Near Miss: The Undervalued Key to Workplace Safety
It happens all the time, whether we are aware of it or not. It affects our behaviour, whether we are aware of it or not. It changes the way we do things, whether we are aware of it or not. It happens when we least expect it and even when we think we are prepared – it is a ‘near miss’. What is a ‘Near Miss’? Loosely defined, a ‘near miss’ is a close call, an unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage, but had the potential to do so – an incident, that under other circumstances, could have resulted in a less than favourable outcome but did not. Why Near Miss reporting is important to the workplace safety? If everything turned out okay why bother talking about it, reporting it, or investigating it? The reality is that a ‘near miss’ holds valuable information that can […]
Why Performance Matters
When it comes to WCB premiums, it is an employer’s performance – in terms of the number and severity of work-related accidents, incidents and illnesses – that has a significant impact on premium rates. Simply put, employers who have a large number of WCB claims and high WCB claims costs will pay more in WCB premiums than employers with few or no WCB claims and little or no WCB claim costs. Although the WCB provides discounts and rewards for employers with good accident records, the primary incentive to get employers with poor performance histories to make immediate improvements to their disability management and prevention programs is through monetary repercussions. The Poor Performance Surcharge (PPS), which is levied on large employers (i.e. employers who pay more than $15,000 per year in industry rated premiums in a 3 year period) who have consistently poor accident records over consecutive years. It is, perhaps, […]
Everything you wanted to know about WCB Premiums but were afraid to ask
‘Workers’ compensation, just like any other insurance – you hope you never need it , but it’s there if you do.’ Such is the quote on the Insurance and Premiums page of the WCB Alberta’s website. While the statement is true, it is incomplete; workers’ compensation is also just like any other insurance – you have to pay WCB premiums to get coverage and keeping premiums low makes good business sense. Paying WCB premiums is not optional for many employers, so knowing how premiums are established can help manage premium rates. WCB premium rates are calculated using a multifactorial formula of fixed and variable components. While employers have no control over the fixed aspects, they do have a degree of influence over the variable factors. In Alberta, the WCB issues an Employer Premium Rate Statement (EPRS) annually to every employer that pays WCB premiums and all the information used to […]
What is a Concurrent Condition and How Does it Affect Temporary Disability Benefits?
On June 6, 2017, the WCB Alberta announced changes to policies regarding the application of cost relief for concurrent conditions, directly affecting Policy 04-02, Part II, Application 1, paragraph 11 and Policy 05-02, Part II, Application 1. The proposed changes were put forward on December 8, 2016 and the WCB welcomed comments and input until March 9, 2017. More details on the possible implications of the proposed changes can be found on our blog. Now that the policy changes have been implemented, what exactly has changed, and how does it affect employers? Let’s take a closer look: By WCB definition, a concurrent condition refers to a non-compensable condition that exists at the same time as a compensable disability. The onset or identification of a concurrent condition can occur either before or after a compensable accident and may or may not have an impact on a worker’s recovery from a compensable […]
Seasonal Worker Safety: An Employer Priority
Summer is here! The season of sunshine, warm weather, vacations, festivals, exhibitions, concerts, Stampede, landscaping, outdoor activities and, of course, construction. It’s also one of the busiest times of the year for seasonal hires – whether it is extra staff to handle the peak traffic at resorts, camp counsellors, summer students to cover vacations, special event workers or extra manpower to complete construction and other projects while the weather permits. With the hire of new employees, whether permanent, temporary or seasonal, workplace safety should be an integral part of the on-boarding process and ongoing operations. Let’s explore more about Seasonal Worker Safety: Greater Risks for New Hires A recent study by the Institution for Work & Health (IWH), based on research over a 10 year period, indicates that there is a higher risk of work injury among workers new to a job and virtually every seasonal worker is ‘new’. The […]