What should I do if I get injured at work?
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| Injury Reporting |
UFCW Canada and its Local Unions strongly believe that every single worker deserves to come home safe and healthy at the end of their workday. Unfortunately, accidents can happen at any time and you should always know what to do so that you can get fair compensation.
Workplace injuries may be acute, meaning the injury just happened and is apparent, like a sprained ankle or cut to the hand. Or there may be a latency period that may have developed over time, like repetitive strain injuries or mental health injuries.
There are things you should do if you get injured at work
The longer you let your injuries go unreported, the harder it will be to prove that the injuries were from the workplace itself.
Always report the injury or illness right away to your supervisor. If you have an accident or get hurt at work, even if you think your injury is minor, you need to inform your supervisor as soon as possible.
Seek first aid if it is required.
Make sure the supervisor fills out an accident/incident report and demand they provide you with a copy of their report for your records.
See a doctor
If your injury does not go away with first aid treatment, you should get medical care. This may include going to your family doctor, a hospital, or a medical clinic.
Your employer should provide and pay for any travel costs if you need to go to the doctor or hospital on the day that you are injured.
If you see a doctor, you need to:
Be sure to let the doctor know that your injury is work-related;
Tell the doctor exactly what happened and all your symptoms;
Confirm with the doctor that they will send their report to the workers’ compensation board.
Keep records
Keep notes of what happened. You should make detailed notes of the accident and keep them in a safe place. It is a good idea to make notes soon after the accident.
Your notes should include:
Dates and times;
Names of witnesses who saw the accident;
The supervisor you reported the incident/accident to;
The location of incident;
Health care visits;
Workers’ compensation records/conversations; and
Meetings with employer.
It is important to make detailed notes and keep a record of what happened because oftentimes your employer may claim that your injury is not work-related.
Keep records of everything. This includes medical documents, receipts for treatment items, photographs of the accident, and the accident report itself.
The more evidence you have, the stronger your case will be.
Duties of Workers and Employers
Once you file a worker’s compensation claim, the law requires you to:
Co-operate with the workers’ compensation board and your employer; and
Report to the compensation board any changes to your health or financial situation that could affect your right to benefits.
Your employer must report your injury to the board if it causes you to:
Miss time from work; and/or
You need health care that is more than minor first aid.
For more information, contact your Workplace Health and Safety Committee, or your Local Union Representative.