POLICY:

Any workplace accident that results in a personal injury (no matter how slight) or could cause a disabling injury or property/equipment loss (near-miss) must be reported immediately to the supervisor. At a minimum, and in all cases, accident and/or injury reporting shall comply with the requirements of the Alberta Workers’ Compensation Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations and Occupational Health and Safety Code.

PURPOSE:

The Library Board is required to comply with the statutory regulations related to the reporting of occupational injuries, illnesses, and accidents. This Statement of Policy and Procedure is intended to bring consistency in complying with our responsibility to record and report certain incidents and to notify the necessary authorities within prescribed time limits.

RESPONSIBILITY:

Each employee is responsible for immediately reporting any workplace injury, accident, or illness to his or her immediate supervisor.

Each supervisor is responsible for ensuring as the first priority, that employees receive proper medical treatment when injured, and secondarily, for investigating an accident or workplace injury for the purpose of implementing corrective action to minimize any opportunity for a recurrence of the accident or injury.

The Library Director is responsible for ensuring that accident and injury reports are properly prepared and issued in a timely manner to the appropriate authorities consistent with the reporting requirements specified in Alberta statutes, and for ensuring all employees are familiar with this policy and related forms.

DEFINTIONS:

“Critical or serious injury” means 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.

PROCEDURE:

Injury Report to Workers’ Compensation Board: Within seventy-two (72) hours of learning of an occupational injury or illness of an employee which results in the employee requiring health care and being disabled for more than the day of the incident, a report of the injury or illness shall be submitted by the Library Director (or designate) to the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) on the form specified by the WCB. A copy of the submitted form shall be provided to the injured employee.

Critical Injury/Fatality Report to Direction of Inspection under OHSA:

1. The supervisor of the site where a fatality or critical injury occurred shall immediately notify the Board of the incident.

2. In the event of a fatality or critical injury of an employee at the workplace, the accident scene shall be sealed off immediately and nothing within the scene shall be disturbed except for the purpose of saving life, relieving human suffering, or preventing unnecessary damage to equipment or other property. The accident scene shall remain sealed and undisturbed by one of the OHSA Director of Inspection, an OHSA Officer or a Peace Officer.

3. The Library Director shall make a report as soon as possible to the Director of Inspection under the Occupational Health and Safety Act of any incident which involves:
   • An injury or accident resulting in death.
   • An injury or accident resulting in a person being admitted to a Hospital for more than two (2) days.
   • An explosion, fire or flood which causes a serious injury.
   • The collapse or failure of the library structure.

The report shall be made immediately by telephone, email, or any other direct means by contacting the Workplace Health and Safety Province-Wide Call Centre at 1-866-415- 8690.