Hazard Reporting
By Laurel Woodhouse, Health & Safety Manager
Our teams work every day across airports, UPS and FedEx facilities, Toronto respite sites, Rogers event venues, and residential buildings — every one of these sites depends on our people staying alert, protected, and supported. Over the last quarter, we’ve noticed a significant drop in hazard reports being submitted across our sites. This isn’t because hazards have disappeared — it likely means fewer of them are being reported. This article explains what a hazard is, why reporting matters, and how easy it is to report one, so we can turn this trend around together.
What is a Hazard?
A hazard is anything in your work environment with the potential to cause harm — to you, a coworker, a client, or the public. Hazards aren’t always dramatic or obvious. Some examples our teams regularly encounter include:
- Slip, trip, and fall risks — wet floors, uneven pavement, poor lighting, snow/ice buildup, or cluttered walkways
- Damaged or malfunctioning equipment — broken locks, faulty radios, non-working cameras, damaged barriers or gates
- Unsafe access points — propped-open doors, broken door closers, malfunctioning card readers
- Aggressive, threatening, or unpredictable behaviour from individuals on site
- Environmental hazards — extreme heat/cold exposure, poor ventilation, exposed wiring
- Vehicle and traffic hazards — blind corners, poor sightlines, unsafe loading dock activity
- Near misses — situations where an incident almost happened but didn’t
If something makes you pause and think “that doesn’t seem right,” it’s worth reporting. You never need to be 100% certain something is dangerous to report it — that’s what the review process is for.
Why Reporting Hazards Matters
Every hazard report is a chance to prevent an injury before it happens. When reporting drops off, it doesn’t mean our sites have become safer — it usually means risks are going unnoticed or unaddressed until something goes wrong. Reporting hazards allows us to:
- Identify risks early, before they lead to an injury or incident
- Give supervisors and Operations the information they need to put controls in place
- Track recurring issues at a site so patterns can be fixed at the root cause, not just patched
- Build a stronger safety culture where every employee has a voice in protecting the team
- Meet our health and safety obligations and keep our client sites compliant
Reporting a hazard is never “extra work” or “making a fuss.” It’s one of the most valuable things you can do for yourself and your coworkers.
A Two-Way Commitment: Report and React
Improving safety is a shared responsibility, and it works in both directions:
- Employees report hazards as soon as they’re noticed — no hazard is too small to flag.
- Supervisors and Managers respond to every report, assess the risk, and identify controls to reduce or eliminate it — whether that’s a quick fix, a temporary safeguard, or escalation for a longer-term solution.
How to Report a Hazard — Two Easy Options
Option 1 — Scan the QR Code on Mitti (SafetyCulture)
Reporting without follow-up doesn’t fix anything — and follow-up can’t happen if hazards are never reported in the first place. Both halves of this cycle have to work for our sites to actually get safer. Supervisors: please make it a priority to acknowledge reports promptly and follow up with your team on what action was taken. Employees seeing hazards addressed is what builds trust in the process and keeps people reporting.
Scanning it opens a quick hazard report form that sends a direct, real-time notification straight to the Operations team.
Fastest way to get eyes on a hazard — no phone call or email needed.
Option 2 — Tell Your Supervisor or Manager
Prefer to report in person or don’t have access to a device in the moment? Speak directly with your on-site Supervisor or Manager. They can log the hazard and start the response process right away.
Best when you need to explain something in detail or want it addressed immediately.
Our Goal this Quarter
We want to see hazard reporting go back up — not because our sites have gotten less safe, but because our team is more engaged in keeping them safe. Every report matters, no matter how small it may seem. If you see it, report it. If you’re a supervisor, act on it and close the loop with your team.
Thank you for everything you do to keep our sites, clients, and each other safe.