Report an Incident
If workplace injuries or illnesses occur, the employer has the following duties to notify certain people:
- If a person, whether a worker or not, has been critically injured or killed at the workplace, the employer must immediately notify an inspector at the nearest Ministry of Labour office, the joint committee (or health and safety representative) and the union, if there is one. This notice must be by direct means, such as by telephone, telegram or facsimile. Within 48 hours, the employer must also notify, in writing, a director of the Ministry of Labour, giving the circumstances of the occurrence and any information that may be prescribed [section 51(1)].
- If an accident, explosion or fire occurs and a worker is disabled or requires medical attention, the employer must notify the joint committee (or health and safety representative) and the union, if any, within four days of the incident. This notice must be in writing and must contain any prescribed information [section 52(1)]. If required by an inspector, this notice must also be given to a director of the Ministry of Labour.
- If an employer is told that a worker has an occupational illness or that a claim for an occupational illness has been filed with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, the employer must notify a director of the Ministry of Labour, the joint committee (or health and safety representative) and the union, if any, within four days. This notice must be in writing and must contain any prescribed information [section 52(2)]. The duty to notify applies not only to current employees but also to former ones [section 52(3)].
- Even if no one is hurt, written notice of an accident or unexpected event that could have caused an injury at a construction site or in a mine or mining plant is required from the constructor of the project or owner of the mine or mining plant. This notice must be given to a director of the Ministry of Labour, the joint committee (or health and safety representative) and the trade union, if any, within two days and must contain any prescribed information [section 53].
Note:
Self-employed people are required to notify a director of the Ministry of Labour, in writing, if they sustain an occupational injury or illness.
