WCB, Fisheries Sector Council call for safe lobster season

November 20, 2008 – Halifax/Yarmouth, NS – Lobster season begins Monday, and as fishermen in Southwest Nova Scotia untie their boats and prepare to leave port, the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia (WCB) is reminding workers and employers to do everything they can to bring them home safe.

According to WCB stats, workplace injury continues to have a devastating impact on the province’s fishing industry. In 2007, there were 406 fishing industry claims submitted to the WCB. Of those injuries, 140 resulted in the worker losing time from work.

And tragically, nine fishing industry workers have died on the job between 2003 and 2007. These stats reflect only WCB-covered operations. Employers with three or more employees are required to have coverage, but because many fishing operations are smaller, not all injuries or fatalities would appear in WCB statistics.

"Fishing in the winter months can be especially dangerous, and we're encouraging all workers and employers to check their safety equipment and work procedures to ensure no one is hurt or killed this season," said Stuart MacLean, the WCB's Vice President of Service Delivery.

The seafood processing sector also has its share of injury, with 538 injuries in 2007, including 143 time-loss injuries.

While injuries related to weather, conditions at sea and overloaded boats can be serious and tragic, musculoskeletal injuries, known as sprains and strains, are common. These injuries are caused by hazards associated with the way work is designed and carried out, such as excessive force from lifting or other tasks.

"In order to improve our industry’s safety performance, everyone involved has to take responsibility," said Lisa Anderson, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Fisheries Sector Council. "There's plenty of room for improvement, but the situation won’t get better unless employers and workers take action, and do something to prevent injuries from happening."

The premiums paid by fishing industry employers for workplace injury insurance are among the highest in Nova Scotia. At $7.48 per $100 of payroll, their 2009 average rate is nearly three times the overall average rate of $2.65 - a direct result of the number and severity of injuries. The rate is $7.29 in 2008.

For seafood processing, the 2009 rate is $5.19, down from $5.25 in 2008. Employers in aquaculture will pay $4.18 per $100 of assessable payroll in 2009, up from $4.07 in 2008.

All sectors are still well above Nova Scotia’s average assessment rate of $2.65.

"Preventing injuries is the key to reducing these costs," said MacLean. "Claims costs drive the cost of insurance, so by lowering their claims, employers can lower their premiums. More importantly, far fewer workers and their families will experience the devastating impact of workplace injury."

Background Information: Fishing Industry Workers Face High Risk of Injury

About the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia: 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, the WCB supports those whose lives it touches by championing a timely return to safe and healthy work.

About the Nova Scotia Fisheries Sector Council: The Nova Scotia Fisheries Sector Council is dedicated to planning and implementing human resource development strategies to attract new entrants to aquaculture, fish harvesting and processing careers, and promoting competitiveness and higher quality standards for seafood products. We want to involve industry stakeholders at all levels in expanding investment and participation in human resource development activities.

For more information, please contact:

Julie Trites
Communications Advisor
Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia
902.491.8103
julie.trites@wcb.gov.ns.ca

Lisa Anderson,
Executive Director
NS Fisheries Sector Council
902-742-6167
nsfsc@klis.com