Reporting with CU WorkSafe

EMERGENCIES: Where a hazard is believed to present an immediate danger, contact the Department of University Safety at extension 4444 IMMEDIATELY. 

All workplace injuries, illnesses, and incidents must be reported immediately to the workplace supervisor. This includes those affecting students, visitors, and contractors at Carleton University. Reports are to be submitted through the CU WorkSafe.

PLEASE NOTE: CU WorkSafe eliminates the need for supervisors to fill out the previously used “Supervisor’s Injury/Incident Reporting and Investigation Form” and/or WSIB Form 7. These forms do not need to be completed by the supervisor once a report has been submitted through CU WorkSafe.

Report Types

Good Catch

A good catch refers to any situation in which a hazard COULD lead to incident, injury or illness if not remedied. By reporting the concern, EHS is able to find a solution to reduce the risk of future injuries or illnesses. All members of the Carleton community share a responsibility to report hazards as they present themselves.

Examples include: clutter (poor housekeeping), uneven pavement leading to a tripping hazard, risky behaviours, property damage, and anything else that could lead to injury.

Incidents

Incidents are those events where there is no injury or illness, but that with a slightly different set of circumstances could have resulted in injury or illness to a worker or to students. They can also be caused by physical, chemical or biological hazards in the workplace, as well as operational practices or other events.

Examples include: fires or explosions, strange odours (potential exposures), spills, discovery of an unexpected hazard, slips, trips and falls where there are no injury, or other circumstance that if not remedied could result in an injury.

Injuries and Illness

Work-related injuries and/or illnesses are those caused by physical, chemical, or biological hazards in the workplace. They can also include acute psychological trauma resulting from the work.

Injuries and illness may not become evident until after the event which caused them. If you suspect that an injury or illness is the result of something that happened in the workplace, it must be reported. If it happened to you, it could happen to anyone else.

Separate forms exist for reporting injuries/illness involving employees, students, contractors, and visitors respectively. When submitting a report, be sure to select the form that matches the person who was injured, not the reporter.

Violence and Harassment

If an incident of violence or harassment is witnessed, it is the responsibility of the witness to report it to their manager/supervisor, or the manager/supervisor of the transgressor. The manager/supervisor is responsible for taking the complaint seriously and taking appropriate steps to ensure the safety of all those involved.

If the complaint is one that could pose immediate risk of physical injury, contact the Department of University Safety at extension 4444.

Critical injuries

A critical injury is one that meets any of the below criteria, as defined regulation 834 of the Occupational Safety & Health Act.

a) places life in jeopardy;

b) produces unconsciousness;

c) results in substantial loss of blood;

d) involves the fracture of a leg or arm but not a finger or toe;

e) involves the amputation of a leg, arm, hand or foot but not a finger or toe;

f) consists of burns to a major portion of the body; or

g) causes the loss of sight in an eye.

If you encounter a critical injury:

1. Call 613-520-2600 ext 4444 (or 4444 from a Carleton landline) for emergency medical assistance. Do NOT call 9-1-1 if you are on campus, as this will delay emergency response.
2. Notify the Director of Environmental Health & Safety by calling 613-520-2600 ext 1108.
   • EHS must notify the Ministry of Labour.
3. Do not alter, disturb, destroy or otherwise interfere with the scene until permission to do so has been given by the MOL inspector. The following exceptions exist:
   • Saving Life or relieving human suffering
   • Preventing unnecessary damage to equipment or other property
   • Maintaining an essential public utility or service or a public transport system

Why report?

Legal Obligation

The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires that the existence of any hazard in the workplace be reported to the employer or supervisor. Workers and supervisors are responsible under the OHS Act to report all hazards, injuries or illness to a person of authority immediately and to participate in the investigation and remediation. Supervisors have the additional responsibility to ensure that corrective actions have been implemented.

Only if a hazard is identified can actions be taken to address the hazard, and hence reduce the potential for the hazard to result in a negative impact on our university community.

Social Responsibility

Every person has the ethical duty to prevent harm to other members of the community wherever possible. At Carleton, we promote a positive safety culture that instills the values of prevention, open communication, engagement and hazard awareness in our students, staff and faculty. By reporting a Good Catch, injury, illness, or incident, you are actively participating in the prevention of future injuries or damage.