Nova Scotia sees decrease in 2011 time-loss injuries • Saskatchewan marks 9 years of decreasing lost-time injuries • WorkSafeNB unveils 2011 workplace report • Ontario’s WSIB releases 2012-2016 strategic plan
Nova Scotia sees decrease in 2011 time-loss injuries
Halifax — The number of time-loss injuries in Nova Scotia workplaces has dropped to a new low, according to the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of Nova Scotia’s 2011 annual report. Last year, 6,616 Nova Scotians suffered a workplace injury that resulted in time lost from work. The 2011 statistics represent a 27 per cent decrease since 2005 and a four per cent decrease from 2010. Assessable payroll, the WCB’s measure for the number of covered workers, has consistently increased. The injury rate — the number of people per 100 covered workers who are seriously injured on the job — is 2.02, the lowest it’s been since the current measuring format was put in place, the WCB said. In other encouraging news, the vast majority of workers — 95 per cent — were eligible to return to full-time employment after their injury. There were 40,391 fewer workdays lost due to injury —the equivalent of 110 person-years of work, according to the WCB. There were 27 workplace fatalities in 2011. Six of those deaths were due to acute incidents in the workplace, while 21 were due to conditions arising from previous exposures or other health conditions. The number of acute fatalities has been declining in recent years, the WCB said. Volatility in financial markets continues to impact the WCB’s investment portfolio, and has contributed to an overall comprehensive loss of $65.5 million.
