Accident Reporting

Recording injury information to protect people's privacy:

Information for minor injuries may be recorded in the Accident Report Book (DOC 29kb or PDF 8.8kb) stored with the Departmental first aid kits (not so private but probably adequate for paper cuts)
OR

a person can fill out an individual Accident Report Form (DOC 23kb or PDF 6.8kb) and deliver it to the Safety Officer in Room CW315A where it will be filed.

Guidelines for Reporting Injury Accidents, Incidents and Occupational Illness in the Department of Biological Sciences

The purpose of this guideline is to enhance workplace safety by centralizing the reporting procedures in the department to help:

  • minimize or eliminate hazards
  • inform others of potential hazard
  • ensure proper accident reporting to the Alberta Workers' Compensation Board
The following procedures are designed to cover the response and reporting requirements for situations that result in (or have the potential to result in) personal injury including:
  • accidents
  • incidents (near misses)
  • occupational illnesses

These guidelines apply to departmental employees (academic and support staff, graduate and undergraduate project students when engaged in a work-related activity inside or outside of the building as well as to visitors to our building.

Three aspects to consider in dealing with an injury are:

  • first response: treating the injured person
  • recording details of the accident (who, where, when, treatment)
  • notifying the department safety officer, APO, and possibly the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB)
The Alberta WCB requires notification of serious accidents within 72h. This applies to salaried employees, graduate students as well as to undergraduate students in teaching labs or on field trips.

First Response:

The nature of the accident affects the response:

A. Minor injury

e.g. a small cut that is unlikely to become infected, skin contact with a dilute chemical solution (low toxicity), or something that is unlikely to cause any loss of work time.

A1. in a teaching lab:

1. notify the TA
2. treat injury with supplies from the lab first aid kit
3. record information in Accident log (or use a Form) stored in the first aid kit
4. TA should inform the Lab Coordinator as soon as possible

A2. in research lab/field area:

1. locate a first aid kit (see below for locations of departmental kits)
2. treat the injury
3. record information in Accident log (or form) stored in the first aid kit
4. inform your supervisor

Note: you should record basic accident information even for a minor accident in case problems develop later and we have to complete the WCB forms.

B. More serious injury:

e.g. a larger cut (may require stitches), higher possibility of infection, chemical spill involving eyes, severe allergic reaction, person will likely need treatment at a medical facility, person may be unable to work after the accident.

B1. summon appropriate local help:

1. contact first aid trained members in the Department/field
2. locate a first aid kit and treat the injury
3. if no first aiders are available, and you are not sure if they need further medical treatment or an ambulance, contact:

  • U of A Protective Services at 492-5050. They can provide first aid and arrange for transport to the hospital if necessary.
  • the University Health Centre 492-2612 for advice during business hours
  • the Capital Health Link system 811 to speak to a Registered Nurse anytime of day.
B2. calling for an ambulance: if it is apparent that an ambulance is needed (e.g. a serious cut, person having trouble breathing), telephone 911 and tell them what you need. Immediately after that, call University of Alberta Protective Services (UAPS) (492-5050) to let them know you called 911 and they will help guide the ambulance to your location.

Note: Many pay telephones on campus have a free auto-dial button direct to Campus Security.

B3. as soon as possible, contact:

 

  • the lab coordinator (if accident occurs in a teaching lab) or your supervisor
AND
  • the Department safety officer (if not available, inform the Assistant Chair Admininstration or Chair).
C. Potentially Serious Incident:(a close call that could have resulted in serious injury) contact the Department Safety Officer (if not available, see the Assistant Chair Administration or Department Chair)
D. Occupational Health Concerns:
Workers Compensation Board reporting:
  • this applies to all UofA employees, graduate students, and undergraduate students (if they become injured in a course-related activity)

The WCB-Alberta is a mutual insurance organization that is funded by employers in the province. Its role is to provide workplace liability and disability insurance for it's members. All University of Alberta employees are covered under the WCB if they are injured while doing their work but in addition, students are also covered if they are injured while engaged in activities related to their educational program (i.e. in a laboratory or while on a field trip).
If a university employee is injured at work, the WCB may reimburse the university for the employee's wages while recovering. For students injured while engaged in some aspect of their program, the WCB (or the employer) may reimburse them for wages lost because they could not continue a part-time job, for an ambulance or for prescription drugs (this coverage for students is paid for by the Alberta Government, not the University of Alberta since students enrolled in a degree program are considered employees of the Government for WCB purposes).

The Workers' Compensation Board requires notification of all worker accidents in which:

  • a worker requires medical attention at a medical facility, or
  • a worker cannot continue working on the day after the injury

Links work only in Google Chrome.

For the worker: A Worker's Report Form (PDF, 808kb) is availablefor download. DO NOT COMPLETE THE ONLINE VERSION. Print and complete all relevant areas of the form. Forward this to your supervisor or the Safety Officer.

For the supervisor: An Employer's Report Form (PDF, 724kb) will be completed and processed in the same manner. The supervisor should contact Lori Damman who will submit an Online Notification (OLN) form to Organizational Health and Effectiveness.

If medical attention is required, inform the doctor that the accident/injury occurred at work so that a Physician report can be prepared.

PLEASE NOTE: These WCB forms need to be submitted within 72 hours of reporting of the incident or a fine up to $25,000 may be levied against the employer (some workplaces try to suppress accident reporting to avoid having their WCB premiums increase). Such a fine could be handed down to the immediate supervisor who failed to submit a report.

Plan B: If you cannot fax the Worker's Report immediately, then email or telephone the information to one of the departmental contacts listed below and they will start the reporting process. Minimum information needed: Name of injured person(s), SIN, date and time of injury, location and home address.

Volunteers and Collaborators:
We frequently have people who are not employed by the University of Alberta working on projects conducted by UofA employees. This may be in a laboratory, at a field site or while traveling in a UofA vehicle. Since they are not our employees, WCB reports do not need to be submitted to the University of Alberta if they are injured during their work. However, because they are not employees and not covered by our WCB plan, there are some very important potential legal consequences if they do get injured during work.

Read more about Volunteer waivers here.

Alberta Workplace Health and Safety Reporting:
The Government of Alberta office that is responsible for worker safety must be notified in the event of certain major incidents such as a building collapse or the failure of a crane. Of more relevance to us, they must be informed if a worker is hospitalized or if there is a death resulting from an injury.

Location of Departmental First Aid Kits:
(all kits have an accident log book / form for recording information on minor injuries)
- during business hours:
  • Z207 - Biological Sciences Storeroom
  • CW312 - Student Services Office
  • CW405 - Department Office
  • ESB218 - Strickland Museum (Earth Sciences Building)

- after hours:
two plywood cabinets located in elevator lobbies:

  • Z203 (near the Biological Sciences Storeroom)
  • M425 (near entrance to Microbiology wing)
Note: these cabinets are alarmed with buzzers that sound when door is open.
Departmental Contacts:back to top
Safety Officer Assistant Chair (Administrative) Chair
Tom Hantos Dianne Payeur David Coltman
CW317A tel: 2-2399 CW422B tel: 2-1256 CW422A tel: 2-7255

tom.hantos@ualberta.ca

dianne.payeur@ualberta.ca david.coltman@ualberta.ca
Accident Response Summary:

Minor Injury

Serious Injury

Potentially Serious Incident

§ no additional medical attention
§ no time off work
§ requires medical attention
§ not able to continue work
§ a "close call"

Response

§ supply first aid

§ call for medical help/transportation
§ supply first aid

.

Record

§ notes in accident log/form in 1st Aid kit

§ notes made by Safety Officer

§ notes made by Safety Officer

Report
§ contact lab coordinator or your supervisor

§ contact lab coordinator or your supervisor
AND
§ Department Safety Officer or Assistant Chair Administration or Chair
§complete worker WCB form and submit to Safety Officer
§Office of Environmental Health & Safety

§contact Department Safety Officer or Assistant Chair Administration or Chair and the Office of Environmental Health & Safety

Accident Report Form (DOC 23kb or PDF 6.8kb) submit to the Department Safety Officer in CW317A
Accident Report Book (DOC 29kb or PDF 8.8kb) stored in the local first aid kit
UofA EH&Safety Incident Report (online) an online document; will speed up reporting process; used to report personal injury, a chemical/environmental spill or property damage; submit to EH&Safety Office and copy to Safety Officer
WCB-Worker's Report Form (PDF, 808kb) completed by worker; submitted to Safety Officer, Assistant Chair Administration or Department Chair
WCB-Employer's Report Form (PDF, 724kb) completed by Safety Officer, Assistant Chair Administration or Department Chair; submitted to the UofA WCB Administrator
Online Notification completed by Lori Damman, submitted to OHE