What’s the real cost of an injury or a near-miss to your business?

When something goes wrong at work, the greatest costs aren’t financial at all – they’re the human costs for anyone who gets hurt, and the people that care about them.

But workplace injuries and incidents do have financial costs. They come in five key areas – not to mention WCB premium increases or fines, which aren't part of this calculator. Some costs are direct, some are hidden, but they all impact your bottom line. Understanding them can help create an even stronger business case for safety.

Don’t wait until you’re picking up the pieces to find out what an incident would cost you. Choose an industry, enter your data, and get started today.

Pick an Industry:

The Incident Cost Calculator was developed by WorkSafeBC, and was adapted for use in Nova Scotia by the Province of Nova Scotia, WCB Nova Scotia, and their industry partners.

Healthcare

Worker injured after being struck by resident

A Continuing Care Assistant at a long-term care facility was struck in the shoulder by an agitated resident, resulting in bruising and shoulder strain. Costs are based on a small long-term care facility with one owner and 19 workers.

Estimated wage rates:
Workers = $18/hr; Employer = $40/hr

Print Reset Values

Incident costs An incident is an unplanned, undesired event hindering completion of a task and may cause - or have potential to cause - injury, illness, property damage, or some combination of all three

$382

Time for first aid Salary cost of first aid attendant assisting injured worker
Salary costs of people arranging for emergency services and transportation
Salary cost of first aid attendant filling out first aid record

hrs

$ /hr

$18

Time for transportation to medical care Salary cost of waiting for transportation
Salary cost of person taking injured worker to hospital
Salary cost of person remaining with injured worker at hospital

hrs

$ /hr

$72

Lost productivity of workers Salary costs of injured worker
Salary costs of people temporarily not working, if not recorded elsewhere (e.g., 4 employees x 1 hour)

hrs

$ /hr

$90

Lost productivity of employers Salary costs of managers/supervisors dealing with incident

hrs

$ /hr

$120

Time to make area safe Cost of activities to make area immediately safe (e.g., stopping machinery, installation of scaffolding and barriers)
Costs of evacuating the area and emergency rescue

hrs

$ /hr

$72

First aid supplies and equipment Cost to replace supplies/equipment used in treating injured worker

$10

Ambulance or taxi cost Employer is responsible to pay the cost of transporting the injured worker to appropriate medical care

Other costs

Investigation costs Investigation is the account and analysis of an incident based on information gathered by a thorough examination of all contributing factors and causes involved

$820

Investigation time Salary costs of people investigating incident, including time to interview injured worker and witnesses, examine equipment, photograph site, and take measurements
Salary costs of people meeting with manufacturers, engineers, and other specialists as required

hrs

$ /hr

$174

Completing incident investigation report Salary costs of people involved in completing the incident investigation report

hrs

$ /hr

$80

Completing company internal and/or WCB reporting requirements Salary costs of people involved in completing:
Company incident report form(s)
WCB Injury Report (Form 6/7)

hrs

$ /hr

$80

Serious incident reporting and investigation Salary costs of people involved in:
Reporting to OHS Division
Meeting with OHS Officers
Assisting with OHS Division investigation as needed

hrs

$ /hr

$80

Follow-up meetings to discuss incident Salary costs of all people involved in meetings to discuss incident, the investigation findings, and any required changes to procedures or processes (include management, supervisors, workers, safety representative, safety committee members)
Salary costs of people meeting with injured worker and worker’s family
Salary costs of people following up with OHS Officer(s)

hrs

$ /hr

$406

Other costs Fines or penalties you incurred, for example

Damage costs Damage is harm that reduces value or usefulness

Time to assess damage Salary costs of people involved in:
Determining what repairs or modifications may be required as a result of the incident investigation
Determining if equipment or parts need to be upgraded or replaced

hrs

$ /hr

Time to repair or replace equipment Labour costs for repairs - either contracted or internal

hrs

$ /hr

Time to coordinate repair work Salary costs of people involved in:
Coordinating purchases
Coordinating modifications to equipment, including temporary modifications
Coordinating production to accommodate repair work

hrs

$ /hr

Cleanup time (includes coordination) Time for workers to clean up site
Time to coordinate cleanup

hrs

$ /hr

Hiring of external resources to clean up incident site Cost of hiring external resource(s) to clean up incident site

Disposal of damaged equipment Cost of disposal of waste, damaged equipment, etc. (i.e. rental of garbage bins)

Replacement parts, equipment or lost product Cost of replacing parts or equipment damaged in the incident
Cost of goods/products lost as a result of the incident (i.e. spoilage, loss of truck load)

Other costs

Replacement costs Replacement refers to the process of securing an alternate worker to fulfil the job duties in the absence of an injured worker

Hiring or relocating replacement worker Salary costs of people involved in:
Evaluating whether existing workers can be relocated to cover duties of injured worker or replacement worker needs to be hired
Reviewing resumes, conducting telephone interviews, and scheduling in-person interviews
Testing and interviewing potential new workers
Coordinating training and orientation of new or relocated worker
Completing paperwork

hrs

$ /hr

Relocating or rescheduling of another worker Overtime costs and difference in pay
Lost productivity at relocated worker’s original location

hrs

$ /hr

Trainer time for new or relocated worker Time for training
Time for added supervision of new or relocated worker
Lost productivity of person required to train and supervise

hrs

$ /hr

Trainee time for new or relocated worker Time for training
Reduced productivity of new or relocated worker

hrs

$ /hr

Cost to hire a replacement worker Advertising costs
Agency fees if temporary worker used

Other costs

Productivity costs Productivity refers to the ability to generate goods and/or services at a rate which contributes to the profitability of a business

Lost productivity due to disruption (e.g., delays, waiting to resume operations) Reduced productivity (e.g., production lines not operating at full capacity)
Contractors or subcontractors standing idle
Lost production on day of incident (e.g., overtime required to replace lost production)
Lost production during investigation
Reduced productivity due to anxiety and stress felt by co-workers

hrs

$ /hr

Managing the injury claim Salary costs of people involved in:
Contacting worker and WCB to coordinate return-to-work activities and dates
Attending case conferences
Updating co-workers on progress of injured worker (include salary costs of co-workers involved in this activity)

hrs

$ /hr

Reduced productivity of injured worker following return to work Time for injured worker to "get up to speed" on production or current project
Worker may still be recovering and not able to carry full workload
Time for follow-up medical appointments

hrs

$ /hr

Other costs

Total costs

$1202

How long will it take to recover this $1202 cost?

Enter your average profit margin

Enter your average sales or revenue per day

Recovery Costs

% margin

Gross sales required to recover incident cost

Number of working days to recover incident cost

days

Retail

Worker sustains laceration and mild concussion

A clerk at a small clothing store was unpacking stock in the back room, and struck her head on a hanging shelf. The clerk sustained a small cut on her forehead and later showed symptoms of a mild concussion. Costs are based on one employer and a ten-worker shift.

Estimated wage rates:
Workers = $14/hr; Employer = $30/hr

Print Reset Values

$77

hrs

$ /hr

$14

hrs

$ /hr

Lost productivity of workers Salary costs of injured worker
Salary costs of people temporarily not working, if not recorded elsewhere (e.g., 4 employees x 1 hour)

hrs

$ /hr

$28

Lost productivity of employers Salary costs of managers/supervisors dealing with incident

hrs

$ /hr

$30

Time to make area safe Cost of activities to make area immediately safe (e.g., stopping machinery, installation of scaffolding and barriers)
Costs of evacuating the area and emergency rescue

hrs

$ /hr

First aid supplies and equipment Cost to replace supplies/equipment used in treating injured worker

Ambulance or taxi cost Employer is responsible to pay the cost of transporting the injured worker to appropriate medical care

Other costs

Investigation costs Investigation is the account and analysis of an incident based on information gathered by a thorough examination of all contributing factors and causes involved

$368

hrs

$ /hr

$44

Completing incident investigation report Salary costs of people involved in completing the incident investigation report

hrs

$ /hr

$30

Completing company internal and/or WCB reporting requirements Salary costs of people involved in completing:
Company incident report form(s)
WCB Injury Report (Form 6/7)

hrs

$ /hr

$30

Serious incident reporting and investigation Salary costs of people involved in:
Reporting to OHS Division
Meeting with OHS Officers
Assisting with OHS Division investigation as needed

hrs

$ /hr

hrs

$ /hr

$264

Other costs Fines or penalties you incurred, for example

Damage costs Damage is harm that reduces value or usefulness

hrs

$ /hr

Time to repair or replace equipment Labour costs for repairs - either contracted or internal

hrs

$ /hr

hrs

$ /hr

Cleanup time (includes coordination) Time for workers to clean up site
Time to coordinate cleanup

hrs

$ /hr

Hiring of external resources to clean up incident site Cost of hiring external resource(s) to clean up incident site

Disposal of damaged equipment Cost of disposal of waste, damaged equipment, etc. (i.e. rental of garbage bins)

Replacement parts, equipment or lost product Cost of replacing parts or equipment damaged in the incident
Cost of goods/products lost as a result of the incident (i.e. spoilage, loss of truck load)

Other costs

Replacement costs Replacement refers to the process of securing an alternate worker to fulfil the job duties in the absence of an injured worker

hrs

$ /hr

Relocating or rescheduling of another worker Overtime costs and difference in pay
Lost productivity at relocated worker’s original location

hrs

$ /hr

Trainer time for new or relocated worker Time for training
Time for added supervision of new or relocated worker
Lost productivity of person required to train and supervise

hrs

$ /hr

Trainee time for new or relocated worker Time for training
Reduced productivity of new or relocated worker

hrs

$ /hr

Cost to hire a replacement worker Advertising costs
Agency fees if temporary worker used

Other costs

Productivity costs Productivity refers to the ability to generate goods and/or services at a rate which contributes to the profitability of a business

$164

hrs

$ /hr

$14

hrs

$ /hr

$150

hrs

$ /hr

Other costs

Total costs

$609

How long will it take to recover this $609 cost?

Enter your average profit margin

Enter your average sales or revenue per day

Recovery Costs

% margin

Gross sales required to recover incident cost

Number of working days to recover incident cost

days

Trucking

Worker sprains knee after slipping on ice

A truck driver was getting out of the truck cab after a sudden freeze. His foot slipped and went underneath the truck step, causing him to twist his knee, resulting in a sprain. Costs are based on an operator with one owner and one contract driver.

Estimated wage rates:
Workers = $17/hr; Employer = $65/hr (billing rate)

Print Reset Values

$147

hrs

$ /hr

hrs

$ /hr

$17

Lost productivity of workers Salary costs of injured worker
Salary costs of people temporarily not working, if not recorded elsewhere (e.g., 4 employees x 1 hour)

hrs

$ /hr

Lost productivity of employers Salary costs of managers/supervisors dealing with incident

hrs

$ /hr

$130

Time to make area safe Cost of activities to make area immediately safe (e.g., stopping machinery, installation of scaffolding and barriers)
Costs of evacuating the area and emergency rescue

hrs

$ /hr

First aid supplies and equipment Cost to replace supplies/equipment used in treating injured worker

Ambulance or taxi cost Employer is responsible to pay the cost of transporting the injured worker to appropriate medical care

Other costs

Investigation costs Investigation is the account and analysis of an incident based on information gathered by a thorough examination of all contributing factors and causes involved

$294

hrs

$ /hr

$82

Completing incident investigation report Salary costs of people involved in completing the incident investigation report

hrs

$ /hr

$65

Completing company internal and/or WCB reporting requirements Salary costs of people involved in completing:
Company incident report form(s)
WCB Injury Report (Form 6/7)

hrs

$ /hr

$65

Serious incident reporting and investigation Salary costs of people involved in:
Reporting to OHS Division
Meeting with OHS Officers
Assisting with OHS Division investigation as needed

hrs

$ /hr

hrs

$ /hr

$82

Other costs Fines or penalties you incurred, for example

Damage costs Damage is harm that reduces value or usefulness

hrs

$ /hr

Time to repair or replace equipment Labour costs for repairs - either contracted or internal

hrs

$ /hr

hrs

$ /hr

Cleanup time (includes coordination) Time for workers to clean up site
Time to coordinate cleanup

hrs

$ /hr

Hiring of external resources to clean up incident site Cost of hiring external resource(s) to clean up incident site

Disposal of damaged equipment Cost of disposal of waste, damaged equipment, etc. (i.e. rental of garbage bins)

Replacement parts, equipment or lost product Cost of replacing parts or equipment damaged in the incident
Cost of goods/products lost as a result of the incident (i.e. spoilage, loss of truck load)

Other costs

Replacement costs Replacement refers to the process of securing an alternate worker to fulfil the job duties in the absence of an injured worker

hrs

$ /hr

Relocating or rescheduling of another worker Overtime costs and difference in pay
Lost productivity at relocated worker’s original location

hrs

$ /hr

Trainer time for new or relocated worker Time for training
Time for added supervision of new or relocated worker
Lost productivity of person required to train and supervise

hrs

$ /hr

Trainee time for new or relocated worker Time for training
Reduced productivity of new or relocated worker

hrs

$ /hr

Cost to hire a replacement worker Advertising costs
Agency fees if temporary worker used

Other costs

Productivity costs Productivity refers to the ability to generate goods and/or services at a rate which contributes to the profitability of a business

$1105

hrs

$ /hr

$455

hrs

$ /hr

$650

hrs

$ /hr

Other costs

Total costs

$1546

How long will it take to recover this $1546 cost?

Enter your average profit margin

Enter your average sales or revenue per day

Recovery Costs

% margin

Gross sales required to recover incident cost

Number of working days to recover incident cost

days

Construction

Worker injured after falling 3 m (10 ft)

A residential construction worker broke his ankle and forearm after falling 3 m (10 ft) off an unguarded scaffold onto the main floor of a construction site. Costs are based on one employer and a five-worker crew.

Estimated wage rates:
Workers = $19/hr; Employer = $45/hr

Print Reset Values

$1132

hrs

$ /hr

$38

hrs

$ /hr

$38

Lost productivity of workers Salary costs of injured worker
Salary costs of people temporarily not working, if not recorded elsewhere (e.g., 4 employees x 1 hour)

hrs

$ /hr

$152

Lost productivity of employers Salary costs of managers/supervisors dealing with incident

hrs

$ /hr

$45

Time to make area safe Cost of activities to make area immediately safe (e.g., stopping machinery, installation of scaffolding and barriers)
Costs of evacuating the area and emergency rescue

hrs

$ /hr

$19

First aid supplies and equipment Cost to replace supplies/equipment used in treating injured worker

$100

Ambulance or taxi cost Employer is responsible to pay the cost of transporting the injured worker to appropriate medical care

$740

Other costs

Investigation costs Investigation is the account and analysis of an incident based on information gathered by a thorough examination of all contributing factors and causes involved

$590

hrs

$ /hr

$128

Completing incident investigation report Salary costs of people involved in completing the incident investigation report

hrs

$ /hr

$90

Completing company internal and/or WCB reporting requirements Salary costs of people involved in completing:
Company incident report form(s)
WCB Injury Report (Form 6/7)

hrs

$ /hr

$90

Serious incident reporting and investigation Salary costs of people involved in:
Reporting to OHS Division
Meeting with OHS Officers
Assisting with OHS Division investigation as needed

hrs

$ /hr

$90

hrs

$ /hr

$192

Other costs Fines or penalties you incurred, for example

Damage costs Damage is harm that reduces value or usefulness

$84

hrs

$ /hr

Time to repair or replace equipment Labour costs for repairs - either contracted or internal

hrs

$ /hr

$20

hrs

$ /hr

$45

Cleanup time (includes coordination) Time for workers to clean up site
Time to coordinate cleanup

hrs

$ /hr

$19

Hiring of external resources to clean up incident site Cost of hiring external resource(s) to clean up incident site

Disposal of damaged equipment Cost of disposal of waste, damaged equipment, etc. (i.e. rental of garbage bins)

Replacement parts, equipment or lost product Cost of replacing parts or equipment damaged in the incident
Cost of goods/products lost as a result of the incident (i.e. spoilage, loss of truck load)

Other costs

Replacement costs Replacement refers to the process of securing an alternate worker to fulfil the job duties in the absence of an injured worker

$605

hrs

$ /hr

$135

Relocating or rescheduling of another worker Overtime costs and difference in pay
Lost productivity at relocated worker’s original location

hrs

$ /hr

Trainer time for new or relocated worker Time for training
Time for added supervision of new or relocated worker
Lost productivity of person required to train and supervise

hrs

$ /hr

$90

Trainee time for new or relocated worker Time for training
Reduced productivity of new or relocated worker

hrs

$ /hr

$380

Cost to hire a replacement worker Advertising costs
Agency fees if temporary worker used

Other costs

Productivity costs Productivity refers to the ability to generate goods and/or services at a rate which contributes to the profitability of a business

$691

hrs

$ /hr

$76

hrs

$ /hr

$45

hrs

$ /hr

$570

Other costs

Total costs

$3102

How long will it take to recover this $3102 cost?

Enter your average profit margin

Enter your average sales or revenue per day

Recovery Costs

% margin

Gross sales required to recover incident cost

Number of working days to recover incident cost

days

Fisheries

Worker sustains rotator cuff injury

A worker on a fishing vessel was hauling in lobster traps, when he sustained a rotator cuff injury. Costs are based on one employer and a six-worker crew.

Estimated wage rates:
Workers = $24/hr; Employer = $50/hr

Print Reset Values

$438

hrs

$ /hr

$48

hrs

$ /hr

Lost productivity of workers Salary costs of injured worker
Salary costs of people temporarily not working, if not recorded elsewhere (e.g., 4 employees x 1 hour)

hrs

$ /hr

$240

Lost productivity of employers Salary costs of managers/supervisors dealing with incident

hrs

$ /hr

$100

Time to make area safe Cost of activities to make area immediately safe (e.g., stopping machinery, installation of scaffolding and barriers)
Costs of evacuating the area and emergency rescue

hrs

$ /hr

First aid supplies and equipment Cost to replace supplies/equipment used in treating injured worker

$50

Ambulance or taxi cost Employer is responsible to pay the cost of transporting the injured worker to appropriate medical care

Other costs

Investigation costs Investigation is the account and analysis of an incident based on information gathered by a thorough examination of all contributing factors and causes involved

$396

hrs

$ /hr

$148

Completing incident investigation report Salary costs of people involved in completing the incident investigation report

hrs

$ /hr

$50

Completing company internal and/or WCB reporting requirements Salary costs of people involved in completing:
Company incident report form(s)
WCB Injury Report (Form 6/7)

hrs

$ /hr

$50

Serious incident reporting and investigation Salary costs of people involved in:
Reporting to OHS Division
Meeting with OHS Officers
Assisting with OHS Division investigation as needed

hrs

$ /hr

hrs

$ /hr

$148

Other costs Fines or penalties you incurred, for example

Damage costs Damage is harm that reduces value or usefulness

hrs

$ /hr

Time to repair or replace equipment Labour costs for repairs - either contracted or internal

hrs

$ /hr

hrs

$ /hr

Cleanup time (includes coordination) Time for workers to clean up site
Time to coordinate cleanup

hrs

$ /hr

Hiring of external resources to clean up incident site Cost of hiring external resource(s) to clean up incident site

Disposal of damaged equipment Cost of disposal of waste, damaged equipment, etc. (i.e. rental of garbage bins)

Replacement parts, equipment or lost product Cost of replacing parts or equipment damaged in the incident
Cost of goods/products lost as a result of the incident (i.e. spoilage, loss of truck load)

Other costs

Replacement costs Replacement refers to the process of securing an alternate worker to fulfil the job duties in the absence of an injured worker

$174

hrs

$ /hr

$100

Relocating or rescheduling of another worker Overtime costs and difference in pay
Lost productivity at relocated worker’s original location

hrs

$ /hr

Trainer time for new or relocated worker Time for training
Time for added supervision of new or relocated worker
Lost productivity of person required to train and supervise

hrs

$ /hr

$50

Trainee time for new or relocated worker Time for training
Reduced productivity of new or relocated worker

hrs

$ /hr

$24

Cost to hire a replacement worker Advertising costs
Agency fees if temporary worker used

Other costs

Productivity costs Productivity refers to the ability to generate goods and/or services at a rate which contributes to the profitability of a business

$990

hrs

$ /hr

$240

hrs

$ /hr

$750

hrs

$ /hr

Other costs

Total costs

$1998

How long will it take to recover this $1998 cost?

Enter your average profit margin

Enter your average sales or revenue per day

Recovery Costs

% margin

Gross sales required to recover incident cost

Number of working days to recover incident cost

days

Custom

Use this blank template and enter your own information to calculate the cost of an incident at your workplace

When you’re entering information, think about a specific incident your company has had or could possibly have. This tool will help you understand how much a workplace incident can cost, including costs you may not normally have considered.

When entering “hours”, consider the number of people involved and for how long. For example, if investigating the incident took 3 hours and involved 2 people, the hours would be calculated as “2 people x 3 hours = 6 hours” – and you would enter “6” in the box for that line item.

Your Industry:

Print Reset Values

hrs

$ /hr

hrs

$ /hr

Lost productivity of workers Salary costs of injured worker
Salary costs of people temporarily not working, if not recorded elsewhere (e.g., 4 employees x 1 hour)

hrs

$ /hr

Lost productivity of employers Salary costs of managers/supervisors dealing with incident

hrs

$ /hr

Time to make area safe Cost of activities to make area immediately safe (e.g., stopping machinery, installation of scaffolding and barriers)
Costs of evacuating the area and emergency rescue

hrs

$ /hr

First aid supplies and equipment Cost to replace supplies/equipment used in treating injured worker

Ambulance or taxi cost Employer is responsible to pay the cost of transporting the injured worker to appropriate medical care

Other costs

Investigation costs Investigation is the account and analysis of an incident based on information gathered by a thorough examination of all contributing factors and causes involved

hrs

$ /hr

Completing incident investigation report Salary costs of people involved in completing the incident investigation report

hrs

$ /hr

Completing company internal and/or WCB reporting requirements Salary costs of people involved in completing:
Company incident report form(s)
WCB Injury Report (Form 6/7)

hrs

$ /hr

Serious incident reporting and investigation Salary costs of people involved in:
Reporting to OHS Division
Meeting with OHS Officers
Assisting with OHS Division investigation as needed

hrs

$ /hr

hrs

$ /hr

Other costs Fines or penalties you incurred, for example

Damage costs Damage is harm that reduces value or usefulness

hrs

$ /hr

Time to repair or replace equipment Labour costs for repairs - either contracted or internal

hrs

$ /hr

hrs

$ /hr

Cleanup time (includes coordination) Time for workers to clean up site
Time to coordinate cleanup

hrs

$ /hr

Hiring of external resources to clean up incident site Cost of hiring external resource(s) to clean up incident site

Disposal of damaged equipment Cost of disposal of waste, damaged equipment, etc. (i.e. rental of garbage bins)

Replacement parts, equipment or lost product Cost of replacing parts or equipment damaged in the incident
Cost of goods/products lost as a result of the incident (i.e. spoilage, loss of truck load)

Other costs

Replacement costs Replacement refers to the process of securing an alternate worker to fulfil the job duties in the absence of an injured worker

hrs

$ /hr

Relocating or rescheduling of another worker Overtime costs and difference in pay
Lost productivity at relocated worker’s original location

hrs

$ /hr

Trainer time for new or relocated worker Time for training
Time for added supervision of new or relocated worker
Lost productivity of person required to train and supervise

hrs

$ /hr

Trainee time for new or relocated worker Time for training
Reduced productivity of new or relocated worker

hrs

$ /hr

Cost to hire a replacement worker Advertising costs
Agency fees if temporary worker used

Other costs

Productivity costs Productivity refers to the ability to generate goods and/or services at a rate which contributes to the profitability of a business

hrs

$ /hr

hrs

$ /hr

hrs

$ /hr

Other costs

Total costs

How long will it take to recover this $0 cost?

Enter your average profit margin

Enter your average sales or revenue per day

Recovery Costs

% margin

Gross sales required to recover incident cost

Number of working days to recover incident cost

days