Time to register for WCB Alberta’s Partnership in Injury Reduction program
Annual Experience Rating statements will be released soon for employers across Canada, so it’s a good time to review some of the ways in which you can reduce your future WCB premium rates. Obviously, one way is to not have as many claims, since your WCB claims from the three preceding years are used to calculate your premium rate. So for next year (2026) the number and costs associated with the claims you had in 2022, 2023 and 2024 will determine what you pay in terms of a premium rate. There is one additional way in which Alberta employers can reduce their premium rate, and that is to take part in the WCB’s Partnership in Injury Reduction program. In order to do so, you have to register no later than December 31, 2025. The benefit can be significant: If you qualify, you can get a refund of up to 20 […]
How AI could help make the workplace safer part three
(Note: This is the third in a three-part series on the use of artificial intelligence tools in the workplace. The first part is here and the second part is here) Whether we call it machine learning or artificial intelligence, there are tools in the workplace now that can use video evidence and other tools to identify and flag a wide array of hazards in real-time, including wet floors, exposed wires, hairline cracks in machinery parts, or equipment left in dangerous positions. Its precision allows it to detect minute irregularities that might be imperceptible to the human eye. These kinds of tools can also verify the integrity and correct positioning of safety barriers, guardrails, or railings in the workplace, and ensure that workers maintain safe distances from operating machinery or hazardous equipment, and that all essential safety signs are correctly placed and clearly visible. Some companies are using AI systems to […]
Things to consider before voting for the WCB’s Industry Custom Pricing
A number of industries in Alberta will be voting on Monday, September 15th on whether to join a program the Workers’ Compensation Board calls Industry Custom Pricing or ICP. The WCB describes it as “an optional program that empowers industries to customize various features of their pricing program, giving them greater control over the premiums they pay.” In effect, the ICP program offers industry members lower premium costs in return for giving up the option for cost relief in certain cases (the Cost Relief Option), or for allowing the WCB to modify the rate-setting calculations for that industry (the Experience Rating Option). There’s a good BCL overview of this program with more background and some common questions here. In a nutshell, all the members of a given industry group get to vote on whether to become part of the ICP program, and if companies that represent more than 50% of […]
How AI could help make the workplace safer part two
(Note: This is the second in a three-part series on the use of artificial intelligence tools in the workplace. The first part is here) Whether we call it machine learning or artificial intelligence, there are tools in the workplace now that can use video evidence and other tools to identify and flag a wide array of hazards in real-time, including wet floors, exposed wires, hairline cracks in machinery parts, or equipment left in dangerous positions. Its precision allows it to detect minute irregularities that might be imperceptible to the human eye. These kinds of tools can also verify the integrity and correct positioning of safety barriers, guardrails, or railings in the workplace, and ensure that workers maintain safe distances from operating machinery or hazardous equipment, and that all essential safety signs are correctly placed and clearly visible. Some companies are using AI systems to do object detection and predictive analytics relating […]
How AI could help make the workplace safer
(Note: This is the first in a three-part series on the use of artificial intelligence tools in the workplace) There’s a lot of concern about the potential risks or downsides of artificial intelligence — a term that encompasses technologies such as machine learning, computer vision, and predictive analytics — but it has its positive aspects as well. For one thing, it is rapidly expanding the capabilities of safety leaders in modern workplaces, and represents a profound departure from traditional safety measures, which often rely on reactive responses to incidents after they have occurred. Instead, AI allows for a proactive approach, giving companies the ability to anticipate and mitigate hazards before they escalate into accidents by using tools such as predictive analytics, real-time monitoring, and automated hazard detection. Doing so can foster a safer work environment, and substantially reduce accident rates — and premiums. Machine learning algorithms are instrumental in industrial […]