Further information

The University holds a self-insurance licence to manage their own workers compensation claims and they employ qualified staff as required by State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA). SIRA is the statutory body that governs the licence and the University must abide by the Workers Compensation legislation and guidelines issued by SIRA.

In 1987 the University made the decision to apply to become a Workers Compensation self-insurer, rather than purchase insurance. The switch was mainly for financial reasons and continues to be a cost-effective alternative to conventional insurance.

Self-insurance also provides injured employees with direct access to experienced case management staff employed in the Workers Compensation department. Claims are managed efficiently with better return to work outcomes.

• UNSW Workers Injury Claim Form

• Other Work Related Injuries Claim Form

• Workers Compensation Reimbursement Form

Useful Links & Legislation Information

• State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) 
• A quick guide to Work Compensation.
• Workers Compensation Changes to Legislation 2012
• Workers Compensation Reforms December 2015

Other Workers Compensation Forms 

• Certificate of Capacity Form
  

• Certificate of Capacity Medical Practitioners Information

• Weekly Benefits Ready Reckoner

• Guidelines for Workplace Return to Work Programs

• Statutory Declaration Proforma

• PIAWE Agreement and Brochure

Ergonomics

• Guidelines to Setting Up a Workstation

Medical expenses will only be payable if they relate to services that are considered to be reasonably necessary for your injury. In determining what is reasonably necessary medical services the following will be considered:

• Appropriateness: The ability of the treatment to relieve the effects of the injury
• Effectiveness: The degree to which the treatment will potentially alleviate the consequences of the injury
• Cost benefit: There must be an expected positive benefit, given the cost involved, that should deliver the expected health outcomes for you
• Alternatives: Other viable forms of treatment for the injury
• Acceptance: The acceptance of the treatment among the medical profession: Example: Is it a conventional method of treatment and would medical practitioners generally prescribe it.

Medical expenses will be payable in accordance with WorkCover NSW gazetted fees. If your treatment provider charges more than the gazetted fee, they are not able to ask you to pay the difference.

The following treatments do not require prior approval:

• All visits to the nominated treating doctor
• 1st visit to treating specialist
• Pharmacy items in the 1st 3 weeks up to $500 including up to $100 for items not on PBS
• All x-rays requested in the 1st week after injury
• public hospital visits in the 1st month after injury
• The first 8 treatments of physiotherapy/chiropractic and osteopathy.
• The 1st 6 treatments from a psychologist (must be SIRA approved & referred by NTD)
• 5 sessions of remedial massage (must be SIRA approved)

All UNSW workplaces (including all floors and buildings occupied by UNSW staff) must display the ‘If you are injured at work poster’ to advise employees of the process to follow in the event of a work-related injury or illness.

Please note that you will require separate approval for any surgery, private hospitalisation or specialist scans. Failure to obtain approval prior to receiving treatment may leave you liable for the costs involved.

You should report your injury to your supervisor and Risk Advisory and Internal Audit within 48 hours of occurring.

Complete the on-line reporting form, opens in a new window through myUNSW Salus, opens in a new window:

1. Sign on to myUNSW
2. Look for My Staff Profile Tab and select
3. Find and click on the Salus symbol to Report/Manage OHS&E Issues
4. Report a hazard / incident
   (Please note that the link times out after 20 minutes for data when entering your injury information)
   
   

• Please report all injury particulars including a date of injury and clear description of the injury.
• On completion of the on-line reporting form, copies will be sent to your Supervisor, Risk Advisory and Internal Audit, the Safety Committee Work Health and Safety.
• The initial report of injury form is designed to facilitate the early notification of an incident or injury. An experienced Workers Compensation Officer will collect all the information required to lodge the claim after receipt of the initial report of injury. The claim will be assessed according to injury type and severity.

• Please complete the Claim Form on the Claims landing page.

Workers Compensation legislative reforms were introduced on the 19 June 2012 in relation to journey claims. The reforms mean that many journey claims that were previously covered, will no longer be covered. The exception is when there is a 'real and substantial' connection between the journey and your employment.  

Meaning “a real and substantial” connection between the employment concerned and the accident or incident, suggesting that some-work element must be present for any injury occurring to or from a worker’s place of abode to be compensable. For example, you stop on the way to work to collect some documents and are injured.

The appropriate claim form can be obtained from the Making a Claim section of this website by clicking the link below. The form is the Other Work Injuries Claim Form and is the second form available on this page.

Other Work Injuries Claim Form

Click the Icon to Go to the Workers Compensation Injury Management Process.

WorkCover Reforms 2012

Provisional liability and claim liability allows for prompt payment of limited benefits that will help with your recovery from injury and your return to work. Provisional liability does not constitute an admission of liability under the Workplace Injury Management & Workers Compensation Act and is determined within 7 days of notification of an injury. Provisional weekly compensation benefits are payable for a maximum of 12 weeks only. Claim liability is determined within 21 days of lodgement.

Claims for doctors' costs or treatment providers can be paid directly to the providers once a claim has been accepted by providing the workers compensation section the original invoices or receipts. Through completion of the workers compensation re-imbursement of expenses claim form injured employees can receive direct EFT re-imbursement of any out of pocket expenses. Payments to injured employees are to be made within 14 days of receipt and 30 days to treatment providers once received by the works compensation unit.