July 2007 Issue
Safer Workplace Trend Continues Through 2006
Last year saw a drop in workplace deaths and lost-time claims in Alberta, latest
health and safety statistics show.
There were 124 occupational fatalities in 2006, compared with 143 in 2005. Fatalities included 33 motor vehicle incidents, 27 workplace incidents, and 64 occupational disease deaths.
The fatality rate compares the number of fatalities with the working population. In 2006, the rate fell to 78 fatalities per million person-years — the lowest rate since 1991 when the province put the current methodology into practice.
“This trend highlights the positive effect of government working in partnership with industry and employees to create a culture of workplace safety,” a government news release quotes the Hon. Iris Evans, Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry, as saying. “However, even one workplace death is one too many.”
The provincial lost-time claim rate for 2006 was 2.35 per 100 person years, down from 2.41 in 2005 and down for the second straight year. This rate compares the number of lost-time claims submitted with the working population covered.
The disabling injury rate is a newer measure, similar to the lost-time claim rate but covering a broader range of injuries. This rate also includes claims submitted in which employees have their work modified to accommodate their injuries, enabling them to remain in the workplace and not requiring time away from work.
The disabling injury rate increased to 4.14 per 100 person years in 2006, from 4.02 the year before.