Accident, Illness & Incident Reporting
Accidents can happen anywhere and anytime. Workers have the responsibility of reporting accidents to their immediate client supervisors and a GigHound Representative immediately. It is everyone’s responsibility to immediately report any accident, illness or incident which occurs at our client’s workplace.
The purpose of this policy is to outline the procedures and responsibilities related to reporting an accident, illness or incident which occurs in the workplace.
Definitions
Accident: Bodily harm resulting from working; also known as an injury (an event that results in physical harm to an employee).
Illness: A deviation from the normal, healthy, state of the body.
Incident: An event that results in injury to people and/or damage to the environment, equipment, property and/or material.
This includes all:
Fatalities: An injury that results in the loss of life.
Critical Injuries: Based on provincial definition.
Lost Time Injuries: A work related injury that results in the injured employee missing scheduled time from work resulting in a wage loss.
No Lost Time Injuries: A work related injury that results in the injured employee not missing scheduled time from work and where there is no loss of wages.
Occupational Illness: A condition that results from exposure in a workplace to a physical, chemical or biological agent to the extent that normal physiological mechanisms are affected and the health of the worker is impaired.
Property Damage: An event where contact is made between two objects resulting in alteration to one or both of the objects.
Environmental Release: An accidental discharge of a physical, biological or chemical substance into the workplace and or community.
Fire/Explosion: An event where undesired combustion occurs.
Procedures
Reporting the accident by the injured worker
You must immediately report the situation to your client supervisor/manager verbally as well as contact your GigHound Representative.An Incident Report must be filled out to document the injury so that GigHound can take the necessary next steps.
If it is impossible for you to report the situation for any reason, the reporting of the situation should be done in an acceptable time frame and where possible witnesses should assist in reporting. This is to ensure that you do not incur further harm. For example, a minor cut that may later become infected if not properly treated. Reporting your injury also helps ensure that any unsafe condition in the workplace is corrected. A near-miss should also be reported. It could be an indication of a condition that could cause serious injury to the next person who performs that task.
Treatment
The Client work site First Aid Policy will apply, where onsite first aid is required. Let your supervisor or GigHound Representative know if you need assistance getting professional help. Depending upon the type and nature of the injury that you sustain, your job-site supervisor or GigHound Representative may either:
- suggest first-aid treatment at the job-site; or,
- refer or suggest a medical facility for treatment.
Transportation
GigHound is committed to provide immediate transportation to a hospital, doctor’s office or other medical facility if necessary, when an injury occurs.
All GigHound Workers, when injured and when health care becomes necessary, are required to travel either by ambulance, or accompanied by another individual by taxi or car or driven by an individual approved by the injured worker (e.g. family member, etc.). Where emergency transportation to a hospital is required, we will contact 911 and secure an ambulance to transport the injured worker to the hospital.
Accident, Illness & Incident Investigation
Investigator Responsibilities
GigHound has the responsibility of investigating all accidents, illnesses and incidents.
Investigations will take place as soon as possible after an accident, illness or incident has been reported and generally within 24-48 hours after being reported. Following are the applicable procedures we will follow to conduct our investigation.
Secure and manage the accident scene
The Client manager or designate is responsible for ensuring that the accident scene is secured so that there is no risk of further injury. Securing the scene also preserves evidence that may be important in the investigation.
Documentation & Applicable Forms
During the investigation various documents will be completed such as Provincial Reporting Forms and other investigation reports and resources.
Reporting
When required, we will report the accident to the appropriate Workers’ Compensation Board or government agency as required.
Critical Injuries
In some provinces there are specific reporting requirements related to Critical Injuries. GigHound’s Critical Injury Policy outlines these specific procedures and reporting requirements where applicable.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
All GigHound Workers are entitled to Workers’ Compensation benefits as defined by the various provincial Workers’ Compensation laws.
Workers’ Compensation laws generally provide medical treatment and payments while you are incapacitated due to a work-related injury. Additional benefits may be available if the work-related injury results in permanent disability or death. The exact benefits may vary from province to province.
Responsibilities
In order to ensure the applicability of our policy, we have identified the responsibilities of each party in achieving our goals.
GigHound’s Responsibilities
- Contacting you as soon as possible after the injury occurs and maintaining communication throughout the period of your impairment and recovery.
- Giving the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) such information as the Board may request concerning your return to work.
Injured Worker Responsibilities
- Contacting GigHound as soon as possible after the injury occurs and maintaining communication with GigHound throughout the period of your recovery and impairment;
- Assisting GigHound, as may be required or requested, to identify suitable employment that is available and consistent with your functional abilities and that, when possible, restores your pre-injury earnings;
- Maintaining contact with their health care providers and co-operating in any treatment as appropriate;
- Giving the Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB) such information as the Board may request concerning your return to work;
- Updating the WCB and GigHound regarding any change to your condition; and
It is important to note that if you fail to cooperate with a return to work program the Board may suspend WCB benefits.
Health Care Provider Responsibilities
GigHound does not have any health care providers on staff. External Health Care providers are expected to comply with their responsibilities under applicable legislation. Basic responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Providing up to date medical information.
- Filling in applicable forms as requested.
- Act as a resource for information.
Workers’ Compensation Board (province specific)
- Process and adjudicate claims and maintain all responsibilities as outlined in applicable provincial legislation.