Cassandra's Compass
Work Health & Safety in Aged Care
Your rights, your responsibilities, and where to report — manual handling, infection control, physical and emotional safety, and the correct reporting pathway
All content in Cassandra’s Compass is based on Australian legislation, Aged Care Quality Standards, and evidence-based clinical guidelines. However, each employer’s policies and procedures can differ significantly — even when all organisations follow the same law.
Your specific workplace documentation, facility protocols, and individual care plans always take precedence. Before performing any care task, administering medications, or responding to a clinical situation — always refer to your employer’s specific policies and consult the person’s individual care plan.
Clinical note: The information provided here reflects Australian legislation and evidence-based guidelines. Your facility’s specific clinical protocols, formularies, and care plans take legal and operational precedence. Always follow your employer’s policies first.
When in doubt — ask your supervisor. That is never a weakness. It is professionalism.
📝 WHS Knowledge Quiz — Test & Build Your Skills
Interactive quiz with 3 difficulty levels: Easy (foundational), Medium (applied scenarios), Hard (complex critical thinking). Progress through all levels to master WHS in aged care.
Work Health & Safety Quiz
Choose your difficulty level to get started. Progress through Easy → Medium → Hard as you build your WHS knowledge.
Aged care work is essential, demanding, and deserving of the strongest workplace protections. This section is grounded in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth), the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Act 2018, Safe Work Australia guidance, and current aged care regulatory standards.
Reporting Unsafe Practices — Follow the Compass
If something is wrong, follow these steps in order. Keep records at every step.
Observe & document
Record facts: date, time, what you saw, who was affected, what the risk or harm was.
Raise with your supervisor
Speak to your Team Leader or RN. Request written acknowledgement of your concern.
Escalate if unresolved
Facility Manager → Director of Nursing → Organisation Executive / Board.
External reporting
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission — 1800 951 822 — agedcarequality.gov.au. Mandatory report if abuse, neglect, or unexplained injury.
WHS regulator
If a work health and safety hazard is unresolved, contact your state/territory WHS regulator.
⚠️ If a resident is in immediate danger — call 000. Do not wait for internal processes.
How to Approach a Difficult Conversation
- ✦ Separate the behaviour from the person — focus on what you observed, not character judgements: "I noticed the resident was not repositioned during my shift" rather than "[Name] is lazy."
- ✦ Use a private setting and a calm, non-confrontational tone. Begin with curiosity — there may be context you are unaware of.
- ✦ If you are not comfortable raising the concern directly, you are entitled to go straight to your supervisor or the facility manager.
- ✦ Put your concern in writing — even a simple email — and keep a copy for yourself.
- ✦ Raising a legitimate concern should never lead to retaliation. If it does, raise it with your state or territory WHS regulator, your union, or the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
- ✦ If you are unsure what to do, your union representative or the ACQSC can provide guidance before you formally report.
Common Work Injuries — By Role
Aged care is one of Australia's highest-risk occupations for workplace injury. Knowing what injuries are common in your role — and how to prevent them — is part of your professional safety responsibility.
🩹 If You Are Injured at Work — What to Do Next
Seek first aid or medical attention immediately
Your health comes first. Do not push through pain or delay treatment. If serious: call 000. For all other injuries: attend first aid, then see your GP or an emergency clinic as soon as possible. Get a medical certificate.
Report to your supervisor without delay
Notify your supervisor or manager of the injury on the same day — even if it seems minor. Many injuries that "seem fine" at first develop into serious conditions. Verbal notification is a start — follow up in writing.
Complete a written incident report
All workplace injuries must be formally documented using your organisation's incident report form. Be factual and thorough. Include the time, location, what you were doing, how the injury happened, and who witnessed it. Keep a copy for yourself.
Understand your workers' compensation entitlements
Workers' compensation applies from the first day of a work-related injury — including wage replacement, medical expenses, and rehabilitation costs. Contact your employer's workers' compensation insurer or your union. You cannot be dismissed or disadvantaged for making a legitimate claim.
Get an injury management / return to work plan
Your employer must provide an injury management plan and a suitable duties (return to work) program if you are fit for modified duties. You do not have to return to full duties before you are medically cleared to do so.
Contact your union or WorkSafe if your concern is not addressed
If your employer does not respond appropriately to your injury, contact your union representative, your state/territory WorkSafe authority, or Safe Work Australia for guidance.
📋 Incident Report Form — Print & Download
A professional, A4 incident report form suitable for all incident types — falls, medication errors, workplace injuries, resident harm, near misses, and SIRS reportable incidents. Includes Parts A–J covering incident details, persons involved, harm assessment, worker injury section, SIRS obligations, root cause analysis, and corrective actions with sign-off.
Professional A4
Print or PDF
10 sections
⚠️ SIRS reminder — Priority 1 reportable incidents must be reported to the ACQSC within 24 hours of becoming aware, with any missing information within the following 5 days. SIRS applies to residential care and, since 1 November 2025, to home or community settings including Support at Home.
Priority 1: an incident causing injury or discomfort needing treatment only a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, psychologist or social worker can provide · reasonable grounds to report to police · unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct · unexpected death resulting from care services delivered or not delivered · unexplained absence with reasonable grounds to call police. Any other reportable incident is Priority 2, reported within 30 calendar days.
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission: 1800 951 822 · agedcarequality.gov.au
Support Resources
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
1800 951 822Safe Work Australia
safeworkaustralia.gov.auLifeline (emotional support)
13 11 14Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Ask your employer for your free EAP number
Carer Gateway (for carers at home)
1800 422 737Raising a concern about safety is an act of courage and professionalism. It protects residents, protects your colleagues, and protects you. You are not alone in doing the right thing.
Related Resources
🌿 Cassandra's Compass acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, and community. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present, and emerging.
Secondary Traumatic Stress is a clinically recognised condition — the same neurological signature as PTSD — that develops in people who absorb the trauma of others. In aged care, this is an occupational reality that deserves clinical recognition, not silence.
— Cassandra's Compass, informed by Stamm (2010) ProQOL & APA DSM-5-TR
Verified against official sources on 2 October 2026