Accident/Incident Reporting and Insurance Information

All accidents, injuries and incidents must be reported to a supervisor as soon as they occur. For your safety and the future safety of your fellow workers, it is imperative that you report all accidents, incidents, or near-misses immediately to a supervisor. If you need to seek medical attention due to a work-related injury:

• Notify your supervisor
• Seek medical attention as necessary. The employer shall provide transportation for the worker (if required) to a location within a reasonable distance
• Obtain the completed WSIB Form 8 from the treating health care provider and submit it to your supervisor as soon as possible
• Complete the Accident/Incident Investigation Report (OHS-5.2.2a) together with your Supervisor as soon as possible
• Notify your supervisor if your injury results in any time lost from work (as authorized by a health care provider on the appropriate WSIB form) and keep your supervisor updated as to your progress

Health & Safety facilitates all required WSIB claims. It is the responsibility of workers to complete and promptly return all documentation to the University to ensure a successful early and safe return to work.

As a supervisor it is critical that you make all workers aware that they need to report all accidents, incidents, or near-misses immediately to you for documentation, analysis, and correction of the hazard. 

If an employee reports a work-related incident, accident, or injury, Supervisors are responsible for:

• Ensuring injured workers receive first aid or medical attention
• Investigating the accident
• Completing the Accident/Incident Investigation Report (OHS-5.2.2a) with the worker 
• Sending the completed report to Health & Safety within 24 hours of the incident. Under the Workplace Safety & Insurance Act (WSIA) the University has to report any accident that results in lost time from work or which necessitates health care. The Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) levies a fine of $250 - $1000 for late reporting. This charge is billed back to individual departments.
• Immediately notifying Special Constable Service and the Health & Safety office of any critical injuries. Supervisors must ensure that the accident scene is secured until the investigation can be conducted.

Please see attached document A Supervisor’s Guide to Work-Related Incidents/Accidents for further details.

• Ergonomic assessments can be arranged by a supervisor if a worker has difficulty modifying their workstation to accommodate their needs or physical discomfort is experienced at the computer workstation. Please visit the Ergonomic page here: Ergonomics | Human Resources (uwindsor.ca)

• Departments can order office equipment through Purchasing, who have specifications of approved ergonomic chairs within our Preferred Vendor agreements. 

Minimum requirements of ergonomic chairs to be purchased are below:

When purchasing a chair for a computer workstation, the chair should possess, at a minimum:

• 5-prong swivel base
• Height and angle adjustable backrest with lumbar support
• Adjustable, well-padded seat pan with a waterfall edge
• Height and width adjustable armrests

One specific chair does not fit all users. It is essential that when a chair is purchased it is suitable for a particular user and the work they perform. For more specific guidelines refer to Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Guideline on Office Ergonomics (CSA-Z412-00).

Comfort and ease of adjustment should be considered when purchasing a chair. Many chairs may possess the features mentioned above, but do not fit the worker comfortably or making adjustments to the chair is difficult.  Many companies offer a trial period which allows new users to “test” chairs before committing to purchasing them. Please discuss a trial period with your supplier before purchasing a chair.

To report an accident for a student on an unpaid placement, please visit Student Unpaid Placement Insurance Process