Q: Would a text message be regarded as legal for the purposes of:

1. notifying a safety incident (to an organisation); and
2. for notifying corrective action to be taken (from an organisation)?

A: Yes, it would. As a text message maintains a temporary record of a notification, it would be a suitable method of communication in notifying a safety incident to an organisation, or in notifying corrective action to be taken from an organisation. However, as best practice, this should also be followed with a more permanent form of notification (e.g. letter or email), which should also be the case for more serious incidents.

Please note: The answer is correct at the time of publishing. Be aware that laws may change over time. Refer to Incident reporting and investigation for current advice.