Number of workplace deaths in Saskatchewan up by 10 compared to all of last year
By The Canadian Press
REGINA – The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board says all organizations should be investing in safety programs following a report that shows a rising number of workplace deaths.
The latest data shows there were 37 workplace deaths between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 compared to 27 fatalities for all of last year.
Occupational disease accounted for 38.7 per cent of this year’s fatalities, largely due to asbestos exposure.
Motor vehicle accidents were also a leading cause.
Phil Germain, the board’s vice-president of prevention, says employers, workers and professional organizations need to work together to reverse the trend.
He says all workplace fatalities are preventable. “We all need to step up to make our workplaces safer,” he said Thursday. “All organizations, no matter their size, should be investing in their own safety programs and make safety a key part of their cultures.”
Data collected over the last 15 years by the board shows the province averages 37 workplace deaths per year.
