How to report a work injury

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Find out your legal obligations if a worker is injured on the job, how to report an injury requiring medical attention to the WCB and which form to submit to the WCB.

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What qualifies as a work injury?

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A work injury is the result of any work-related event that requires medical treatment and/or time away from work. The WCB reviews each work injury on an individual basis, but in most cases, compensation would apply to injuries that occur while a worker is at work, on company premises, or on company business. This includes an occupational disease contracted at work. 

If a worker is injured

All employers have legal obligations if a worker is injured on the job.

Section steps

Step 1: Make sure the worker gets the medical attention they need immediately.

Provide first aid for any injured worker(s). If needed, you must provide immediate transportation, such as an ambulance or other transportation, to the nearest appropriate medical facility (hospital, medical clinic, doctor’s office) or to the worker’s home to any worker sustaining an injury, so they can receive treatment from a qualified health care professional. 

Step 2: Once you are aware of a work-related injury that requires medical attention, you must report it to the WCB within five days by submitting the Employer’s Report of Injury (E1) form.

Online: The E1 form can be filled out online. Print a copy for your records and click “Submit” to automatically send the report to the WCB.

The main E1 form includes:

  • A document upload feature: Employers will be able to attach documentation with the E1 submission. This could include pictures related to the worker’s injury, incident reports or medical notes.
  • Limited required fields.
  • Limited questions.
  • Updated dashboard and technical compatibility.

When you submit your E1 form online, the form is automatically entered into the WCB system, which eliminates delays that can occur if mailed.

By email: The E1 form is available for download. Complete the E1 form and use the WCB secure document transfer or email it to forms@wcbsask.com.

Please follow the following steps when submitting a form via email:

  • Fill out all empty fields online.
  • Print the form to add your signature.
  • Scan and email to forms@wcbsask.com.

If the form is not printed, signed and scanned before submitting, it will not be accepted.

By phone: Call the WCB at 1.800.787.9288. A WCB representative will record your information and complete the form for you.

Please have the following information at hand when you call:

  • Name, address and contact numbers for your company and for your injured worker.
  • Details about the injury.
  • Records of the worker’s earnings and recent employment history.

By mail or fax: The E1 form is available for download. Complete the E1 form online and print two copies. Once filled out in pen, keep a copy for your records. Mail the signed copy of the E1 form to the WCB at:

200-1881 Scarth St.
Regina, SK S4P 4L1

You can also fax the form:

Fax: 306.787.4311
Toll free fax: 1.888.844.7773

If you prefer to complete the form by hand, download the form, print a copy and complete it in pen. Make a copy for your records and sign the other to be mailed or faxed to the WCB.

You must file an E1 form. This report includes accurate payroll information the WCB needs to calculate earnings loss benefits if the injury results in time off work.

Late reporting slows down the claims process. Prompt reporting helps your workers get the benefits they are entitled to and helps them get back to work faster.

If you do not report a work-related injury within five days of being told about it, you may be subject to a fine up to $1,000 and/or an additional $10,000 administrative penalty may be applied. It may also mean the full cost of compensation and medical aid received by the injured worker is charged to you.

To complete the E1 form, you need: 

  • name, address and contact numbers for your company
  • name, address and contact numbers for your injured worker
  • details about the injury
  • records of the worker’s earnings
  • the worker’s recent employment history

Please note: On the E1 form, we have changed section D question 12. The changes reflect our desire for continuous improvement to our customer service while fulfilling our obligation to gather wage information for Section 70 of The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013. This information directs us to base our wage calculation on the greater of a) the average weekly earnings for the 12 months preceding commencement of loss of earnings, or b) weekly earnings at the commencement of loss of earnings.

You should also make sure the worker submits a Worker’s Initial Report of Injury (W1) form. You are required to provide this form to any worker who is injured or who asks for it. You can also download the W1 form and email it to forms@wcbsask.com.

Contact information

For questions regarding the E1 form, please contact us:

Email: claims@wcbsask.com
Phone: 1.800.667.7590

Step 3: Assist the worker and the WCB in the return-to-work process.

To help manage the claim, internally investigate and document the cause(s) and factors contributing to the incident. Determine procedures or modifications to prevent similar incidents in the future. Keep accurate records of all incidents.

Why report work injuries? 

You are required by law to report any injury that needs medical attention to the WCB within five days of being made aware of it.

By receiving your report quickly, the WCB can determine whether the injury is in fact work-related and promptly provide any benefits the injured worker may be entitled to. This minimizes the financial and physical impact of the injury on the worker and their family.

Obtaining your worker’s medical restrictions and beginning a prompt return-to-work plan may also lessen the duration of the injury, which will help reduce the impact on your experience rating and help restore the worker’s abilities.

What happens next? 

Effective claims management must involve not only the WCB, but also employers, workers and caregivers in a collaborative relationship. The WCB uses a proactive customer care facilitator system to maximize early treatment, safe return to work and provide superior customer service.

Claims are immediately sorted to focus attention on injuries with complications or those of a more serious, longer-term nature.

Established recovery schedules, timelines and standards result in prompt treatment and return to work.

Medical treatment and return-to-work activities may run at the same time.

Treatment, physical and psychological rehabilitation and return-to-work plans are continuously monitored to ensure the worker’s recovery and a safe return to the workplace.

You should conduct an internal investigation as to the cause(s) and factors contributing to the incident and determine procedures or modifications to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Keep accurate records of all incidents.

Do you have one or more workers with a temporary work permit? Learn what information you need to know if a temporary foreign worker is injured on the job. 

Frequently asked questions

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A: You are required by law to report work-related injuries within five days of being made aware of them. Failure to do so may result in fines or prosecution, or both. Filing an Employer’s Report of Injury (E1) form is quick and easy online. Late reporting slows down the claims process. Prompt reporting helps your worker get the benefits they are entitled to sooner and helps them get them back to work faster.

A: Once you are aware of a work-related injury that requires medical attention, you must report it to us within five days by submitting the Employer’s Initial Report of Injury (E1) form. If you do not report within five days of becoming aware of a work-related injury, you may be subject to a fine. You can also see our fact sheet, Five Reasons to File Within Five Days.

A: A work injury claim may cause your premiums to increase. There are several ways that you can mitigate claim costs. Learn more.

A: Generally, you should submit claims to the WCB in the province where the worker was injured at work. If a worker is injured at work outside Saskatchewan, you can submit a claim to the Saskatchewan WCB under certain conditions. Learn more about out-of-province claims and interprovincial coverage

A: The WCB uses standard occupational medical guidelines, including those of the American Medical Association, for its decisions about hearing-loss injuries. 


The WCB accepts claims for occupational noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) and hearing loss from acoustic trauma when the appropriate criteria have been met.


Learn more about hearing loss injuries that qualify as a work injury with the WCB.
 

A: Hearing tests (audiograms) show hearing loss. We suggest that your workers get a hearing test when they first start working, and at regular intervals from then on. It is important to also do a hearing test when employment ends. Hearing tests should also be done within five years of a worker retiring.

Prevention is the best way to avoid hearing loss at work. Here are some tips:

  • Choose machinery with low noise levels.
  • Build in baffling around loud machines.
  • Minimize the time workers are exposed to noise.
  • Provide the proper hearing protection for the job.
  • Work with your employees to teach them about required hearing protection and post teaching materials in your work place.
  • Make hearing protection an agenda item at your employee orientation and employee meetings.

To find out the acceptable noise levels for your industry, check your federal and/or provincial occupational health and safety regulations.

This policy supports Mission: Zero, and the injury prevention work and training that you are already doing in your workplaces.

For more information, visit our WorkSafe Saskatchewan website at www.worksafesask.ca.

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Report work injuries within five days

Report work injuries within five days

Learn why employers are required to report a workplace injury within five days of learning about it.

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Claim information

For questions on your worker’s injury claim:

Operations division

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