While many people don't love what they do, everyone wants to believe that their workplace is a safe environment and that they will go home at the end of the day in relatively the same condition as when they went in. But unfortunately, sometimes workplace accidents happen. You could be working at an Edmonton auto body shop and get a cut or a burn from one of the machines or be in a more serious accident from working on a construction site.

There are thousands of people in Ontario who are hurt at work each year. And many of these injuries go undocumented because the worker decides not to file a claim or the employer does not follow through with filing it with WSIB. If you're injured while you're working with a sheet metal bending brake or as a prep cook in a kitchen, it's important that your manager knows about it. Even if something does not seem like it will need medical attention right away, that could change if it does not heal properly.

The Workplace Safety Insurance Board is meant to provide compensation and medical help to those in need when something happens at work. But the only way that you can take advantage of this is if the injury is reported. Even if you're working with heatshrink sleeving and you think that the accident was your fault, you should make sure that you're still going through the proper channels. This is especially true if you think that your injury was the result of a workplace safety issue.

As part of the Workplace Safety Insurance Act, it is your duty to report anything around your workplace that might be a hazard. Once an injury is reported, an investigation is done to make sure that the same incident will not happen again to someone else. If you're interested in improving things around your strapping machinery plant or even in an office space than it is good to work with the WSIB.

It's important not only to report injuries when they do happen, but also to be aware of things that could present a hazard. Never do a job that you don't feel that you're not properly trained to do. If you're working with vacuum trucks or with a cleaning service, there are going to be things that you need to learn how to use and do before it is safe. Asking for more training should never be something that you're scared to do when your own safety or the safety of others is on the line. Your employers should appreciate that this will limit the number of injuries in the future.