Workers in Saskatchewan were safer, despite the number of deaths remaining nearly the same.
According to the Saskatchewan Workers鈥� Compensation Board (WBC), the workplace injury rate in the province for 2020 was 4.46 per 100 workers, which is a 10 per cent decreases from 2019.
That wasn鈥檛 the only decrease as the time loss injury rate decreased to 1.78 per 100 workers, a decrease by .08 per cent, from the 2019 rate of 1.86 per 100 workers.聽
The 2020 time loss injury rate is the lowest rate in more than a decade.
鈥淎lthough the reductions in the Total injury and Time Loss injury rates are a step in the right direction,鈥� says Minister Responsible for WCB, Don Morgan, 鈥淓very workplace injury in Saskatchewan is one too many. We cannot become complacent in our efforts to make all workplaces safe.鈥�
The total amount of claims have also decreased with just shy of 17,950 claims in 2020, compared to over 21,400 in 2019.聽
There were fewer workers covered in 2020; however, as 402,000 were covered, a decrease from the over 433,000 in 2019.
Although time loss and total injury rates have seen a slow and steady decline, there remains a consistent number of serious injuries and fatalities (approximately 2,500 annually) that are accepted by the WCB. There were 34 workplace fatalities in 2020, compared to 36 in 2019. This is a decrease of six per cent.These deaths occurred in a variety of Saskatchewan industries.
鈥淓ach of the 34 deaths that occurred in 2020 has had a shattering impact on the loved one鈥檚 family and community,鈥� says the WCB鈥檚 CEO Phil Germain. 鈥淲e must continue to focus on preventing workplace deaths and serious injuries and eliminate this suffering in our province.鈥�
