Nova Scotians who are enthusiastic about workplace safety continue to take action and make progress in creating a safety culture, according to a new report.
In 2009, about 28,000 Nova Scotians were injured at work – an 11.5% decrease from the year before.
Of those, 7,200 people were injured seriously enough that they lost time from work. While this is a staggering number, serious workplace injuries fell below 8,000 for the first time in over a decade – a decrease of 20% since 2005 representing 1,800 fewer serious injuries over that time.
“We devoted the WCB’s energy to reaching these goals but we recognize that credit for these positive results is shared with our safety partners, including the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Workforce Development, safety associations and the many workers and employers across Nova Scotia who were inspired to make safety and return-to-work improvements in their workplaces,” said Nancy MacCready-Williams, CEO of the Workers’ Compensation Board.
While there is good news happening in workplaces across the province, workplace tragedies continue to have a devastating impact on many Nova Scotian workers and their families. Sadly, 32 people died at work in Nova Scotia in 2009 – some for reasons directly related to their work, and others not.
“Out of respect for these people and for the safety of all workers into the future, our injury prevention efforts must continue,” said MacCready-Williams. “Each and every Nova Scotian should celebrate the reduction in injuries this year. But at the same time, we all share the responsibility of preventing workplace tragedies from happening in years to come.”
Following two years of significant financial losses in 2007 and 2008, 2009 saw the beginning of positive changes in the financial markets which is reflected in the WCB’s surplus of $12.4 million at year-end. While this is a financial gain in 2009, the WCB’s cumulative financial loss over the past three years, primarily due to investment returns, may have implications for its funding strategy. (workersxzcompxzkit)
“While we have by no means recovered the losses of recent years, this is a positive sign,” added MacCready-Williams. “Had we not experienced significant investment losses, we would be much closer to our goal of eliminating the unfunded liability by 2016. As the WCB Board of Directors does each year in June, the Board will determine what changes to the funding strategy – if any – are required.”
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers’ Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, manufacturing, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. He can be contacted at:: [email protected] or 860-553-6604.
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