As the current language of Section 8.0 of the PCML H&S Program does not specify a timeframe for providing notification or completing investigations, the purpose of this guideline is to provide further clarification to ensure that investigations and notifications are conducted in accordance with Part 2 Division 10 of the Workers Compensation Act.

Section 8.2 Accident / Incident Notification Protocol

Notification – Same Day

Regardless of the nature of the incident or the mode of communication selected, notification to the PCML Safety Manager and PCML Construction Manager for the project must occur the same day the incident is discovered.

This can be accomplished by using the Incident Notification feature in Polynet.

Section 8.1 Investigation Procedure

Preliminary Investigation – within 48 hours

A preliminary investigation to identify any unsafe conditions, acts or procedures that significantly contributed to the incident, and determine the corrective action necessary to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents must be completed within 48 hours of the incident.

The intent of the preliminary investigation is to identify anything specific and obvious that needs to be immediately corrected to prevent recurrence. In some cases, like repetitive strain injuries, there may not be any immediate corrective action but in others, like a worker tripping on material in the stairway, there will be clear action that can be taken (i.e. clean up the stairways).

Appendix M (or similar) does not need to be completed for the preliminary investigation but it must be documented in some way. This can include beginning to fill an Appendix M and identifying any preventative measures as being “preliminary”. A preliminary report does not need to be sent to the Safety Manager unless specifically requested.

Full Investigation – up to 30 days

A full investigation to determine the cause(s) of the incident; identify any unsafe conditions, acts or procedures that significantly contributed to the incident, and determine the corrective action necessary to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents must be completed within 30 days of the incident.

There is nothing preventing the preliminary investigation from serving as the full investigation provided the cause(s) is(are) determined and a representative of all employers involved are documented as having participated in the investigation. The Site Superintendent (or Quality Supervisor if the Site Superintendent is unavailable) must review, sign, and date the investigation before it is considered complete.