To calculate the lost-time injury rate, we look at the number of allowed lost-time claims and the total number of people employed to determine the number of lost-time claims per 100 employees.

Since 2011, the number of people covered by the WSIB from Schedule 1 businesses has increased by approximately 10 per cent, while the lost-time injury rate increased by two per cent and the no lost-time injury rate decreased by 30 per cent. In 2020, employment numbers for those covered by the WSIB for Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 businesses decreased by 8 per cent compared to 2019. Similarly, Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey (LFS) on employment in Ontario showed a six per cent decrease in employment over the same period. 

The lost-time injury rate increased by two per cent and the no lost-time injury rate decreased by 30 per cent for 2020.

2.1 - Allowed claims and injury rates by injury/illness year

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2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Allowed Lost Time Claims 43,371 42,702 41,508 40,585 38,953 43,386 44,660 48,519 49,029 48,429
Allowed No Lost Time Claims 108,954 109,648 110,120 110,196 107,504 106,888 111,411 114,451 115,787 83,449
WSIB Covered Employment 4,128,939 4,239,440 4,361,029 4,431,674 4,556,888 4,621,929 4,719,183 4,840,080 4,981,535 4,531,276
Lost Time Injury Rate 1.05 1.01 0.95 0.92 0.85 0.94 0.95 1 0.98 1.07
No Lost Time Injury Rate 2.64 2.59 2.53 2.49 2.36 2.31 2.36 2.36 2.32 1.84
 

 

 

Jurisdictional comparison

Over the past 10 years, injury rates in most of the provinces and territories have gone down. Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Yukon have seen the biggest decreases, and Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick have increased.  Ontario currently has the lowest injury rate in Canada, while the WSIB and the other compensation boards across Canada continue improving overall health and safety in the workplaces across the province.

2.5 - Injury frequency by Canadian jurisdiction

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Year AB BC MB NB NL NS NT/NU ON PE QC SK YT
2010 1.42 2.27 3.37 1.35 2.03 2.21 2.45 1.15 1.21 1.97 3.15 2.12
2019 1.52 2.2 2.52 1.63 1.68 1.72 2.13 1.14 1.43 2.06 1.98 1.79

Data source for lost-time injury rate by jurisdiction:
Detailed Key Statistical Measures Report on the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) website pulled June 2021.

Data notations:
Data presented in the lost-time injury rate by jurisdiction graph reflect the latest complete year due to the lag in reporting for all Canadian jurisdictions.
The WSIB uses the term lost-time injury rate which is equivalent to the injury frequency statistic that is reported by the WSIB to AWCBC annually.

Differences in population, industry mixes, coverage, and legislation/policy may affect comparability between jurisdictions. These measures use standard definitions as compiled by AWCBC that may differ from individual workplace compensation board reports.

For all footnotes and definitions associated with these statistics above please visit the Detailed Key Statistical Measures Report on the AWCBC website.

To view
Data Notations 2020
or historical and supplementary data, please go to Open Data Downloads.


Data in By the Numbers: 2020 WSIB Statistical Report may not match previously published results. This is due to factors such as data maturity, updated definitions and methodologies, and rounding. Data in By the Numbers is matured three months, with the exception of benefit payments, which represents cash paid during the year, to or on behalf of people injured at work and are not matured three months following year-end. Percentages may not add up due to rounding.