FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

WCB rates remain stable for 2007
Surcharge warnings issued to employers with poor safety records

HALIFAX, Aug 31 – 18,000 Nova Scotia employers covered by workplace injury insurance are being notified this week of their 2007 workers’ compensation assessment rates. Among them 54% will see their rates decrease, 42% will experience an increase and 4% will see no change. About 2% will receive a surcharge warning notice.

In 2008, for the first time, companies whose safety experience is 200% worse than their industry peers for four consecutive years, longer for smaller firms, will face surcharges on their rate unless they take action immediately to improve their safety performance. The surcharges are part of the WCB’s strategic initiative to help employers embrace a workplace safety culture in Nova Scotia. Among the 18,000 employers receiving packages, 166 will get a first surcharge warning notice, and 145 will get their second warning notice.

Nova Scotia employers pay among the highest rates for workplace injury insurance in Canada. This is a direct result of the high frequency of workplace injuries and the length of time injured employees are off work.

“Costs for workplace injury insurance are unlikely to change unless injury rates come down and injured employees return to work sooner,” says Stuart MacLean, Vice President of Prevention, Corporate Development, and IT. “Injury prevention and early and safe return to work are in everyone’s best interest and support a business case for safety. The safer you are, the lower your premiums will be. We need to reduce both the human and financial costs of workplace injury for everyone in our province.”

The construction sector is seeing the results of this philosophy. Since the Nova Scotia Construction Safety Association formed in 1994 the industry has been improving its safety performance. The average construction assessment rate is decreasing by 3.6%, saving employers in the sector over $1.1 million in premiums. About 30% of construction employers will see a rate decrease of at least 10% in 2007.

"The solution to reducing injuries in all industries lies in identifying the cause, developing a resolution strategy, and then implementing a measurement process to ensure the plan is working. While the construction industry has led the way in introducing an effective injury reduction strategy, other industries are following suit with some very positive results," says Bruce Collins, General Manager of the Nova Scotia Construction Safety Association. "If all industries work more closely together and with the WCB, I'm confident we can dramatically reduce the overall costs associated with workplace injuries and deaths in very short order- it's a collective problem that requires a collective response," says Collins.

About the WCB
The Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia (WCB) is committed to keeping Nova Scotians safe and secure from workplace injury. The WCB provides workplace injury insurance for more than 18,000 employers, representing about 300,000 workers across the province. The WCB sets the standard for workplace injury insurance by informing and inspiring Nova Scotians in the prevention of workplace injury. If an injury occurs, we support those whose lives it touches by championing a timely return to safe and healthy work.

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