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Understanding the Workers’ Compensation Board

Statutory corporations/agencies created by the provincial governments, the Worker’s Compensation Board exists in the field of workplace safety to help workers, employers, and health care providers alike in the area of workers’ compensation for injury recovery, including benefits, employer services, and research.

Workers Compensation Board LogoDangerous jobs and tasks are part of many work environments like construction, energy, transportation, agriculture, forestry, etc. To handle aspects of compensation for timeoff due to injury, each province has its own WCB board. The roles of these organizations are to provide a structure where workers are compensated for workplace injuries. At the same time the WCB provides a structure where organizations can properly deal with worker injuries and avoid lawsuits. In many ways the WCB acts as an insurance system for injuries sustained by workers on the jobsite.

The WCB’s role can be outlined as follows:

  1. Provides a system where services and information provided can help an injured worker return to work.
  2. Provides a system where services and information help employers manage insurance premiums.
  3. Provides research for rehabilitation and return-to-work programs.
  4. Provide funds to workers to allow them time to heal and come back to work.
  5. Provides funds to ensure workplace incidents are paid for by industry and not by individuals.

Here are links to the Specific WCB boards across Canada:

The Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada

Canada also has an association that the provincial workers compensation boards belong to, it is called the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada. The AWCBC exists as a conduit for information exchange between the provincial bodies. The organization also provides research and statistics for WCB use. A good example of the type of statistical reporting provided by the AWCBC are “Number of Accepted Time-Loss Injuries” reports broken down in to sub-groups by Industry, Jurisdiction, Occupation, Age Groups, and Gender. Members of the AWCBC can also order customized reports for their WCB needs. The AWCBC website can be found at: www.awcbc.org.

Since the early 1900s, the various WCB boards across Canada have helped workers and their employers operate properly in work-time-loss and worker rehabilitation situations. Undoubtedly, their role in the safety industry will continue to be needed as Canada strives to maintain workplace safety as a priority.