Work Experience

WorkSafe and public liability insurance

Students who suffer work related injuries or illnesses while undertaking work experience placements are entitled to compensation under the WorkSafe scheme. All work experience students are covered under the department’s WorkSafe Insurance policy.

Employers of work experience students are exempt from the normal employer obligations to provide suitable employment or plan for the return to work of students who may be injured while undertaking a work experience placement.

Also, employers of work experience students are not liable for any claims costs or consequent premium costs that may be incurred as a result of a work experience student lodging a WorkSafe claim. Claims from students who have undertaken work experience are lodged against the department’s WorkSafe Insurance policy and the costs are met under the department’s policy.

Gallagher Bassett is the department’s workers’ compensation agent.

Note: WorkSafe Insurance does not cover people travelling to and from work.

Procedure for lodging a WorkSafe claim

WorkSafe claim forms can be accessed at:

• Worker’s injury claim form
• Employer injury claim report form

Student

The student must ensure that they:

1. Complete and sign the Worker’s injury claim form with the assistance of the employer and/or the work experience coordinator.
2. Provide the Worker’s injury claim form to the employer.

Employer

The employer must ensure that they:

1. Complete their details in the ‘Incident and worker’s injury details’ and the ‘Worker’s employment details’ sections of the Worker’s injury claim form.
2. Complete the Employer injury claim report form. Note: On the Employer injury claim report form:
   1. The Department of Education’s details must be entered in Section 1 – Employer Details. The employer’s scheme registration number is 1624618 and the employer’s reference number is 9573347.
   2. Sections 3 and 4 do not need to be completed.
3. Send both the forms back to the student’s school.

School

The principal or nominated person must:

1. record the injury on eduSafe Plus (staff login required) (government school students)
2. ensure that the Worker’s injury claim form is dated and signed and the 'Employer lodgement details' section of the form is completed
3. ensure that the words ‘Work experience student’ are inserted in the top left-hand area of the Worker’s injury claim form
4. on the Worker’s injury claim form, ensure the Department of Education’s employer’s scheme registration number (1624618) is entered in the 'Employer lodgement details' section
5. on the Employer injury claim report form, ensure the Department of Education’s details are entered in ‘Section 1 – Employer details’, the number 1624618 is entered as the employer’s scheme registration number, and the number 9573347 is entered as the employer’s reference number
6. ensure copies of the Worker’s injury claim form and the Employer injury claim report form along with copies of the Work experience arrangement form, copies of medical accounts and other relevant documents are emailed to Gallagher Bassett within 10 calendar days from the date on which the employer received the Worker’s injury claim form from the student at educlaims@gbtpa.com.au
7. ensure copies of all forms sent to Gallagher Bassett are retained on a file at the school.

For further information and guidance on WorkSafe, refer to: Workers’ Compensation – Workplace Injury.

Public liability insurance

Government schools

When a work experience arrangement is entered into by a principal or nominated person of a government school, the department holds or takes out public liability insurance to provide at least $10 million cover per event. The parties insured are the student and the employer.

Non-government schools

When an arrangement is entered into by a principal or nominated person of a non-government school, it is the obligation of that school to hold or take out public liability insurance to provide at least $10 million cover per event. The parties to be insured are the student and the school.

When an arrangement is entered into by a principal or nominated person of a non-government school not covered by public liability insurance as set out above, the employer must be informed of this by the principal or nominated person of that school at least 4 weeks prior to the commencement of that arrangement. In this event, the employer will be obliged to hold or take out public liability insurance to provide at least $10 million cover per event for any loss or damage which may be caused by any act or omission of the student while engaged under the arrangement. The parties to be insured are the student and the employer.

The principal or nominated person must specify the type of coverage for the student in the area provided on each Work experience arrangement form.