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WorkSafeBC

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2009 Quick Facts

 

How many people does WorkSafeBC serve?

  • 202,400 employers are insured
  • 2.1 million workers are covered

How many phone calls does WorkSafeBC receive every working day?

  • An average of 20,000+ calls

How many pages of documentation does WorkSafeBC receive every working day?

  • 15,000+ pages

How many workplaces in B.C. are covered by WorkSafeBC?

  • 500,000+

Percentage of injured workers who rate their experience with WorkSafeBC as "good " or "very good:"

  • 65%

Percentage of employers who rate their experience as "good"or "very good:"

  • 78%

Percentage of public who believe WorkSafeBC is making a positive contribution to B.C?

  • 86%
 

What was WorkSafeBC's financial status at the end of 2009?

  • Assets were $12.0 billion (fair value); $11.9 billion (smoothed)
  • Premium income from employers was $1.0 billion
  • Investment income was $1.3 billion (fair value, including unrealized gains reported under other comprehensive income); $610 million (smoothed)

What is the assessable payroll and how big is it?

  • The assessable payroll is the gross earnings of all workers, including wages, salaries, commissions, holiday pay, bonuses, piecework, and any other remuneration paid to workers before deductions, up to a maximum wage per worker
  • The total assessable payroll from employers was $69.9 billion in 2009 (estimated)

What was the aggregate premium rate for employers?

On average, the actual amount collected from employers was $1.40 per $100 of assessable payroll in 2009.

What was WorkSafeBC's funding level in 2009?

At the end of 2009, WorkSafeBC had a funding level of 124% (fair value); 122% (smoothed).

How much were WorkSafeBC's estimated claim costs for 2009?

  • About $1.32 billion
 

What is the percentage of male to female injured workers?

  • 66% were men; 34% were women

What is the average age of an injured worker?

  • 41

How many young workers (under age 25) were injured in 2009?

  • 6,980 (14%)

How many workers over age 55 were injured in 2009?

  • 7460 (15%)

How many days were lost from work to injury?

  • 2.8 million

What were the top five injuries (number of claims) in 2009?*

  1. Strains (excluding back strains): 17,730
  2. Back strains: 12,340
  3. Cuts: 5,240
  4. Contusions: 4,940
  5. Fractures: 3,350

*Excludes health care-only claims

What injuries caused the greatest number of days lost from work?*

  1. Strains (excluding back strains): 1,118,000 days
  2. Back strains: 565,000 days
  3. Fractures: 481,000 days
  4. Occupational diseases: 148,000 days
  5. Contusions: 135,000 days

*Excludes health care-only claims

How many fatal claims were accepted in 2009?

  • 121

See a description of claims accepted for fatal benefits in 2009.
 

How many short-term disability claims were paid for the first time in 2009?*

  • 47,651

*Formerly called wage-loss claims

When a worker is injured on the job, how long is it from the day of injury to the first payment on a claim?

  • An average of 26.6 calendar days

What is the average number of days paid for short-term disability claims?

  • 54.6 days

What are the top industry sectors for claims?*

Sector Claims first paid Days lost Claim costs (millions)
General construction 6,654 433,494 $122.1
Health care/social assistance 7,152 322,481 $57.6
Retail 6,618 247,924 $37.6
Accommodation, food, and leisure services 4,805 196,856 $31.0
Service sector (other services) 4,179 196,648 $49.5

*Excludes health care-only claims

How many injuries were reported last year?

  • 141,968

How many claims were accepted last year?

  • 94,252

What percentage of claims were disallowed in 2009?

  • 6.4 %
 

How many health and safety inspections were done in 2009?

  • 38,520

How many health and safety orders were written in 2009?

  • 69,934

How many penalties were imposed in 2009?

  • 211

What was the value of penalties imposed in 2009?

  • $4.5 million