WorkSafeBC announces flat average premium rate for 2012 • WSIB sets maximum earnings for 2012 • WorkSafeNB announces 2012 assessment rates • Ventilation focus of Ontario mining blitz • Nova Scotia announces 2012 WCB employer rates
British Columbia
WorkSafeBC announces flat average premium rate for 2012
The average base premium rate for registered employers in British Columbia will remain unchanged from 2011, WorkSafeBC announced. The 2012 average published base rate will be $1.54 per $100 of employers’ assessable payroll. WorkSafeBC’s average published base rate for 2008 through 2010 was $1.56. The average published base rate is a composite of rates in 67 individual rate groups, or insurance pools, which are compilations of various classification units. Insurance premium rates for B.C.’s 206,000 employers are based on the claims cost (or safety) history of their industry and of similar employers and are further adjusted based on individual performance. For 2012, 53 per cent of employers will experience a base rate decrease, eight per cent of employers will have their base rate remain unchanged and 39 per cent of employers will have a base rate increase. WorkSafeBC projects a deficit at the end of 2011 and increases to the average base rate in 2013.
Ontario
WSIB sets maximum earnings for 2012
Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has set the maximum assessable/insurable earnings for 2012. The maximum next year will be $81,700, a $1,900 increase from last year’s ceiling which was $79,600.
Ventilation focus of Ontario mining blitz
In October and November, mining inspectors in Ontario are focusing on hazards involving ventilation systems at selected underground mines across the province. Ministry of Labour inspectors will check that mine ventilation systems are being maintained and provide an adequate supply of clean air. They will also check that diesel equipment is being properly maintained and employers are regularly testing the air quality in underground mines. Between 2005 and 2009, 176 workers died and another 36 workers developed occupational diseases related to respiratory illnesses in the mining sector, according to the WSIB.
New Brunswick
WorkSafeNB announces 2012 assessment rates
WorkSafeNB announced a 15 per cent decrease in the average assessment rate for 2012. A strong funded position and decreasing claims costs warranted an average rate reduction of 30 cents, from $2 per $100 of payroll in 2011, to $1.70, according to the organization. The minimum assessment rate will also be reduced, from 32 cents per $100 of payroll to 28 cents. The organization attained a fully-funded level of 111.5 per cent, according to WorkSafeNB. The rate reduction will see assessed premiums for about 13,700 employer operations either drop or remain stable in 2012.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia announces 2012 WCB employer rates
Workers’ compensation assessment rates will remain relatively stable for 2012, according to the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of Nova Scotia. For the eighth consecutive year, the average rate is $2.65 per $100 of assessable payroll. Of the 18,000 employers covered by the WCB, 37 per cent will see their rate go down or stay the same and 63 per cent will see an increase. The WCB is exploring several enhancements to the rate setting model. The WCB issues surcharges to employers whose claims costs are significantly and consistently higher than their industry peers. In 2012, 96 employers will have a surcharge, up from 92 in 2011. To be surcharged, an employer’s claims costs must be at least three times their industry average for at least four consecutive years. Surcharges are cumulative and can add an additional 20 per cent to a firm’s base rate each year.
