Report an injury or illness

We’re here to help

When an injury or illness happens on the job, we provide wage-loss benefits, medical coverage and support to help people recover and get back to work.

Report your injury or illness

If you are injured or become ill at work

1. Get medical help

Get first aid right away

  • If you need further treatment, go to a health professional. Your employer pays for your transportation on the day of injury

Report an employee's injury or illness

Businesses

 

  • Provide first aid and keep accurate records of the treatment provided
  • If your employee needs further treatment, you must either transport them to the health professional or pay the cost of their transportation to the health professional on the day of injury.

If first aid is the only treatment received, you do not need to report to the WSIB. If you’re not sure, contact us. You can also use our injury or illness reporting self-evaluator tool to help ensure you’re complying with legislative requirements.

2. Document

  • Tell your employer about any medical treatment you received as soon as possible and let them know about any additional information you received about your injury or illness
  • You must investigate and keep a detailed record of what happened, and the steps you take to correct the issue

3. Report to the WSIB

Report your injury or illness if:

  • you need treatment from a health professional (beyond first aid), or
  • you aren’t able to go to work, or
  • you are being paid less or receiving fewer hours of work

You do not have to report your injury or illness to us if all three of the following apply:

  • you only needed first aid, and
  • you did not take any time off work, and
  • your pay was not affected

If your dentures, glasses and/or artificial appliances are damaged in a workplace accident, you are eligible to claim benefits for repairing or replacing these devices even if you have no other injuries.

How to report

Options

1) Sign up for online services and report through your account

  • Report your injury, illness or exposure incident through our secure online services. When you sign up for online services and report through your account, you can provide us with the information we need to quickly process your claim and get updates faster. You can also start using the online services features right away to view your claim information, send us a message and sign up for direct deposit.

2) Download the WSIB app

  • Download the WSIB app from the App Store or Google Play Store to sign up for an online services account then report your injury, illness or exposure incident.

3) Fill out a Form 6 PDF and submit online

and submit it online. You’ll need to create an online services account to submit.


4) Fill out a Form 6 PDF or mail it

Fill out and save a 

and send by mail to:
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
200 Front Street West
Toronto, ON
M5V 3J1 

 

You must report a workplace injury or illness within three business days of learning about it if your employee:

  • needed treatment from a health professional, or
  • was absent from work, or
  • earns less than regular pay  (e.g. working fewer hours or being paid less per hour)

You must provide a copy of the injury or illness report to your employee.

Even if your employee doesn’t need treatment from a health professional, you must report their injury or illness if they are doing modified work. This means any change in their regular job while recovering from an injury or illness for more than seven days (at regular pay). In this case, your reporting obligation would not generally begin until the eighth calendar day and the WSIB must receive an employer’s report within three business days after the eighth calendar day.

How to report

Options

1) Sign up for online services and report through your account

  • Report your employee’s injury, illness or exposure incident through our secure online services. When you sign up for online services and report through your account, you can provide us with the information we need to quickly process your claim and get updates faster. You can also start using the online services features right away to view your claim information, send us a message and sign up for direct deposit.

2) Fill out a Form 7 PDF and mail it

  • Fill out and save an Employer’s Report of Injury/Illness (Form 7) and send it by mail to:

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
200 Front Street West
Toronto, ON
M5V 3J1 

  • You must provide a copy of the injury or illness report to your employee.
  • You must pay your employee for a full day’s wages on the day of the incident. WSIB benefits start the day after the injury or illness happens, if allowed. 

4. Work together

It’s important that you stay in touch with each other and the WSIB. If you have questions, contact us.

Reporting rights and responsibilities

  • You have six months from the date of injury or date of diagnosis to claim benefits by reporting your injury or illness to the WSIB.
  • When in doubt, report. It's always better to report your injury or illness to the WSIB, even if you don't think you're covered.
  • You should report your workplace injury or illness even if:
    • your supervisor or manager tells you not to report, or that you will lose your job if you report it
    • your employer tells you that your injury or illness is not covered by the WSIB
    • your employer tells you to use sick days to recover from a workplace injury or illness, rather than report it
  • You have options for choosing a health professional
  • You must report a workplace injury within three business days of learning about your employee’s workplace injury or illness
  • You are responsible for reporting an injury or illness of anyone you employ in your business including family, seasonal or temporary employees, certain domestic employees, people doing construction work, students, apprentices and training participants
  • You must report all cases of  needle stick injury, unless you have a surveillance protocol in place – that is a formal process to test and monitor a person exposed to an infectious disease
  • If you are not sure whether the injury or illness is work-related, you should still report it to us. We make the decision whether an injury or illness is work-related or not
  • It is against the law to discourage reporting of a workplace injury or illness. You could face a financial penalty as well as prosecution for not reporting, reporting late, not giving all the details requested, giving false or inaccurate details, or discouraging your employees from reporting

Workplace fatality or catastrophic workplace accidents 

fatal or catastrophic workplace accidents, report online or call us at 1-800-387-0750, Monday to Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. We’re here to help. 

Reporting minor ailments assessed by a pharmacist

FAQs for people with a work-related injury or illness

Will a pharmacist be able to report a work-related injury or illness to the WSIB?

No, we will not accept a pharmacist’s assessment as a basis for initial entitlement decisions. While pharmacists can prescribe for the purpose of medication dispensing, we require diagnosis to support entitlement decision-making and return-to-work planning. 

If you experience a work-related injury or illness and have only had a minor ailment assessment from a pharmacist, you will need to follow up with an approved health care provider - chiropractor, physician, physiotherapist or registered nurse (extended class) - for the claim to be reviewed for entitlement, regardless of whether medication was prescribed.

FAQs for employers

If a pharmacist prescribes medication for an employee’s work-related injury or illness and the employee has not yet seen a health care provider, would I have an obligation to report the accident to the WSIB?  

Yes, you would be obligated to report in this case, as noted in our Employers’ Initial Accident-Reporting policy. When completing the Form 7 under “Section D: Where was the worker treated for this injury?” please select “Other” and specify that health care was received from a pharmacist. The injured or ill person will need to follow up with an approved health care provider for a diagnosis and treatment plan for the claim to be reviewed for entitlement. 

In cases where the person visits a pharmacy, and the pharmacist does not prescribe medication, you do not need to report it to the WSIB. For example, if the person purchases an over-the-counter remedy, they have not received “health care” as defined in our policy by visiting the pharmacy. 

Will the WSIB accept a pharmacist’s assessment for initial entitlement decisions?

No, we will not accept a pharmacist’s assessment as a basis for initial entitlement decisions. While pharmacists can prescribe medication for minor ailments, we require diagnosis to support entitlement decision-making and return-to-work planning. 

If someone experiences a work-related injury or illness and has only had an assessment from a pharmacist, they will need to follow up with an approved health care provider (i.e., a chiropractor, physician, physiotherapist or registered nurse) to support entitlement decision-making, whether or not a medication was prescribed.

What to do if an injury or illness happens at work brochure

Download our brochure that goes through the steps if an injury or illness happens at work.

You can also order some online in multiple languages for your business.