Records of safety promotion, risk mitigation, and reports of injuries and other safety-related incidents.
This records class includes Personal Information Banks.
Related Records | Responsible Unit | Information Steward | Information Confidentiality Classification | Retention | Disposition | Authority | Retention Rationale | Personal Information Banks | Version Information
Content & Scope
The University requires that members of the University conducting or participating in activities and events considered to be higher-risk complete risk management forms to document that possible risks have been identified, that mitigating measures will be undertaken, and that participants have been informed of possible risks and of precautions to be taken. Records such as acknowledgement of risk and responsibility forms and emergency information forms might also be created for lower risk activities and events, at the discretion of individual units. Injuries and other safety incidents occurring on University property or to University of Waterloo students or employees engaged in activities under the auspices of the University must be reported as required under the appropriate University health, safety and environment program.
This records class excludes records of incidents maintained by Special Constable Services.
The records include risk management forms, acknowledgement of risk and responsibility forms, emergency information forms, supporting documents, injury/incident report forms, first-aid reports, and emergency/serious occurrence reports from children's camps.
Related Records
- Incidents involving exposure to dangerous chemical, physical, or biological substances or agents are reported to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. See HS70 – Workplace Safety & Insurance.
- For records maintained by Special Constable Services, see HS80 – Special Constable Services & Law Enforcement.
Responsible Unit
- Safety Office.
- Waterloo International.
- Units responsible for activities/events.
Information Steward
University Secretary.
Information Confidentiality Classification
Highly Restricted.
Retention
- Records of higher risk activities and events (i.e., those requiring completion of field work risk management form): 3 years after the end of the activity.
- Records of lower risk activities and events (i.e., those not requiring completion of field work risk management form): 1 year after the end of the activity.
- Safety incident/injury records: 15 years.
Note
When an activity/event involves international travel, units may collect copies of students’ personal identification documents (e.g., passports) and travel documents (e.g., travel visas) to facilitate assistance to students while they are outside of Canada. These records are transitory and are also classified as highly restricted. They should be securely destroyed as soon as possible after the student’s return to Canada, and their destruction documented. They should not be retained for the full retention period.
Disposition
- Transfer records where environmental risks have been identified to the Safety Office for permanent retention.
- Securely destroy all other records.
Note
Responsible Units should document the disposal/destruction of official records using the University records destruction form or equivalent documentation, to verify that we are following our records retention rules.
Authority
- Policy 34 – Health, Safety, and Environment
- University of Waterloo Health, Safety and Environment Management System
- University of Waterloo Guideline, Children's Camps on Campus
- Occupational Health & Safety Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.O.1.
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 16, Sched. A; and, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 1101: First Aid Requirements.
- Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 460: 5. (1).
Retention Rationale
- Retention of records of higher risk activities/events is based on the basic limitation period under the Limitations Act, 2002, except that there is no limitation period in respect of an environmental claim that has not been discovered (s. 17).
- Retention of records of lower risk activities/events is based on operational use and regulations to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act requiring that personal information be retained for a minimum of one year after its use, unless the individual to whom the information relates consents to its earlier disposal (RRO 1990 Reg 460, s 5(1)).
- Retention of incident/injury records is based on the ultimate limitation period under the Limitations Act, 2002.
Personal Information Banks
- Risk management forms may include: name, student or employee ID number, address, email address, department, telephone numbers, nationality, emergency contact information, other field work participants' names and departments, at-site supervisor name and contact information, trip dates, copy of driver's licence, address of host location, student supplementary health plan participation, insurer(s) and policy number(s), signature.
- Incident/injury reports may include: name, gender, telephone numbers, status at University of Waterloo, student ID number, department and faculty, occupation, name of individual completing form, date and time of incident, date and time reported, who reported to, treatment, incident location and circumstances, nature of injury, witnesses, date and time last worked, working hours for last day worked and week of injury, date returned to work, signature, supervisor signature.
Under Review Date
5 March 2020
Previous Version
19 December 2011
(This records retention schedule replaces HS40 – Activities/Events Risk Management, and HS52 – Injury/Incident Reports)