LOCAL RULES

British Columbia incident report requirements

Your British Columbia incident report has 5 rules to meet. ReportDraft puts every one on your checklist and checks your draft before you sign.

  • A full investigation report to WorkSafeBC within 30 days of the incident
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In British Columbia, employers investigate and report incidents under Division 10 of Part 2 of the Workers Compensation Act, and WorkSafeBC policies P2-71-1 and P2-72-1 list what each report must contain. There are two reports: a preliminary one within 48 hours and a full one within 30 days. Here is each rule with a link to the official text, and how notes become a B.C. investigation report.

Last reviewed October 12, 2026 against the official sources listed below.

Incident reportBRITISH COLUMBIA / SAMPLE

Sample notes, 140 words

Company: Northgate Fabrication
Site: 1840 Industrial Pkwy, shipping dock 2
Date: 10/08/2026, about 2:15pm
Injured: Luis Romero, material handler, warehouse crew
Supervisor: Tom Reilly
...
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We sorted 5 items into 4 sections and flagged 1 to fix first.

5 British Columbia rules on your checklist, including immediate notice to WorkSafeBC of a serious injury or death, a major collapse, release, fire or explosion.

Still to add

  • British Columbia lawInvestigated by (names and job titles, incl. employer and worker representatives)
  • NeededType of incident
  • NeededReport prepared by

Filled in for you

Employer's legal nameNorthgate Fabrication
Place of the incident1840 Industrial Pkwy, shipping dock 2
Date of the incidentOct 8, 2026
Person injured or involvedLuis Romero, material handler, warehouse crew
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What British Columbia requires

  • The employer immediately notifies WorkSafeBC of an accident that caused serious injury to or the death of a worker, involved a major structural failure or collapse of a building, bridge, tower, crane, hoist, temporary construction support system or excavation, a major release of a hazardous substance, or a fire or explosion with potential to seriously injure a worker; the scene is not disturbed except to attend to the injured, prevent further injury or protect endangered propertyWorkers Compensation Act, R.S.B.C. 2019, c. 1, s. 68
  • A preliminary and a full investigation are required for any incident that must be reported to WorkSafeBC, that injured a worker requiring medical treatment, or that caused no injury or only minor injury but had the potential to cause serious injury; a vehicle accident on a public street or highway is excludedWorkers Compensation Act, s. 69
  • The investigation is carried out by people knowledgeable about the type of work and, where reasonably available, with the participation of the employer or its representative and a worker representative; witnesses are made available for interview, and their names, addresses and telephone numbers are recordedWorkers Compensation Act, s. 70
  • Immediately after the incident the employer undertakes a preliminary investigation to identify unsafe conditions, acts or procedures that significantly contributed and the interim corrective action needed; the report is completed within 48 hours, given to WorkSafeBC on request, and as soon as practicable given to the joint committee or worker health and safety representative, or posted at the workplace if there is neitherWorkers Compensation Act, s. 71 (1), (2)
  • As far as possible, the preliminary report contains: the place, date and time; the names and job titles of persons injured or killed, of witnesses, and of others whose presence might be needed; the sequence of events before the incident; the unsafe conditions, acts or procedures that significantly contributed; employer identification and contact information; a brief description; the names and job titles of those who carried out or took part in the investigation; the interim corrective actions determined, what has been taken and when the rest will be; and any circumstances that kept an element from being addressedWorkSafeBC Prevention Manual, Policy Item P2-71-1, section 5
  • Following the preliminary investigation the employer takes the interim corrective action without undue delay and, as soon as practicable, prepares a report of the action taken (the unsafe conditions that made it necessary, the action, employer identification, the names and job titles of those responsible, and the date taken) for the joint committee or worker representative, or posts itWorkers Compensation Act, s. 71 (3), (4) ยท Policy Item P2-71-1, section 8
  • Right after the preliminary investigation the employer undertakes a full investigation to determine the causes, the unsafe conditions, acts or procedures that significantly contributed, and the corrective action needed; the full report is submitted to WorkSafeBC within 30 days of the incident (WorkSafeBC may extend this) and, within the same 30 days, given to the joint committee or worker representative or posted at the workplaceWorkers Compensation Act, s. 72
  • As far as possible, the full report also contains: the employer's legal name, the name it does business under, address, contact number, email and WorkSafeBC account number; other relevant workplace parties such as an owner or prime contractor; the cause or causes; a full description of the incident; the names and job titles of everyone who carried out or took part in the preliminary and full investigations; all corrective actions determined necessary, what has been taken, and when the rest will beWorkSafeBC Prevention Manual, Policy Item P2-72-1, section 2
  • Determining the cause or causes means analyzing the facts and circumstances to identify the underlying factors that led to the incident, including what made the unsafe conditions, acts or procedures possible, and the health and safety deficienciesPolicy Item P2-72-1, section 1
  • An employer or supervisor must not discourage, impede or dissuade a worker or a dependant from reporting an injury, illness, death or hazardous condition to WorkSafeBC, or from applying for or receiving compensationWorkers Compensation Act, s. 73

Which incidents, and who investigates

Serious injuries and deaths, major structural failures or collapses, major releases of a hazardous substance, and fires or explosions that could seriously injure a worker are reported to WorkSafeBC immediately, and the scene is left alone except to help the injured, prevent more harm or protect property.

Those incidents, any injury needing medical treatment, and any near miss that could have caused serious injury are investigated twice: a preliminary and a full investigation. Vehicle accidents on public roads are excluded. The investigators know the work, and the employer and a worker representative take part where reasonably available. Witnesses are made available, and their contact details are recorded.

The preliminary report: within 48 hours

The preliminary investigation starts immediately and its report is done within 48 hours. As far as possible it gives the place, date and time; the names and job titles of the injured, the witnesses and the investigators; the sequence of events; the unsafe conditions, acts or procedures that contributed; the employer's details; a brief description; the interim corrective actions, which ones are done and when the rest will be; and anything that stopped an element from being covered.

The report goes to the joint committee or worker health and safety representative as soon as practicable, or is posted at the workplace, and to WorkSafeBC if asked. Interim fixes are made without undue delay, with a short report of the action taken.

The full report: within 30 days

The full investigation finds the underlying causes, such as gaps in supervision, training, maintenance or procedures, and the corrective actions to prevent a repeat. Its report adds the employer's legal and business names, address, phone, email and WorkSafeBC account number, the other workplace parties, a full description, everyone who took part, and every corrective action with when it was or will be done.

It goes to WorkSafeBC within 30 days of the incident, unless WorkSafeBC extends that, and to the joint committee or worker representative, or is posted, within the same 30 days. Employers and supervisors must never discourage a worker from reporting an injury or claiming compensation.

From notes to a B.C. investigation report

Note who was there, their job titles, what happened in order, and what you changed right away. ReportDraft adds the employer's WorkSafeBC details and the investigators to the header, marks the report as preliminary or full, lists contributing unsafe conditions as findings, keeps witnesses' home contact details out, records each corrective action with an owner and a date, and notes anything the investigation could not cover yet.

Common mistakes

  • Missing the 48-hour deadline for the preliminary report.
  • Leaving out the job titles of the injured worker, witnesses or investigators.
  • Investigating without a worker representative when one was reasonably available.
  • Stopping at the unsafe act and never finding the underlying cause.
  • Not sharing the report with the joint committee or worker representative, or not posting it.

Sources

Last reviewed October 12, 2026. Next review due January 12, 2027. This page explains published rules to help you write your report. It is not legal advice; the official text linked above governs.