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What are Potentially Serious Incidents?

A Potentially Serious Incident (PSI) is any event where a reasonable and informed person determines a high likelihood of serious injury, illness or fatality under slightly different circumstances. PSIs are precursors to serious accidents if not properly addressed.

Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements 

A PSI is reportable when it could have caused serious injury or illness and may require corrective action to prevent recurrence. 

Why track and investigate PSIs? 

PSIs are opportunities to prevent serious incidents before they occur. Unlike actual incidents, PSIs offer a chance to learn and improve without legal and regulatory involvement. Safety is not about being lucky–it is about having strong safeguards. Sharing and learning from PSIs are essential for continuous improvement. 

How ESC can help

More industry data is needed to fully establish incident trends and offer viable approaches to preventing recurrences. ESC has a portal to submit PSI data from other jurisdictions. For support, contact [email protected].

Regulatory jurisdictions Across Canada, regulations require reporting or investigating PSIs, also known as “dangerous occurrences,” "serious incidents" or "near misses."

Employers and workers in Canada should familiarize them selves with the specific OHS requirements applicable to their jurisdiction—consult relevant provincial or territorial OHS authorities, access official guidance documents, seek assistance from OHS professionals or legal advisors as needed, etc. 

Refer to the PSI Guideline for a summary of jurisdictional expectations.

Employer responsibilities

Employers must:

  • Provide a psychologically safe and healthy work environment to workers that encourages PSI reporting.
  • Establish clear policies and procedures for identifying, reporting and responding to PSIs.
  • Provide education to employees regarding the importance of learning from PSIs.
  • Conduct thorough PSI investigations to determine contributing factors and what can be learned.
  • Set up an internal process and assign a responsible party to identify and report in OHS portal.
  • Act on learnings to implement follow-up actions that target and mitigate the hazardous energy and enable personnel to fail safely.

Worker responsibilities

Workers must:

  • Comply with employer policies and procedures related to safety and incident reporting.
  • Be vigilant in identifying potential workplace hazards and taking appropriate measures to mitigate risks.
  • Actively participate in safety training and education programs provided by their employer.
  • Participate in an investigation if involved in a PSI or a witness to one and co-operate fully with the investigations conducted by their employer or relevant authorities.

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