REGINA – The province is becoming safer for people on the job. On Monday, the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) released statistics showing a decrease in the overall workplace injury rate over the past year.
In 2014, the rate was 6.99 per cent compared to 7.80 per cent the previous year.
WCB Vice-President of Prevention Phil Germain attributes the improvement, in part, to employers, workers and WorkSafe Saskatchewan partners who have made safety a core value.
He agrees that while progress is encouraging, more work must be done.
“The most recent Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) statistics show the national time loss injury rate average at 1.65 percent. While comparative data differs somewhat, Saskatchewan’s time lose injury rate is almost twice the national average,” said Germain.
The number of accepted time loss claims reported in the province dropped from 2.54 per cent in 2013 to 2.41 percent in 2014.
Saskatchewan Deputy Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Mike Carr is also encouraged by the progress made in 2014.
“The WorkSafe partnership has been very beneficial in focusing public attention on Saskatchewan’s appalling injury rate and directing limited resources on the right activities to make workers and workplaces safer,” said Carr.
Germain also reinforced the “Mission: Zero” objective. The initiative was launched in 2008 as a call to action and a goal for employers and companies to eradicate workplace injuries.
In 2014, 87 per cent of Saskatchewan employers reported zero workplace injuries.
“Any workplace fatality is unacceptable and an indication that more needs to be done to make workplaces in Saskatchewan safer. These are people, not statistics,” said Germain.
READ MORE: Sask. unemployment rate edges up in February
There were 402,894 Saskatchewan workers covered by WCB in 2014.
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