Common workplace injuries in Darwin
- Halfpennys
- Jul 19
- 5 min read
Updated: 9 minutes ago
If you’ve been injured at work in Darwin, you’re not alone. Many people are in your shoes every year, and thousands of Northern Territory workers make injury claims to get the support they need.
In the Northern Territory, workers’ compensation covers a wide range of injuries, including physical injuries, psychological conditions, occupational diseases and hearing loss. Knowing what’s covered and how to make a claim is key to getting the support you’re entitled to.
In this article, we’ll cover these areas, including the common workplace injuries that fall under each category, and outline the process for claiming compensation.
Physical injuries
Physical injuries are often the ones that come to mind when you think about work-related injuries. Examples of the types of physical injuries you can claim compensation for in the Northern Territory include:
neck injuries
back injuries
lifting and repetitive strain injuries
burn injuries
fractures, wounds and lacerations
Major causes of these injuries include being hit by moving objects, putting stress on your body, or falling, tripping or slipping. Accidents happen, and workers can suffer these injuries in a range of industries.
The Northern Territory’s top industry for physical injuries is government administration and defence, which accounted for nearly a quarter of injury claims made in 2022-23 [1]. Other top industries include:
health and community services
construction
retail trade
agriculture, forestry and fishing
Whether you’re a farm hand, nurse, truck driver or anything in between, it’s essential to seek medical help from your GP for physical injuries. Not only can they support your recovery, but they can also provide the medical certification you need to build your NT workers’ compensation claim.
Mental injuries
Workplace injuries aren’t always visible. For many people, the demands of their work can take a toll on their mental health. Mental injuries are conditions or illnesses that affect a person’s mood, feelings, thoughts or behaviours. Stress isn’t an injury, but if you suffer from high levels of stress or long-term stress, it can lead to harm.
Everyone is different, and harm to your mental health can present itself in various ways. It can include everything from depression and anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder and sleep disorders.
Psychosocial hazards are the issues or factors that cause these mental injuries or even physical injuries. Examples include:
job demands
limited job control
poor support, reward or recognition
unclear roles and responsibilities
poorly managed workplace changes
unfair treatment
exposure to trauma or distressing content
remote or isolated work
poor physical environment
tension or conflict with coworkers
Importantly, bullying, harassment, violence and aggression can also lead to mental injury. If you’re experiencing bullying, harassment, violence or aggression at work, you don’t have to suffer in silence. Speak to your manager or HR team, seek help from your GP, and consider complaining with NT WorkSafe.
Under Northern Territory law, not all mental injuries at work are covered by workers’ compensation. You can’t claim compensation for a mental injury if reasonable management decisions mainly or entirely caused it.
This includes when your employer:
manages your performance
gives you feedback
change your duties or roster
disciplines you (in a fair way)
chooses not to take action on a workplace issue
Even if these decisions upset you or cause you stress, if they were reasonable, the law says they don’t count as the cause of a mental injury for compensation purposes. It is however worth getting advice because even though the insurer may say the injury arose as a result of reasonable management decisions they are not always able to substantiate the management action or its reasonableness.
Diseases
Beyond physical and mental injuries, many workers are also exposed to harmful substances that cause occupational diseases. Workplace diseases can take years to show symptoms, but have long-term impacts on health and lifestyle.
You may be entitled to workers’ compensation if your job exposes you to disease-causing agents such as chemicals, dust, waste, or infected materials.
Common work-related diseases include:
Asbestosis – typically affecting construction and demolition workers exposed to asbestos
Silicosis – common in mining, quarrying and stone masonry due to silica dust exposure
Q fever – can affect abattoir workers, livestock transporters and farmers exposed to animal tissue
Tuberculosis or hepatitis can impact healthcare workers and correctional officers exposed to bodily fluids or infected individuals.
Occupational asthma – caused by exposure to allergens like flour, latex or cleaning agents, particularly in manufacturing and food industries
Safe Work Australia maintains a list of deemed diseases, which are illnesses presumed to be work-related if the worker is employed in a relevant occupation. This includes infectious diseases, respiratory conditions, certain types of cancer, and neurological disorders.
If you’re unsure whether your illness qualifies, a lawyer or medical professional can guide you based on your exposure history and occupation.
Hearing loss
Hearing loss is recognised as a separate category of injury under NT workers’ compensation law. In Australia, about one in seven people will develop hearing loss [2], and 37 per cent of these cases are linked to workplace noise exposure [3].
If you work in construction, manufacturing or automotive industries, you may be exposed to noise levels above the safe limit of 85 decibels. Over time, this can lead to permanent and irreversible hearing damage.
Your employer is required to supply hearing protection if noise levels are high. If you’re concerned, ask for a noise assessment and speak to your GP or audiologist. Hearing loss claims are often supported by audiometric testing to establish the link between noise exposure and your symptoms.
The aggravation, acceleration, exacerbation, recurrence or deterioration of a pre-existing injury or disease
Sometimes, a workplace injury doesn’t start from scratch; it worsens an existing condition. This is known as aggravation, acceleration, exacerbation, recurrence or deterioration of a pre-existing injury or disease.
To qualify for workers’ compensation in the NT, work must worsen your condition beyond its natural progression.
Example of a valid claim
A person with a mild sports-related knee injury falls at work and tears a ligament. The workplace incident made it worse.
Example of a non-compensable case
A worker who already had carpal tunnel syndrome before employment and finds that the pain continues at the same level after employment. If the condition existed before employment and work didn’t significantly aggravate it, a claim is unlikely to succeed.
These types of claims can be more complex and often require detailed medical evidence to prove the link to your work.
How to claim compensation
If you’re wondering what to do if you’re injured at work in the Northern Territory, here are the steps you should take:
Notify your employer as soon as possible.
This can be verbal or in writing, but written is preferred for records.
Seek medical attention.
Visit a GP for treatment and request a Work Capacity Certificate.
Complete a Workers’ Compensation Claim Form.
This form is available from your employer or the NT WorkSafe website.
Submit your claim to your employer.
Your employer must then notify their insurer and lodge the claim.
Cooperate with the insurer's investigation.
They may request further medical assessments or documentation.
If your claim is rejected or delayed, it’s vital to seek legal advice. A workers’ compensation lawyer can help you challenge a decision or escalate the matter.
Looking after yourself and knowing your rights
Getting injured at work can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. The Northern Territory’s workers’ compensation system exists to help you recover and regain stability, whether you need time off, medical care or income support.
If you’re facing a workplace injury and don’t know where to start, or your claim has been denied, Halfpennys Lawyers is here to help. Our team is experienced in assisting NT workers understand their rights and fight for the compensation they deserve. Contact us today for expert legal advice.
[2] Hearing Care Industry Association, Hearing for Life – The Value of Hearing Services for Vulnerable Australians (March 2020).
[3] Hearing Care Industry Association, The Social and Economic Cost of Hearing Loss in Australia (June 2017).
