Toronto Fire Services Standard Operating Guideline PDF

STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE OCCURRENCE REPORTING Date Issued: April 24, 2024 Rescinds: March 29, 2019 Section: Safety and WSIB File Code: S-OCCR PURPOSE To provide Toronto Fire Services (TFS) personnel with a policy for reporting incidents, accidents, injuries, and illnesses. RESPONSIBILITY All T...

STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE OCCURRENCE REPORTING Date Issued: April 24, 2024 Rescinds: March 29, 2019 Section: Safety and WSIB File Code: S-OCCR PURPOSE To provide Toronto Fire Services (TFS) personnel with a policy for reporting incidents, accidents, injuries, and illnesses. RESPONSIBILITY All TFS personnel are responsible for following worker injury occurrence procedures. District Chiefs are responsible to ensure TFS personnel follow the worker injury occurrence procedures. GUIDELINES 1. Definitions Assess: The immediate Supervisor in conjunction with the worker makes an assessment to determine the necessity, if any, for external treatment. Incident Only: An accident/incident not requiring any type of first aid, medical aid, or lost time from work beyond the date of accident/shift. First Aid Only: A minor injury and the only treatment provided was first aid at the workplace (e.g., band aid applied for a small laceration, ice applied to a contusion). Has not received services by a healthcare professional. Medical Aid Only: If the employee has received services by a healthcare professional (including services provided by hospitals, healthcare facilities including walk-in clinics, physiotherapy etc.) but does not result in lost time beyond the day of accident/shift. Lost Time: An accident/incident requiring attention by a healthcare professional, and the employee is unable to return to work to his/her next regularly scheduled shift, due to the injury, resulting in lost time. Report: All work-related injuries and complaints are reported promptly to the immediate Supervisor. Return-to-Work: The employee returns to regular or modified duties. In doing so, the employee must promptly provide page 2 of the WSIB Form 8 or TFS Return-to-Work (RTW) Form to their immediate supervisor. File Code: S-OCCR Page 1 of 7  STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE 2. Scope For the purpose of this Standard Operating Guideline and the applicable legislation, “Supervisor” means: a person who has charge of a workplace or authority over a worker. 3. Incident and Accident Reporting All accidents, incidents, whether resulting in lost time or not, shall be reported using the Supervisor’s Report of Injury/Incident. The immediate Supervisor completes the Supervisor’s Report of Injury/Incident, following the step-by-step guidelines. Detailed accident/incident investigation documentation; including witness statements, the Supervisor’s Report of Injury/Incident, and a Worker’s Report of Injury/Illness (WSIB Form 6) Form. It is the Supervisor’s responsibility to look into all the facts of a reported accident/incident. Visit the accident/incident location, describe the circumstances, question any witnesses, and determine from his/her knowledge of the worksite and the mechanics of the job duties, whether or not there should be a further review of the facts surrounding the case. The Supervisor’s Report of Injury/Incident shall be provided to the District Chief. The District Chief will submit the information into Quatro Safety for authorization by the Division Chief/Platoon Chief. District Chiefs and Division Chief/Platoon Chiefs also have the ability to enter a record in Quatro Safety for incidents reported directly to them. If the Division Chief/Platoon Chief sees inadequate information while reviewing the report, he/she shall follow-up with the District Chief to gather the additional information for forwarding to the Disability Management Human Resource Representative or Consultant (located in PEHR, 4330 Dufferin St. Fax 416-397-0165). The additional information will be added to the Quatro Safety System. For medical aid and lost time injuries, the Disability Management Human Resource Representative will send out the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) Notification of Injury to the respective Joint Health and Safety Committee. File Code: S-OCCR Page 2 of 7  STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE Accident reports are valuable when the causes that lead to the injury or illness are identified. Causes are grouped around the people involved, the equipment or materials they used, environment they work in and the procedures that should be followed or are not in place. To help identify the cause(s) of an accident, an online tool is available for Supervisor’s to use when investigating to find hazards. Information provided to the PEHR Disability Management Section using the Supervisor’s Report of Injury/Incident must be clear and concise as it will be used in legally required notifications to the WSIB and Joint Health & Safety Committees as well as in statistical incident summaries provided monthly to the Joint Health & Safety Committees. Requests for additional information are sent to each respective Division Chief/Platoon Chief or District Chief to help follow up on lost time injuries. 4. Accident/Incident Resulting in a Critical Injury or Death The Supervisor of the injured employee shall determine if the injury is a critical injury by using the criteria stated in the critical injury definition. Refer to Standard Operating Guideline S-CRIT – Critical Injuries to Toronto Fire Services Personnel or the Public. In the case of critical injuries or death, the Supervisor shall do the following: (a) Preserve all relevant evidence by keeping the integrity of the scene and not allowing anyone to; i. Alter or remove evidence, except for the purpose of saving life or relieving human suffering; maintaining an essential public utility service or a public transportation system or preventing unnecessary damage to equipment or other property. ii. Interfere with, disturb, destroy, alter, or carry away wreckage, article, or thing at the scene of or connected with the occurrence until permission to do so has been given by a Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Inspector. (b) When it is necessary to disturb the accident scene, for the reasons outlined above, record details of the original scene as soon as possible. (c) Take immediate actions to secure the scene to prevent secondary accidents. (d) Immediately notify the on-duty Division Chief/Platoon Chief and the on- duty Designated Officer. 5. First Aid Incident Only Actions by the Supervisor of the injured employee include the following: (a) Where no external treatment is considered necessary, provide appropriate first aid, if required. (b) Provide to the employee and request they complete a WSIB Form 6 in File Code: S-OCCR Page 3 of 7  STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE case medical treatment is required in the future, refer to S-WRID. (c) Conduct a detailed investigation of the accident/incident in co-operation with the Health & Safety Consultant, if required, including visiting the accident/incident location to verify the circumstances attributed to the accident/incident. (d) Complete a Supervisor’s Report of Injury/Incident and forward a copy to the District Chief. Have any witness(es) complete an Incident Observation Form. A copy of the forms should be kept in the workplace. (e) The District Chief will submit the information into Quatro Safety for authorization by the Division Chief/Platoon Chief. District Chiefs and Division Chief/Platoon Chiefs also have the ability to enter a record in Quatro Safety for incidents reported directly to them. The employee continues to work if able. The Supervisor shall follow-up with the employee at appropriate intervals to ensure there are no further difficulties. 6. Supervisor Responsibilities for a Medical Aid Injury/Illness The Supervisor shall ensure the employee is provided with immediate first aid treatment as necessary. The immediate Supervisor shall do the following: (a) Ask the employee if they need an ambulance for transportation to a medical facility. Otherwise, make arrangements for safe transport, for those who are in need of it, to a clinic/hospital or physician located within the area. OR (b) Make arrangements for safe transport to the employee’s home if the employee declines immediate medical attention located within the area and the employee has contacted their family physician and received an appointment. The employee shall complete a WSIB Form 6, if capable. Refer to S-WRID. Provide the employee with Return-to-Work information, including the following: (a) Employee accident reporting guidelines. (b) Letter to treating health professional. (c) Return-to-Work Form. (d) Authorization for release of information. File Code: S-OCCR Page 4 of 7  STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE (e) Conduct a detailed investigation of the accident/injury in co-operation with the Safety Consultant, if required, including; i. Visiting the accident/injury location to verify the circumstances attributed to the accident. ii. Questioning any witnesses and having them complete and sign a Witness Report Form. (f) Complete a Supervisor’s Report of Injury/Incident and forward a copy to the District Chief. Have any witness(es) complete an Incident Observations Form. A copy of the forms shall be kept in the workplace. (g) The District Chief shall submit the information from the Supervisor’s Report of Injury/Incident into Quatro Safety for authorization by the Division Chief/Platoon Chief. District Chiefs and Division Chief/Platoon Chiefs also have the ability to enter a record in Quatro Safety for incidents reported to them directly. 7. Return-to-Work from a Medical Aid Injury/Illness Only The employee is responsible for returning the completed Return-to-Work Form before the next scheduled shift to his/her immediate Supervisor (i.e. same day, next shift). The TFS Medical Office will review the Return-to-Work Form and determine whether any accommodation is necessary. The employee returns to his/her worksite and regular duties if no accommodation is required. If accommodation is outlined in a Return-to-Work Plan, alternate duties will be assigned by the TFS Medical Office. 8. Supervisor Responsibilities for a Lost Time Injury/Accident Provide immediate first aid treatment as necessary. The immediate Supervisor shall do the following: (a) Ask employee if they need an ambulance for transportation to a medical facility. Otherwise, make arrangements for safe transport, for those who are in need of it, to a clinic/hospital or physician located within the area. OR (b) Make arrangements for safe transport to the employee’s home if the employee declines immediate medical attention located within the area and the employee has contacted their family physician and received an appointment. (c) Have the employee complete a WSIB Form 6, if capable, refer to S-WRID. File Code: S-OCCR Page 5 of 7  STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE (d) Provide the employee with Return-to-Work information, the information should include the following: i. Employee accident reporting guidelines. ii. Return-to-Work Form. iii. Conduct a detailed investigation of the accident/injury in co-operation with the Safety Consultant, if required, including: Visiting the accident/injury location to verify the circumstances attributed to the accident/injury. Questioning any witnesses and having them complete and sign a Witness Report Form. Complete a Supervisor’s Report of Injury/Incident and Quatro Safety entry and forward a copy to the District Chief. Have any witness(es) complete an Incident Observations Form. A copy of the forms shall be kept in the workplace. The District Chief shall submit the information from the Supervisor’s Report of Injury/Incident into Quatro Safety for authorization by the Division Chief/Platoon Chief. 9. Return-to-Work From a Lost Time Injury/Accident The employee is responsible for returning the completed Return-to-Work Form to the TFS Medical Office. The TFS Medical Office will review the Return-to-Work Form and determine whether any accommodation is necessary. The Supervisor will review this information and determine whether there is a possible Return-to-Work date and what, if any, accommodation is necessary. If no Return-to-Work is indicated, the PEHR Disability Management Consultant should be notified. The Supervisor will ensure that telephone and/or personal contact is maintained with the injured employee on a regular basis for the first three (3) months and then at suitable intervals (based on the nature and severity of the injury) beyond this period. The employee returns to his/her worksite and regular duties if no accommodation is required. If accommodation is outlined in a Return-to-Work Plan, alternate duties will be assigned by the TFS Medical Office. File Code: S-OCCR Page 6 of 7  STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE The PEHR Disability Management Consultant will maintain regular contact with the Supervisor, the employee, treating physician/agency and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board until there is a successful resolution, involving either a return to pre-injury duties (with or without modification) or some form of permanent accommodation. ATTACHMENT(S) N/A RELATED SOGS S-CRIT – Critical Injuries to Toronto Fire Services Personnel or the Public S-WRID – Worker’s Report of Injury/Disease File Code: S-OCCR Page 7 of 7