A serious workplace incident requires a calm, organized response. Under section 51 of Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act, where a person is killed or critically injured at a workplace, the employer and constructor, if any, must immediately notify a Ministry inspector, the Joint Health and Safety Committee or health and safety representative, and the trade union, if any, by telephone or other direct means. A written report must then be sent within 48 hours. This is not the time to guess, assign blame, or rely on a verbal handoff. A documented response plan helps your team prioritize emergency care, preserve the facts, meet notification duties, and begin a meaningful investigation.
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Put emergency response first: call emergency services when needed, provide first aid within the limits of your training, and take immediate steps to protect others from the same hazard
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Know what may be a critical injury. Ontario's definition includes serious injuries that place life in jeopardy, cause unconsciousness or substantial blood loss, fracture a leg or arm, involve certain amputations, cause burns to a major portion of the body, or cause loss of sight in an eye
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For a fatality or critical injury, notify a Ministry inspector, your Joint Health and Safety Committee or health and safety representative, and the trade union if applicable immediately by telephone or another direct means
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Send the required written report within 48 hours. Ontario Regulation 420/21 sets out the information to include, so assign one responsible person to collect accurate details and submit the report on time
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Record facts, not assumptions: note the time, location, task, equipment, witnesses, immediate actions taken, and the condition of the area without speculating about fault or causes
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Preserve the scene once urgent safety needs are addressed and follow any direction from a Ministry inspector. Make only the changes needed to protect people or prevent further damage until you understand your obligations
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Train supervisors before an incident occurs. Give them a simple escalation checklist with current contacts, report templates, and clear instructions on who communicates with the Ministry and worker representatives
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Review every serious incident after the immediate response. Track corrective actions to completion and share relevant lessons with workers, so the investigation results in a safer system rather than a completed form
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