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Health and Safety Legislation in Canada - Injury Reporting

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What are the reporting requirements when an injury occurs?

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Below are the general injury reporting requirements for each jurisdiction in Canada. Each jurisdiction has specific requirements. For clarification or more information, please contact the workers' compensation board directly.

Note:  The text in the “requirement” column in the table below is taken, in part, from that jurisdiction's web site.  As information and laws may change from time to time, always consult with that jurisdiction for more information.

Jurisdiction Requirement
Alberta – Workers' Compensation Board If your worker has been injured, you are required by law to submit the employer report of injury form within 72 hours after becoming aware of an injury or illness. The sooner WCB receives your information, the faster we can determine entitlement for your worker to benefits and services.

You need to submit a report to WCB if the accident results in, or is likely to result in:
  • lost time or the need to temporarily or permanently modify work beyond the date of accident,
  • death or permanent disability (amputation, hearing loss, etc.),
  • a disabling or potentially disabling condition caused by occupational exposure or activity (poisoning, infection, respiratory disease, dermatitis, etc.),
  • the need for medical treatment beyond first aid (assessment by physician, physiotherapy, chiropractic, etc.) or
  • incurring medical aid expenses (dental treatment, eyeglass repair or replacement, prescription medications, etc.).
Click on link for more information.
British Columbia – WorkSafeBC What to report

Please contact us as soon as possible if a worker:
  • Is taken from or leaves the jobsite for treatment at a medical facility.
  • Misses time from work after the day of the injury.
  • Loses consciousness.
  • Is diagnosed with a work-related disease.
  • Develops symptoms of a mental health disorder related to work or the work environment.
  • Suffers broken eyeglasses, dentures, hearing aid or artificial limb due to a work-related incident.
Employers must immediately report serious incidents and fatalities.

Click on link for more information.
Manitoba – Workers Compensation Board When an employee is injured, the last thing on anyone's mind is paperwork. No one wants to wait and watch the mail for forms that will have to be filled out and sent back in order to get people the compensation they need. But somebody has to provide an incident report...and the sooner that report gets to the WCB, the sooner it can be processed and the sooner we can get an injured worker back to health and work.

Click on link for more information.
Saskatchewan – Workers' Compensation Board How to report a work injury

Once you are aware of a work-related injury that requires medical attention, you must report it to us within five days by submitting the Employer's Initial report of injury (E1) form. If you do not report within five days, you may be subject to a fine.

You should also make sure the worker submits a Worker's initial report of injury (W1) form. You are required to provide this form to any worker who is injured or who asks for it.

There are several ways to report an injury:
  • Online.
  • By phone: Dial 1-800-787-9288. A representative will fill out the E1 form with you over the telephone.
  • By fax or mail: Download a copy of the E1 form. You can complete the form on screen or complete it by hand. You may also request an E1 form from our office. Use the fax number or mailing address on the form to send it in.
Click on link for more information.
Ontario – Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) As required by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, you must report a workplace injury or illness to the WSIB within 3 days after learning of your worker's injury or illness, if the injured worker:
  • requires treatment from a health professional (beyond first aid), or
  • is absent from work (e.g., if the worker has to leave work for any reason pertaining to the injury or illness), or
  • earns less than regular pay (e.g., working fewer hours or being paid less per hour).
You must also report a workplace injury or illness, if the injured worker:
  • does not receive health care, and
  • requires modified work due to the injury or illness, and
  • has been doing modified work at regular pay for more than 7 days.
In this case, the reporting obligation begins on the 8th day of modified work.

Note: Modified work is any change in a regular job while a worker recovers from an injury or illness, such as being assigned different duties.

Even in cases where the injured worker agrees to do modified work at regular pay, you must report the injury or illness to the WSIB, if the modified work continues beyond 7 days.

Click on link for more information.
Quebec – Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail CNESST) If you have a work-related accident or contract a disease caused by your work, notify your employer as soon as possible.

If you have sustained a work-related injury or contracted a work-related illness and cannot work after the day of the accident, you must see a physician and submit a medical certificate to your employer.

Click on link for more information.
New Brunswick – WorkSafeNB In the event of an accident, injury or industrial disease at your jobsite, you must:
  • Provide or pay the cost of immediate transportation from the injury site to a medical treatment facility.
  • IMMEDIATELY call 1-800-222-9775 to report the following incidents:
    • A loss of consciousness
    • Amputations     
    • Fractures (other than fingers or toes)
    • Burns requiring medical attention beyond first aid treatment
    • Loss of vision in one or both eyes
    • Deep lacerations requiring medical attention beyond first aid treatment
    • Worker admission to a hospital as an in-patient
    • Fatalities      
    • Any accidental explosion or exposure to a biological, chemical or physical agent, whether or not a person is injured
    • Any catastrophic event or equipment failure that results, or could have resulted in an injury
Immediate notification can be made by calling 1-800-222-9775, indicating: the location; name of person injured, if applicable; employer name; contact person; and, brief description of the incident. This notification form will give you an idea of the information you will be asked to provide.

Click on link for more information.
Nova Scotia – Workers' Compensation Board When you become aware that an injury has occurred:
  • Contact the worker right away to let them know you are concerned for their health and wellness.
  • Provide or seek immediate health care for your worker.
  • Reassure them that you will do what you can to help them back to work as soon as possible.
  • Report the injury to WCB Nova Scotia within 5 business days if the worker sought medical aid or lost time from work. You may also be required to report serious injuries to the Occupational Health and Safety Division at Nova Scotia Environment and Labour (see link below).
  • Assist the worker to achieve safe and timely return to work.
Note: It is your duty to report serious injuries (as soon as possible, within 24 hours).

Click on link for more information.
Prince Edward Island – Workers Compensation Board A workplace injury or illness is considered to be one that:
  • Happens at work.
  • Requires medical treatment.
  • May or may not result in time off work.
If a workplace injury occurs, as an employer, it is your responsibility to:
  • Provide your worker with first aid, if treatment is required for the injury.
  • Arrange and pay for immediate transportation to a doctor or medical facility, if necessary.
  • Report all serious workplace injuries, as defined under section 36(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, within 24 hrs to the WCB's Occupational Health & Safety division, 902-628-7513, and
  • File a report to the WCB, within three days of being notified of the injury or illness. Employers can report an injury in two ways:
  • Use our online services, or
  • Complete an Employer's Report - Form 7 and submit it to the WCB by mail, drop off or fax.
Copies of the Employer's Report - Form 7 are available at the WCB.

Click on link for more information.
Newfoundland and Labrador – WorkplaceNL A workplace injury is one that:
  • happens at work, on company property or on company business;
  • requires medical treatment; and
  • may or may not require time away from work.
When an injury happens, first make sure that the worker has received the necessary care. Then collect details about the incident including what happened, where it happened and the names of people who saw the incident.

Tell the worker to report the incident to their health care provider and get copies of all necessary forms. This could include a Physician's Report (MD), a Chiropractor's Report (8/10c), or a Physio Report (PR).

Remember to complete an Employer's Report of Injury (Form 7) through connect within three days of the injury. The worker will also have to complete a Worker's Injury Report (Form 6).

Once we have received all the necessary forms, an Intake Adjudicator will review the claim. If the claim is accepted, you will receive a copy of the letter we send the injured worker outlining their weekly wage-loss benefit and other general information.

If the claim is denied, you will receive a copy of the letter we send the injured worker outlining the reasons for denial. Both you and your worker have the right to ask for an internal review of any decision.

Click on link for more information.
Northwest Territories and Nunavut – Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission Employers must submit the fully-completed incident report within three business days, or will incur penalties as listed in the Workers' Compensation Acts. Please note that to report an accident causing serious bodily injury or a dangerous occurrence, you must call the 24-hour Incident Reporting line at 1-800-661-0792 as soon as is reasonably possible and complete and submit this form within three business days.

Click on link for more information.
Yukon – Yukon Workers' Compensation Health and Safety Board Workplace injuries cannot be ignored. Whatever the severity of the injury, it must be documented.

If you missed more than a day of work because of an injury, or your employee did, a report must be filed.

The Yukon Workers' Compensation Health and Safety Board needs three forms before it can compensate an injured worker.

They are:
  • Worker's Report Of Injury/Illness
  • Employer's Report of Injury/Illness
  • Doctor's First Report
If first aid was given on the jobsite, and the employee required no time off beyond the day of injury, there is no obligation for employers or workers to fill out a report of injury/illness form.

As an employer, you have three working days from the time you learn an employee has been injured to submit the Employer's Report of Injury. After three days, penalties may be applied.

However, to protect the worker and employer the incident must be documented and the record kept for three years in case a complication arises.

Click on link for more information.
Canada  (Federal employees) The Government Employees Compensation Act (GECA) provides compensation to federal government employees who are injured while on the job or become ill because of their work. If the injury or illness leads to death, employees' dependants may be entitled to compensation. The Government of Canada uses provincial workers' compensation agencies to provide services for federal employees.

Click on link for more information.
  • Fact sheet last revised: 2021-03-31