Average of five per cent reduction in loss time injuries each year since 2005: WCB
Serious workplace injuries in Nova Scotia are at the lowest level in 15 years, according to the province’s workers’ compensation board.
The Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of Nova Scotia released its 2010 annual report revealing the number of serious injuries was 6,921.Despite improvements there is still a lot to do, the WCB said. In the past five years almost 120 people have died of workplace injury or illness.
“Since 2005, we’ve seen an average five per cent reduction in time loss injuries each year,” said Nancy MacCready-Williams, CEO of the Workers’ Compensation Board. “That’s good news and we are clearly heading in the right direction as a province. However, we must be clear: There is no acceptable number of workplace injuries. We want a Nova Scotia free from workplace injury.”The 2010 numbers are down by more than 2,000 serious injuries compared to a decade ago. In 2000, there were 9,061 serious injuries on the job.
Assessable payroll, which the WCB uses to measure how many workers are covered, has increased. The injury rate in 2010 — the number of people per 100 covered who were seriously injured on the job — was 2.13. This is a decrease from 2.26 in 2009.
In 2010, there were 40,000 fewer days at work lost due to injury.
There has also been improvement in return to work statistics. The majority of workers, 95 per cent, return to work and make 100 per cent of their pre-injury earnings.
“Creating a safety culture in Nova Scotia is a team effort,” said MacCready-Williams. Our team of dedicated employees at the WCB are collaborating with employers, workers, labour unions, safety and industry associations, and the Department of Labour and Advanced Education to make Nova Scotia a safer place to work and to help injured workers get back on the job sooner. We are seeing the positive impact of this collaboration in the 2010 results.”
Financially, the WCB is still recouping losses from the economic downturn in 2007 and 2008. The results in 2009 and 2010 were more positive following the losses in previous years. In 2010, the organization ended the year with a surplus of $3.5 million.
