Tool Box Talk
Injury Reporting
Updated By: J. Marriott Page 1 of 1
Last Update: January 2014
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign http://www.fs.illinois.edu/services/safety-and-compliance 217-265-9828
Are any of these statements familiar?
It was just a little scrape, it really wasn’t worth reporting.
I was just so busy I forgot.
It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time.
I wasn’t sure I should report it so I didn’t.
It was my own fault so I was embarrassed to say anything.
If you are injured, however slight, while you are engaged in University work, report the injury
immediately to your supervisor.
For example, you slipped on wet flooring, but are sure you’re OK. A few days later, you’re
experiencing serious back pain. This is an example of why reporting all workplace injuries is
important; what may seem minor at the time can worsen, become chronic or lead to
complications such as infection, disease or disability.
Why injuries aren’t always reported.
Sometimes, injuries aren’t reported because the person doesn’t want to take time off work to see
a doctor. Other times, the injury is minor, and the person thinks it’s “not a big deal” or that it
will stop hurting or heal on its own. Still other times, injuries aren’t reported because the
employee is embarrassed; the person thinks he or she will be “blamed” for the injury; or the
person is concerned about the cost of medical treatment.
What Should You Do?
If the injury is not life-threatening, immediately report to your supervisor – not a co-worker. Fill
out the University of Illinois Employee’s First Report of Injury/Illness Report, and promptly seek
medical care. Failure to report the injury may affect your right to compensation for time lost or
reimbursement for expenses incurred.
Any delay in reporting can delay the payment of benefits, and a delay of more than 45 days may
result in the loss of all benefits. Notice to a fellow worker who is not a supervisor or otherwise a
part of management is not considered notice to the employer. Failure to report also allows the
conditions that contributed to the incident to go unchecked and leave coworkers vulnerable to
similar injuries.
Complete the form as soon as possible after the injury, while events are fresh in your mind. Be
very descriptive with the information presented. “I stepped in a puddle on the floor, causing me
to slip,” is much more helpful than a simple “I slipped.”
Think about the events that led up to the injury. Was the injury a result of an Unsafe Act or an
Unsafe Condition? Offer helpful suggestions to improve the workplace for everyone.
Preventative actions, such as replacing a missing guard or posting a Warning sign, can be taken.
Safety and Compliance is conducting injury investigations to identify root causes and make
corrections to prevent someone else from experiencing the same injury. Your ideas can help
reduce the possibility of someone else experiencing injury.