Alberta (Canada) workers will before long get a look at most employers’ injury and fatality records, however a debate continues over whether the provincial government is unveiling enough information to improve safety on the job.
Employment Minister Thomas Lukaszuk is expected to announce very soon what data will be included online in a new government initiative scheduled to go live at the end of next month, according to The Calgary Herald. (WCxKit)
Sources familiar with a draft of the plan informed the Herald the province intends to unveil safety information on all employers covered by the Workers Compensation Board except those with small workforces (approximately less than 40 full-time equivalent workers in a year).
Online data will likely detail
1. A company's lost-time claim rate and how it compares with the industry average;
2. Whether the employer has had workers die on the job;
3. And whether the company has a government-endorsed certificate of recognition, also know as COR. The certificate acknowledges an employer has an audited health and safety program.
It's not clear at this time how many years' worth of information will be disclosed.
Canada’s changes to Alberta's workplace safety system come after a stinging auditor general probe in the spring that reported the province wasn't sufficiently cracking down on employers who repeatedly flout safety laws and whose workers must deal with a greater risk of injury.
Both the Alberta Construction Association and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business reportedly have reservations about the government's intention to unveil safety records on a majority of companies.
Ken Gibson, executive director of the construction association, noted Alberta has about 140,000 employers covered by the Workers' Compensation Board. (WCxKit)
His group is reportedly worried about the accuracy of the information the province plans to unveil and whether the public will be able to sort through a large mound of data to obtain a meaningful picture of safety performance.
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, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. Contact: [email protected] or 860-553-6604.
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