Workplace deaths on the rise in Ontario

Workplace deaths have jumped by 16 per cent in the past year, but the president of a labour organization says those numbers aren't surprising.

Ontario statistics show that 377 workers died while on the job or from occupational diseases between 2010 and March 31, 2011. That’s an increase of 53 from the previous year.

The Toronto Star reported that data from the Ministry of Labour and Workplace Safety and Insurance Board revealed that job fatalities alone climbed by 15 per cent.

At the same time, the data indicated that lost time injury and illness rates have continued to fall in the last decade. Those key rates dropped almost seven per cent to 4.16 accident claims receiving approval for compensation per 100 full-time equivalent workers in the latest year.

Thunder Bay and District Labour Council president Melanie Kelso said she’s not shocked by these numbers and believes the data doesn't accurately show how many work-related accidents have actually occurred.

Often workers don’t report an accident to WSIB because they are afraid they will lose their jobs, she said.

“Unfortunately what is happening is a lot of injuries aren’t being reported because people are scared that if they make a claim for worker’s compensation they will lose their job,” Kelso said.

“I know in my own workplace that it is getting worse. There are less staff to do the work, we’re expected to do more and then the work isn’t getting done. People are getting injured at a higher rate. Each year deaths go up, injuries go up and those are the ones reported. Those are just the numbers from the approved WSIB claims.”

Last month, 24-year-old Gustavo Argueta of Thunder Bay died while working at a construction site near the new MacKenzie River bridge. She said there aren’t many work-related deaths in Thunder Bay, but having someone die on the job doesn’t bode well for the rest of the year. 

Most companies don’t have a functioning health and safety committee and if these trends are going to change then the first thing is to fix those committees, she said.

“That would make a big difference and it make a difference if the employers would be willing to do any of the safety measures.

“Unfortunately, a lot of the employers they rather take the fines instead of putting in safety measures because it’s cheaper. “
 


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