Reporting of Hazards, Accidents, Incidents and Occupational Illnesses

Reporting of Potential Hazards

The Department’s Health & Safety Committee has received several requests for an online Potential Hazards reporting system.  Such a system allows anyone working in the Department to report potential hazards or incidents in their lab or in the building that do not result in any personal injury. This report is a mechanism for reporting unsafe working conditions, unsafe work habits, improper use of equipment, the use of malfunctioning equipment, or odour releases or detection.  It is everyone’s responsibility to report and correct these potential accidents/incidents immediately.

The form allows the person reporting to remain anonymous if they so choose.

When a report is submitted, it automatically sends an email to one of hte H&S Committee’s co-chairs, who can tehn determine the appropriate response required. If unavailable to respond themselves, they can quickly assign another member of the Committee to respond if immediate response is required.

Potential Hazard Reporting Form

The form does not replace, but is in addition to, the current Accident/Incident report required by the UofT Environmental Health & Safety Office for reportable incidents, which are outlined below.

Reporting of Accidents/Incidents

These procedures outline the reporting requirements for accidents, occupational illnesses and incidents which result in or have the potential to result in personal injury or property damage. The procedures cover employees, students, visitors and other persons on university premises.

Reportable incidents are those which:

  • Result in personal injury or lost time from work (including those requiring first aid, and occupational illness);
  • Have the potential to result in personal injury or property damage even though no injury or damage actually occurred;
  • Occur to any person on university premises;
  • Occur to a university employee during the course of his/her work either on or off university premises;
  • Occur to a student during the course of his/her classroom, laboratory or field work;
  • Occur to a student during the course of a work placement (either paid or unpaid) which forms part of their university curriculum.

Reporting of Accidents/Incidents Involving Employees

Employees include all full-time, part-time, sessional, casual employees and graduate teaching assistants when they are performing their duties as teaching assistants.
Online e-form for Reporting Incidents Involving Employees

All reportable incidents must be reported within 24 hours.

  1. For incidents involving employees, supervisors must complete and sign the University’s automated eform for employees (see above) and submit it electronically.
  2. Please ensure you have all of the required information available – the form has a time limit of 20 minutes for each of the pages.
  3. For more information on the required data, please click on the sample form.
  4. Where supervisors are unable to fully complete the form within 24 hours, the form, should still be sent, with the missing information to follow later. Use “not available” for missing information that is required.
  5. The WSIB Administrator in Health and WellBeing is responsible for all liaison with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and for the ongoing follow-up of claims. For assistance or information with respect to any claim contact Anne Chreptak at 416-978-8804.

Note: Reporting of accidents and occupational illnesses involving death, critical injury, lost time or health care (by a medical practitioner) is required for employees under both the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. Reporting of Accidents to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is done centrally through the WSIB Administrator, Health and Wellbeing Programs and Services.

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board levies a fine of $250 for late reporting of a lost time or health care claim. Where this late reporting is a result of the failure of a department to report the accident to the WSIB Administrator, Health and Wellbeing, the department will be responsible for paying the fine.

In addition to the above legal reporting requirements, the University requires the reporting of all accidents to any person, whether or not a personal injury is involved.

Reporting of Accidents/Incidents Involving Students, Contractors and Visitors

Students and visitors include all non-employees present or working in University workplaces. These include undergraduate students, graduate students (except when performing TA duties, when they are employees), visitors and members of the general public.

Accidents involving students, contractors or visitors are to be reported on the University’s automated e-form and submitted electronically, as well as faxed via the Risk Management and Insurance Report.

Reporting of Accidents Involving Students on Unpaid Work Placements

Students who are required to participate in unpaid work placements with an external employer as a part of a requirement for their degree are eligible for coverage through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board should they suffer a work-related accident or illness. The exception to this is students who are performing unpaid research at the University. The latter are not covered by Workers’ Compensation. The coverage for students on unpaid work placements is funded by the Ministry of Education and Training (MET) and not by the placement employer or the University of Toronto.

Note that students do not have coverage if:

  • An accident occurs during the in-class portion of training programs,
  • The student, on his/her own initiative, volunteers services to an employer to develop marketable skills,
  • The student is on the employer’s premises for the purpose of visiting, casual observation, and there there is no participation in the activities of the placement employer’s industry.

For more information or to receive an information package with the required forms, contact Anne Chreptak in Health and WellBeing at 416-978-8804.

Reporting of Death or Critical Injury

A critical injury is defined as an injury of a serious nature that:

  • Places life in jeopardy
  • Produces unconsciousness
  • Results in substantial loss of blood
  • Involves the fracture of a leg or arm, but not a finger or toe
  • Involves the amputation of a leg, arm, hand or foot, but not a finger or toe
  • Consists of burns to a major portion of the body, or
  • Causes the loss of sight in an eye.

In addition to the reporting requirements outlined above, all critical injuries or fatalities must be immediately reported to the Ministry of Labour. Note that the reporting requirements to the Ministry of Labour for death or critical injury specify any person, so this reporting requirement is not limited to employees. Supervisors are therefore responsible for taking the following steps:

  • Procure immediate medical attention at 9-911
  • Notify the University of Toronto Campus Safety at 416-978-2222 for the St. George Campus, or 416-287-7333 for Scarborough Campus, or 905-569-4333 for Mississauga.
  • Notify the Office of Environmental Health and Safety at 416-978-4467
  • Notify the Health & Well-Being Programs & Services at 416-978-8804
  • Notify the Ministry of Labour

For all campuses in the Greater Toronto area, the Ministry of Labour numbers are:
Daytime (8:30 am to 5:00 pm): 416-314-5421 or 1-800-991-7454 (from outside of Toronto); Nights/Weekends/Holidays: 416-325-3000 or 1-800-268-6060

  • Notify the appropriate joint health and safety committee for the workplace,
  • If the injured person is an employee, notify the appropriate union (if any),
  • Ensure that the site of the accident remains undisturbed until a Ministry of Labour inspector has arrived, and
  • Investigate and prepare a written report on the circumstances of the accident.

Reporting of Injuries while Outside of Ontario

Accidents to staff or students occurring outside of Ontario must be immediately reported to the home department. The home department must then notify the WSIB Administrator, Health and Well Being within 24 hours.