Sask. Workers' Compensation Board reports drop in claims in 2015

Mission:Zero is getting closer to becoming a reality for workplaces across Saskatchewan according to the Workers Compensation Board (WCB).

The WCB released its annual report on Tuesday. The full report is available on the WCB website.

You can also read the summary in the chart below.

In 2015, Saskatchewan went from having the second highest time loss injury rate to the fourth highest in Canada.

The total number of workplace injury claims dropped by more than 3,259 people from 35,836 in 2014 to 32,577 in 2015. The total injury rate measured by 100 workers dropped from 6.99 in 2014 to 6.3 in 2015.

In a message from the executive, the report noted that WCB continues to face major challenges in addressing workplace safety. Despite the improvements in overall injury rates, 32 people died in workplace accidents in the same year.

 “One life lost is one too many. Unlike processes, policies and procedures that will change, what will not change at the WCB is our dogged commitment to achieving Mission: Zero and eradicating workplace injuries, suffering and fatalities in Saskatchewan,” the executive wrote in the report.

The executive message went on to say that 87 per cent of Saskatchewan workplaces did in fact achieve Mission: Zero in 2015.

In a news release, WCB CEO Peter Federko credited the decrease in workplace injuries to the employers and workers who are committed to safety. He also noted that the time loss injury rate dropped for the 13th straight year and 96 per cent of people who were hurt on the job returned to work, which surpasses the 95 per cent objective.