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FAQs
Reporting Incidents to WorkSafeBC | Penalties
WorkSafeBC Investigations
- Why does WorkSafeBC investigate incidents?
- What type of incidents does WorkSafeBC investigate?
- How does WorkSafeBC decide which incidents to investigate?
- How does WorkSafeBC conduct an investigation?
- Who is involved in a WorkSafeBC investigation?
- What might happen at my workplace when WorkSafeBC is investigating an incident?
- What other agencies investigate incidents in the workplace?
- How long does an investigation take?
- What information from an investigation can be made public?
- How do I obtain an incident investigation report?
Why does WorkSafeBC investigate incidents?
An incident is defined as "an accident or other occurrence which resulted in or had the potential for causing an injury or occupational disease." WorkSafeBC investigates certain workplace accidents and other incidents to:
- Determine the causes and underlying factors
- Provide recommendations to industry to aid in the prevention of future injury and disease
- Gather information to help monitor and analyze industry trends on workplace fatalities, serious injuries, and diseases
- Identify associated compliance issues and help ensure compliance with law, regulation, and policy
- Refer cases for prosecution or administrative penalties, when necessary
What type of incidents does WorkSafeBC investigate?
We respond to all reported workplace incidents that result in death or an injury, or that present a high risk of causing a serious injury or death to workers. Depending on the circumstances of the incident, WorkSafeBC may conduct an in-depth investigation and produce an incident investigation report.
How does WorkSafeBC decide which incidents to investigate?
In-depth investigations are conducted for all incidents involving a fatality and for selected incidents involving a serious injury or risk of serious injury where there are health and safety lessons that can be learned from an analysis of the causes or where a serious compliance issue is identified.
In general, WorkSafeBC focuses its investigative resources on incidents where there is the greatest opportunity to promote health and safety through preventive lessons or deterrence of health and safety violations.
How does WorkSafeBC conduct an investigation?
WorkSafeBC conducts in-depth health and safety investigations using the integrated safety investigation methodology. This involves collecting information from various sources to understand the facts and circumstances of the incident. Sources of information include statements from workers, managers, and witnesses; documents such as procedures and training records; and an assessment of equipment involved.
The information is analyzed to identify the causes and underlying factors that led to the incident. The analysis of the data includes:
- Documenting a sequence of events
- Examining each event for unsafe acts and unsafe conditions
- Exploring the underlying factors that made the unsafe act or condition possible
- Assessing the adequacy of defences that normally protect workers from hazards
- Identifying health and safety deficiencies
The investigation and analysis are documented in an incident investigation report, which identifies the causal factors in the incident as much as they can be determined from the evidence. Where there are health and safety lessons to be learned from the causal factors, the investigation report is reviewed by a Lessons Learned committee to develop recommendations to address the risks identified and prevent similar incidents.
Who is involved in a WorkSafeBC investigation?
Investigations are conducted by investigating officers of WorkSafeBC. Depending on the circumstances, an investigation may also include engineers, lawyers, human factors specialists, hygienists, and external contractors with specific expertise, as required.
What might happen at my workplace when WorkSafeBC is investigating an incident?
A WorkSafeBC officer will visit the workplace and the incident site. Other WorkSafeBC employees or subject matter experts may also attend the site. The investigation generally involves the following process:
- Securing and examining the incident site, including any equipment involved
- Taking notes and photos
- Interviewing workers, managers, and witnesses
- Collecting pertinent documents such as equipment operating manuals, written procedures, and training records
- Conducting tests on materials or equipment
- Seizing materials, equipment, or documents, as necessary
What other agencies investigate incidents in the workplace?
Depending on the circumstances, a number of agencies may have jurisdiction to investigate workplace incidents. Besides WorkSafeBC, agencies that may conduct an investigations include:
- Police
- BC Coroner Service
- BC Safety Authority
- Fire departments
- Health authorities
- Federal agencies such as the Transportation Safety Board, Transport Canada, and Human Resources Development Canada
- Agencies with jurisdiction over specific activities (such as mining)
How long does an investigation take?
Depending on the complexity, an investigation may take anywhere from a few days to many months. Some investigations may require specialized testing of equipment and the production of expert reports or a review of thousands of documents. Timely completion of an incident investigation is a high priority for WorkSafeBC, in the interests of workers and their families as well as occupational health and safety for everyone.
What information from an investigation can be made public?
Until an investigation is finalized, only very limited information can be communicated because premature release of information could affect the integrity of the investigation. In some instances, after the investigation has been completed, there may also be administrative sanctions or prosecutions under the Workers Compensation Act that could be affected by the release of specific information. Even when the incident investigation report has been finalized, certain information is protected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and confidentiality provisions of the Workers Compensation Act. Subject to these limitations, WorkSafeBC releases as much information as possible.
How do I obtain an incident investigation report?
Selected incident investigation reports are posted on the web site. These reports are intended to help employers and workers understand the causes and underlying factors that contribute to workplace accidents in order to prevent similar incidents in the future. Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, personal, identifying information has been removed from the reports on the web site. The reports may also have been shortened to focus on the main cause and underlying factors contributing to the incident.
The final incident investigation report for any incident can be obtained through WorkSafeBC's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Office, which will sever information protected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and confidentiality provisions of the Workers Compensation Act.
You can submit a request in writing to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Department of WorkSafeBC, PO Box 2310 Stn Terminal, Vancouver, BC V6B 3W5. The request must be in writing and be sufficiently detailed for a WorkSafeBC employee to locate the records. The request may be submitted in a letter or by filling out a Request for access to records (PDF 53 KB) Form 11M7. The staff of WorkSafeBC's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Office can help you clarify your request.
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