory service on 1800 136 089.

If you disagree with the decision made by WorkSafe in relation to your licence (including an application for a licence or a renewal of a licence), you will need to complete an internal review application form.

Inspection visits

If you have received an Entry/Inspection Report or associated notice or direction, queries about these should first be raised with the issuing inspector whose contact details appear at the end of the Entry/Inspection Report.

You can also lodge a complaint about an Inspection visit via our online complaints form or contact Advisory on 1800 136 089.

If you disagree with a decision made by a WorkSafe Inspector, you may be eligible to apply for an Internal Review. To do this, please complete the Internal Review application form below.

Privacy

If you believe information held by WorkSafe or a WorkSafe agent about you has been handled other than in accordance with the Information Privacy Principles or Victorian privacy laws, you can make a complaint to:

• the WorkSafe agent managing your claim
• the WorkSafe Privacy Officer: [email protected]

If your privacy-related complaint is due to actions or practices of the WorkSafe agent managing your claim, you should first direct your complaint to that agent.

If your privacy-related complaint is due to actions or practices of other organisations, including your employer or a self-insurer, you should direct your complaint to that organisation.

You can also make a complaint to:

• the Victorian Information Commissioner in relation to personal information about you
• the Health Complaints Commissioner in relation to your health information

Access to information requests

If your complaint relates to unreasonable delays or a document that can't be located or is non-existent, please contact your WorkSafe agent or self-insurer.

If your complaint remains unresolved, you can make a complaint to:

• WorkSafe via the online complaints form or on 1800 136 089
• The Accident Compensation Conciliation Service via a request for conciliation form
• the Victorian Ombudsman

Victorian Ombudsman

If you are dissatisfied with WorkSafe's management of your complaint and wish to pursue the matter further contact the Victorian Ombudsman; an independent officer who investigates complaints about state government departments, statutory authorities and local government.

You can call the Ombudsman on 03 9613 6222 or toll free on 1800 806 314 (regional only) or online.

Compliance with the Victims’ Charter or Human Rights and Responsibilities Charter

If you have made a complaint to WorkSafe about a failure to follow the Victims' Charter or Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities and you are unhappy with the handling of your complaint, you can complain directly to the relevant agency.

• The Victorian Ombudsman deals with complaints about a failure to follow the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, and can be contacted by phone on 03 9613 6222, via email at [email protected] or the online form accessible below.
• The Victims of Crime Commissioner deals with complaints about a failure to follow the Victims’ Charter, and can be contacted by phone on 1800 010 017 or email at [email protected].

Public Interest Disclosures (also known as Protected Disclosures or Whistle blowers)

If you wish to make a Public Interest Disclosure about WorkSafe or an employee or officer of WorkSafe, and wish for that disclosure to be protected, you must make the disclosure to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC).

IBAC can be contacted:

By email

[email protected]

By mail:

IBAC
GPO Box 24234,
Melbourne VIC 3001

Phone: 1300 735 135
  Fax: 03 8635 6444

Disability service provider complaints

Anyone can make a complaint about a disability service provider.

This includes:

• the person accessing the service
• a family member, carer or friend of the person accessing the service
• providers
• a provider staff member
• a member of the community.

If you want to make a complaint, you should try the provider’s process first. It is important providers know when you aren’t happy with the services you or someone else has received, or if something is wrong.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the provider’s complaint process, or you feel you can’t talk with the provider directly, you can contact the Disability Services Commissioner or the Victorian Disability Worker Commission.

These independent bodies have expertise in supporting the rights of people with disability.