WorkSafe Investigations: How to Ensure Your Safety Records Hold Up

Accurate and accessible safety records are a vital part of any compliant and well-managed workplace. Whether in response to a serious incident, a worker concern, or a routine audit, regulators such as WorkSafe will assess how effectively your organisation has documented hazards, incidents, training, and risk controls.

Strong record-keeping not only demonstrates compliance with your legal obligations—it also helps protect your workforce, support continuous improvement, and minimise operational disruptions.

In this guide, we’ll cover what regulators typically look for and how to ensure your documentation processes are thorough, up to date, and audit-ready—without the last-minute stress.

Understanding WorkSafe investigations

A WorkSafe investigation isn’t exactly ‘random’. It’s triggered when there’s a serious safety incident, a complaint, or signs of non-compliance. Inspectors assess whether businesses are meeting their legal obligations under workplace health and safety laws.

What triggers an investigation?

WorkSafe will step in if there’s:

• A serious workplace incident – fatalities, severe injuries, or dangerous events.
• A complaint – from an employee, union, or third party about unsafe conditions.
• Repeated non-compliance – businesses with a history of ignoring safety laws.
• Failure to report incidents – not notifying WorkSafe of serious injuries or near misses.

What happens during an investigation?

When an inspector arrives, they will:

• Review safety records – including incident reports, training logs, and risk assessments.
• Interview workers and managers – to understand what happened and assess compliance.
• Inspect the workplace – checking for hazards, unsafe practices, and missing safety measures.
• Collect evidence – taking photos, videos, and samples or seizing equipment if necessary.

Possible outcomes of an investigation

After gathering evidence, WorkSafe may take enforcement action, such as:

• Improvement notices – requiring the business to fix safety issues within a set timeframe.
• Prohibition notices – ordering certain work to stop immediately due to serious risks.
• Fines and prosecutions – for severe breaches of safety laws, especially if negligence is involved.

Key safety records investigators look at

When WorkSafe investigates a workplace, documentation is everything.

Inspectors don’t just rely on interviews or observations—they want proof that safety procedures were followed, risks were managed, and employees were trained properly. If your records are incomplete, outdated, or missing, you could be in serious trouble.

1. Incident reports and near-miss records

Every injury, near-miss, and dangerous event needs to be logged. WorkSafe will check:

• Incident reports – Were incidents properly recorded?
• Investigation outcomes – Did you identify root causes and take corrective action?
• Near-miss reports – Are hazards being identified and addressed before they cause harm?

2. Risk assessments and hazard registers

WorkSafe wants to see that your business proactively manages risks, not just reacts to incidents. You’ll need:

• Hazard identification records – How are risks documented and controlled?
• Risk assessments – Were hazards evaluated, and were control measures put in place?
• Regular safety audits – Are risks reassessed and updated over time?

3. Training records and competency certifications

WorkSafe will verify that workers were trained and competent to do their jobs safely. Expect them to ask for:

• Induction and onboarding records – Were new employees properly introduced to safety protocols?
• Job-specific training logs – Have workers been trained for hazardous tasks?
• Licence and certification records – Are workers qualified for high-risk activities (e.g., operating heavy machinery, handling dangerous goods)?

4. Inspection and maintenance records

Equipment failures and unsafe work conditions are a major cause of workplace incidents. Inspectors will check:

• Pre-start safety checklists – Were machines and vehicles inspected before use?
• Routine maintenance logs – Has equipment been serviced and maintained as required?
• Safety system audits – Has the workplace been regularly assessed for compliance?

5. Correct action and safety improvement records

WorkSafe wants to see more than just records of safety issues. They need proof that hazards were identified, addressed, and followed up on. This includes:

• Corrective action logs – What was done to fix hazards or compliance issues?
• Follow-up reports – Were the changes effective, and was the issue closed out?
• Workplace safety meetings & toolbox talks – Are workers actively involved in improving safety?

How to ensure your safety records are investigation-ready

1. Use a centralised digital safety management system

Scattered spreadsheets and paper-based records are a compliance risk. Investigators want clear, time-stamped documentation that proves safety measures were followed. A cloud-based Safety Management System (SMS) keeps everything in one place, making it easy to:

• Log incidents and hazards in real time
• Track corrective actions and follow-ups
• Retrieve any record instantly when WorkSafe asks

2. Keep records accurate and up to date

A record is only useful if it’s complete and current. Set clear processes to ensure:

• Incidents and hazards are logged as soon as they happen
• Safety training records are updated after every session
• Equipment inspections and maintenance logs are regularly reviewed
• Audit trails exist for every action taken

3. Document every safety action and decision

If it’s not written down, it didn’t happen. WorkSafe will check that your business is proactively managing safety, not just reacting to incidents. This means keeping:

• Corrective action logs to show how risks were addressed
• Meeting minutes from safety discussions and toolbox talks
• Records of near misses to demonstrate a strong safety environment

4. Train your team on proper record-keeping

Even the best system fails if workers don’t know what to document. Make sure your team:

• Understands which records are required and why they matter
• Knows how to report incidents, hazards, and training completion
• Has access to an easy-to-use reporting system

Take the stress out of compliance

WorkSafe investigations can be stressful, but having the right safety records in place makes all the difference. If your documentation is complete, up to date, and easily accessible, you can prove compliance, avoid penalties, and keep operations running smoothly.

A digital HSEQ Solution with non-conformance software helps you track incidents, manage risks, and stay audit-ready without the hassle of paperwork. myosh makes it easy to log, store, and retrieve safety records instantly—so you’re always prepared.

Get a free trial of myosh today and see how effortless safety compliance can be.