WorkSafe terms

WorkSafe acronyms, language, general and legal terms

 

WorkSafe acronyms

General WorkSafe

A collection of commonly used words, terms and acronyms across WorkSafe.

Acronyms and initialisms

Acronyms are made up of the initial letter of the words in a term and are pronounced as a word, for example Qantas or TAFE.

Initialisms are made up of the initial letters of the words in a term and are pronounced as letters, not a word. For example, NDIS or GST.

Write the full term the first time and follow with the shortened term in parentheses. Only use the shortened term if it is used again.

ABS

Australian Bureau of Statistics

ACA

Accident Compensation Act 1985 (VIC)

ACCtion

Accident Compensation Commission Transaction Information Online Network

System used by WorkSafe and agents for the management of claims and premium.

AMA

Australian Medical Association

​​​​​Peak body that represents medical professionals in Australia.

ANZSIC

Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification

​​​​​​​ANZSIC codes are developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for various purposes such as collating and comparing industry data. The premium division uses ANZSIC codes as a guide and comparison to WorkSafe Victoria’s Workplace Industry Codes.

APA

Annual Performance Adjustment

​​​The incentive mechanism within the Agent remuneration model designed to align Agents with WorkSafe’s goals of improving return to work, service and maintaining Scheme sustainability.

APRA

Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority

​​​​​​​An independent statutory authority established by the Australian Government to supervises institutions across banking, superannuation and insurance.

AQF

Australian Qualifications Framework

A national policy for regulated qualifications in the education and training system.

ASIC

Australian Securities and Investments Commission

A government regulator that enforces legislation in respect to companies and can provide information on directors, shareholders and the status of the company.

AWE

Average Weekly Earnings

​​​​​​​Average Weekly Earnings statistics represent average gross (before tax) earnings of employees and do not relate to average award rates or to the earnings of the ‘average person’. Estimates of average weekly earnings are derived by dividing estimates of weekly total earnings by estimates of number of employees.

B@W

Back at Work

​​​​​​​Measure used when discussing return to work by injured workers.

CALD

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse

CPSU

Community & Public Sector Union

Comcare

Commonwealth Care ​​​​​

Agency responsible for workplace safety, rehabilitation and compensation in the jurisdiction of the Australian Commonwealth (i.e. Federal) Government.

CRM

Customer Relationship Management

DG

Dangerous Goods

DWG

Designated Work Groups

​​​​​​​This group has a management representative responsible for OHS issues and tasks specific to the geographical location.

EA

Enterprise Agreement

​​​​The agreement made between WorkSafe and unions which incorporates all terms and conditions of employment.

EEO

Equal Employment Opportunity

Ensuring workplaces are free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment.

EPMO

Enterprise Portfolio Management Office​​​​​

The division provides an organisational wide (portfolio) overview of projects for the Executive and Board.

EG

Enforcement Group
WorkSafe branch responsible for detecting and dealing with breaches of Occupational Health and Safety and Compensation legislation.

ELT

Executive Leadership Team
Consists of the Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Director of each business unit.

EOS

Employee Opinion Survey
Survey conducted annually to assess the organisation’s culture climate.

ED

Executive Director
The Executive Director of a WorkSafe business unit.

FOI

Freedom of Information​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Requests for information that can be made by any stakeholders under the Freedom of Information Act.

FWC

Fair Work Commission
Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal, responsible for administering the provisions of the Fair Work Act.

HSR

Health and Safety Representative
An employee elected by fellow employees, who are members of a designated work group, to represent their health and safety interests to the employer. The HSR has powers, functions and protections in the role but does not have any duties attached to the performance of the role.

IB

Impairment Benefits
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​A type of compensation paid to injured workers.

IME

Independent Medical Examiner
A service provider specifically approved by WorkSafe to undertake a medical examination under s112 of the Act.

IMF

Intelligence Management Function
A team specialising in data and analytics.

IRV

Industrial Relations Victoria
​​​​​​​Government agency responsible for developing industrial relations policy and initiatives in Victoria.

ISCRR

Institute for Safety Compensation and Recovery Research
​​​​​​​Established in April 2009, is a joint venture between WorkSafe Victoria, the TAC and Monash University and undertakes research in workplace injury and illness prevention, compensation practice, health and vocational rehabilitation.

IMA

Injury Management Adviser
​​​​​​​A person who will develop and promote injury management strategies and will provide coaching and advice to case managers regarding treatment and return to work issues enabling effective claims strategies to be implemented on all high risk claims.

KPI

Key Performance Indicator
​​​​​​​Indicators used to measure the success of programs or projects.

MI

Mental Injury​​​​​​​
Occupationally acquired mental injury.

MOU

Memorandum of Understanding
A non-binding agreement used to establish mutual goals and expectations and set out the rights and obligations of each party. WorkSafe has a number of MOUs with other government bodies publicly available on the website.

OR

Occupational Rehabilitation
​​​​​​​Services provided by approved Occupational Rehabilitation providers to help injured workers get back to work at a level appropriate to their current capacity. These include workplace assessments, vocational assessments and advice concerning job modifications.

PBS

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
​​​​​​​Medicines subsidised by the Australian Government.

PIAWE

Pre-Injury Average Weekly Earnings​​​​​​​
This amount is the average weekly earnings of the worker for the previous 12 months or less if employed continuously by the same employer for that period. This includes commuted allowances paid in lieu of overtime which are not dependent on performance of specific duties or work to be earned.

PIEF

Personal Injury Education Foundation​​​​​​​
The foundation provides educational programs, initiatives and events to develop the personal injury management skills of those working in the accident compensation industry. It was established by a consortium of Australian and New Zealand accident compensation regulators, insurers and claims management organisations.

PIN

Provisional Improvement Notice
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Issued by Health & Safety Representatives, may be affirmed, affirmed with modification, or overturned by an inspector.

PXC

People Experience Centre
​​​​​​​First point of contact for all HR advice and support, spanning across the employee lifecycle, including talent acquisition queries.

RTO

Registered Training Organisation
​​​​​​​A training provider registered to deliver vocational education and training services.

RACGP

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
A professional association for general practitioners.

RANZCP

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
​​​​​​​A professional association for psychiatrists.

RTW

Return to Work
Maintenance at, or, return to, suitable and meaningful employment.

SLT

Senior Leadership Team
​​​​​​​The team of senior managers reporting to an executive director.

SLA

Service Level Agreement
​​​​​​​An agreement between a service provider and a customer that describes the level of service that will be provided.

TAC

Transport Accident Commission
An organisation that covers accidents directly caused by the driving of a car, motorcycle, bus, train or tram. It pays benefits to people injured in an accident as a driver, passenger, pedestrian, motorcyclist or cyclist.

THP

Treating Health Practitioner
The current health practitioner treating an injured worker, e.g. doctor, physio therapist, chiropractor.

VET

Vocational Education and Training
​​​​​​​A training course that focuses on providing practical skills for work, typically delivered by an RTO.

VO

Victorian Ombudsman
An independent statutory office holder whose role is to investigate complaints about administrative actions and decisions taken by State government departments and authorities, including universities.

VCAT

Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
​​​​​​​Hears appeals against WorkSafe’s decisions.

VPCS

Victorian Premium Collection System
​​​​​​​The system used to collect premiums from employers.

VPS

Victorian Public Service
​​​​​​​The Victorian Government’s services as a whole.

VRQA

Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority
​​​​​​​Victoria's education and training regulator.

WAC

WorkCover Advisory Committee
​​​​​​​Advises the Board on prevention, compensation, rehabilitation and return-to-work issues. The Committee makes inquiries and then reports to the Board on all elements of the WorkCover scheme.

WSDoM

WorkSafe’s Document Management
Software system for managing files. It is vital to ensure that if you receive a file, or hand one to someone else, that you arrange for the file handover to be recorded on WSDoM, so we know who's got it.

WCIRS

Workers Compensation Independent Review Service​​​​​​​
The unit responsible for reviewing Agent decisions or non-decisions as part of an internal review process upon application by a worker and/or their representative.

WIRC

Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013​​​​​​​
An Act that provides a single gateway for claims of compensation, provides for accident compensation, registration of employers for WorkCover insurance, and administration of WorkCover premiums.

Business unit specific terms

Content Strategy will develop this section further with terms used in each business unit and when which term applies.

If you have a term that you want to add from your business unit, please get in touch with us and we will review your suggestion.

State Government department abbreviations

Premier and Cabinet (DPC)

Government Services (DGS)

Treasury and Finance (DTF)

Education (DE)

Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)

Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH)

Health (DH)

Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR)

Justice and Community Safety (DJCS)

Transport and Planning (DTP)