Burn Injury Workers Compensation NSW
Thermal burns, chemical burns, electrical injuries and scalds — we help you get urgent burn care, reconstructive treatment and long-term recovery lined up.
Every appointment on this page is billed to the insurer under an accepted NSW workers compensation claim. The insurer pays the doctor, physio, psychologist or rehab provider directly, so you don't get an invoice. Our help is free.
Yes — burn injury is a standard NSW WorkCover claim
If work caused or aggravated it, NSW workers compensation covers it. You don't need a single dramatic incident, and you don't need a pre-existing-condition-free history. Here's the short version of what that means for burn injury.
Work caused or aggravated it
Sudden or cumulative, new or aggravated — burn injury from work-related causes qualifies. The doctor records how it happened, so the insurer has what it needs to accept the claim.
Book a WorkCover doctorEvery appointment is paid
Doctors, physios, psychologists and rehab providers — the insurer pays them directly on your accepted claim, so you never get an invoice. Our help is free.
Learn about workcover doctorsHelp if the claim is disputed
If the insurer pushes back, we put you in touch with a compensation lawyer. Most WorkCover disputes qualify for IRO funding, which usually means the legal costs aren't yours. You don't fight the system alone.
How we help with disputesHow burn injury happens at work
Most claims in this category come down to a handful of mechanisms. If yours fits any of these, it's almost certainly claimable — and even if it doesn't, book an assessment anyway. The list isn't exhaustive.
- Contact with hot surfaces, steam or boiling liquid
- Chemical burns in manufacturing, cleaning, agriculture
- Electrical burns from faulty equipment or live work
- Fire and flame incidents on site
- Friction burns from machinery and belts
- Radiation burns from welding or lasers
Not sure if your cause fits? It usually does. Take the 60-second eligibility check →
When to see a WorkCover doctor
Any of these symptoms after a work-related incident or from a work-related activity means it's time to get assessed. Early assessment gives burn injury the right start to recovery.
- Visible skin damage — redness, blistering, charring
- Severe pain or, in deep burns, loss of sensation
- Swelling around the burn site
- Signs of infection in the days after
- Scarring and contracture as the burn heals
- Psychological distress after serious burn trauma
Don't push through. The workers who recover fastest are the ones who see a doctor in the first week.
What NSW WorkCover pays for with burn injury
Once your claim is accepted (or under provisional liability), the insurer pays for every line below directly. You don't receive an invoice for any of it.
- Emergency burns unit care
- Surgical debridement and skin grafting
- Plastic and reconstructive surgery
- Wound care nursing and dressings
- Physiotherapy for scar and contracture management
- Psychological support for burn trauma
- Lump-sum compensation for permanent impairment
- Weekly payments throughout recovery
What the NSW data says
You would not be the first person to claim for burn injury. The national and NSW data makes that very clear.
NSW workers supported last year
Serious burn injuries are a smaller but significant share of this cohort. Source: SIRA, 2023–24.
NSW benefits paid last year
Total statutory benefits paid to injured NSW workers — including long-recovery burn and reconstructive cases. Source: icare NSW, 2023–24.
Want the full picture? See WorkCover in numbers →
How we help with burn injury claims
One phone call is all it takes. We answer your questions, book the doctor, and line up physio, psychology, rehab or a lawyer when you need one.
Burn injuries often involve months of layered recovery — wound care, grafting, reconstructive surgery, scar management and psychological support. We get you to a WorkCover doctor who coordinates the medical pathway, then line up physio for scar and range-of-motion work and a psychologist for the trauma side. If there's a lump-sum impairment claim at the end, we put you in touch with a compensation lawyer.
WorkCover Doctors
Where most workers with burn injury start after the first doctor visit. Call us and we'll book it, in person or by telehealth.
Learn about workcover doctorsWorkCover Psychologist
Lined up when your burn injury recovery needs it. We book it, and on an accepted claim the insurer pays.
Learn about workcover psychologistCompensation Lawyer
Lined up when your burn injury recovery needs it. We book it, and on an accepted claim the insurer pays.
Learn about compensation lawyerWondering what weekly payments would look like? Use the Payment Calculator →
Related resources
Three starting points for digging deeper — an explainer on our blog, the eligibility quiz, and other injury types we help with.
Burn Injury claims — what workers ask
The same questions come up on almost every call. Here are the answers in short form.
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Injured your burn? Start with one phone call.
We book same-week appointments with a WorkCover doctor, who writes your Certificate of Capacity. We sort the insurer paperwork and line up physio, psychology or a lawyer as needed.
Book a WorkCover Doctor