The guardian
| Image: Peter Holst | Published: July 01, 2008
David Anderson, president and CEO, WorkSafeBC
Double-digit decreases in revenues and income might be bad news for other businesses, but for WorkSafeBC – the government agency that handles workers compensation in the province – it signifies success. The past two years have been the best years in the history of the organization, says David Anderson, the agency’s 59-year-old president and CEO. Historic benchmarks for 11 key indicators the organization uses to chart its progress were achieved in 2006, and nine were exceeded in 2007. “Across the board,” says Anderson, “things are going very well.”
Revenues, derived largely from insurance premiums collected from employers, fell 11 per cent between 2006 and 2007, to $2.2 billion. The drop is an indication that aggregate costs for workplace injuries in the province are falling. At the same time, the base rate for insurance premiums has fallen from a 1996 peak of $2.29 per $100 of assessable worker payroll to the current rate of $1.55 per $100 of assessable payroll.
While good returns on its investments have helped reduce premiums (the return last year was 4.4 per cent, down from 12.6 per cent in 2006), injury rates have also decreased from five per cent a decade ago to three per cent today. “We like to have fewer and fewer customers every year,” Anderson quips, referring to injured workers. “So we put a huge amount of work into education and consultation, working with industry, working with the employers, working with labour to create safer workplaces.” The goal now is to reduce the injury rate to one per cent – in line with Sweden, Ireland and Great Britain.
While profit at the agency – officially a not-for-profit – fell from $970.8 million in 2006 to $250.2 million last year (a drop of 74 per cent), assets increased to $12.4 billion. This promises to prevent near-term spikes in the insurance premiums employers pay. “They’re going to see stable rates going forward at nice, continuing low levels,” Anderson says. By the same token, he doesn’t want employers to take low rates for granted, noting that the $1.55 base rate is less than the cost of healing workers (approximately $1.70 per $100 of assessable payroll). “We don’t want to price safety too low,” Anderson says. “You send an incorrect message if you take it down much lower.”
One of the most significant changes ushered in by Anderson – who has a background in
Perhaps most important, the agency has enjoyed a greater continuity of leadership than at any time in the past 30 years. A dozen CEOs headed the agency prior to 1994; in the past 14 years, there have been just three. “There was no strategic continuity at all,” says Anderson, CEO since 2003. “We’ve been very successful on my watch, but it’s been the success of a 15-year strategy.”
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Want to know what is really
By Anonymous, August 11, 2008 at 09:01Want to know what is really going on with the workers compensation system in Canada? Check out the Canadian Injured Workers Society website at http://www.ciws.ca for a REAL EYE-OPENER!
Mr.Anderson. In 2002 a total
By Anonymous, July 16, 2008 at 16:17Mr.Anderson.
In 2002 a total of 927 loss of earnings (LOE) pensions were awarded under the former legislative provisions, in 2006 there were only 39 LOE pensions awarded under the new provisions. These changes came about purposefully at a legislative level after an incorrect assumption that WCB could not sustain itself for long with the coverage levels that were in place prior to 2002, the “assumption” being proven incorrect by preceding annual reports that can be found on the Worksafe BC’s website.
In the meantime permanently seriously injured workers such as myself are being denied the basics of what we need to live, I am forced to rely on social assistance in the form of Provincial Disability, though my Disability CPP helps pay that back some, but why should the taxpayers of BC have to pay for us injured workers? Not to mention that MSP that is paying for the vast majority of our medical needs, mine included. And just who do you suppose is supporting the other over 800 per year injured workers who deserve/require LOE’s? BC tax payers.
I am watching for “sustainability” problems at the provincial level for both Income Assistance and MSP, I predict that the level of “foisted off financial care” that Worksafe BC is responsible for cannot be sustained by the province for too much longer. Food banks are overburdened (I go every 2 weeks) and a very large component of BC’s homeless are injured workers who are “benefiting” from your new provisions Mr. Anderson. So yes congratulations on passing on your responsibility on to the people of BC, your bragging about your financial surplus is like a slap in the face to those of us whom you are supposed to be protecting.
The right thing to do would be to look to your injured workers that have been denied for “sustainability reasons” (LOE’s for one, post 65 cut off for another, etc) and do the right thing by us, before rewarding our employers for your being able to rip us off. Balance the books with the injured worker first Mr. Anderson, we were told it was because of lack of sustainability that these unreasonable changes were put in place, but it turned out that was not true so why are we still being penalized?
Your surplus is built on injured workers tears you know, our familys are in dire poverty and a lot of injured workers are thinking suicide is an option, yes my injury changed my life forever Mr Anderson but your new provisions? they are destroying it.
Well Congratulations Mr.
By Anonymous, July 11, 2008 at 12:51Well Congratulations Mr. Anderson!!!! You and Your spin Doctors congratulating yourself while seriously Injured Workers like Lorne Forbes and John Berfello have to resort to Welfare and food banks!!!!! 2007 173,538 injuries reported- 135,453 accepted- This leaves 38,085 families not covered!!!
Here are the links to the Videos, let the readers give their opinion of your profit making not for profit Organization. These are only a sample of the abuses.
Lorne Forbes and his wife
A Mother's Plea they say they treat us with compassion, fairness and respect, You decide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLBGA3QDhMY
(check out their other Video's)
John, he say's, " WorkSafe B.C makes you fight for your life to save $$$"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJTSmRD_E3g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FjQYmLu3-o&NR=1
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/fighting-worksafe-bc-the-evidence-pt-1...
Injured Worker representing 30 Employee's with MSDS, neurological disorders, 1/2 of crew (30) the same symptoms, WSBC states they could find no temporal relationship. He speaks of their contention to commit fraud.
I myself was 42 years old when I injured my LEFT non dominant arm January 2002, denied,and between Reviews and appeals had 7 decisions denying that a waitress that uses her left arm in awkward postures only in her occupation would NOT sustain a work injury.
A sample of the Manipulation's.
WCB website Focus Report /Hospitality Industry. THEY say, The high number of sprains and strains (musculoskeletal injuries — MSIs) in the hospitality industry concerns employers, workers, and the
Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB). Awkward body postures increase the stress on ligaments and joints. This can lead to fatigue and discomfort and increase the risk of injury. Carrying trays, plates, or beverages during table service often results in awkward postures for servers.
THEN Your Hired Gun Dr. P. states
"Even if there was a reasonable temporal relationship linking the lateral epicondylitis,the frozen shoulder ect. to her work, after having reviewed the job site analysis on this file. I see no risk factors that would explain the onset of these disorders.
and he says “ I recognize that working as a waitress can be physically demanding and even exhausting at times, however, I do not identify the necessary cyclical repetitions,the excessive loads,and the frequent awkward movements that could possibly explain the disorder affecting her non dominant upper extremity."
I had worked a 7 hour shift with NO BREAK
Dr H. WCB Medical Advisor said "
"There is also a ergonomic report which indicates the worker does perform multiple duties, that can at times be repetitive, involving the upper extremities at her job as a waitress."
Ergo report "Several awkward, non-neutral postures are required during the serving process." and
"hobbies and recreational activities do not appear to be contributory. "
I am ONE of approx. 30,000 a year DENIED!!!! You decide who should be congratulated for their 12.4 BILLION dollar assets.
Thank You
Eva Menzies
Mr Anderson, 2008 -
By Mindy Barnett, July 10, 2008 at 15:06Mr Anderson,
2008 - Classification Unit 714022:
Sawmill
Description of classification unit: CU 714022 (PDF 20kb)
Sector:
Manufacturing
Subsector:
Wood and Paper Products
Rate group:
CZ
Industry group:
CZ01 - Wood and Paper Products
Base rate 2008:
$2.54 per $100 of assessable payroll, to a maximum wage per worker of $66,500
Previous rates:
2007:
$3.17 (maximum wage per worker: $64,400)
2006:
$3.97 (maximum wage per worker: $62,400)
View the 2007 information for this classification unit.
If you search through, view the 2007 information for this classification unit, you will see a huge decrease in premiums dating back to 2001..
Previous rates:
2002: $3.78 (maximum wage per worker: $59,600)
2001: $3.82 (maximum wage per worker: $58,500)
Previous rates:
2004: $4.38 (maximum wage per worker: $60,700)
2003: $4.19 (maximum wage per worker: $60,100)
Previous rates:
2005: $4.05 (maximum wage per worker: $61,300)
2004: $4.38 (maximum wage per worker: $60,700)
Previous rates:
2006: $3.97 (maximum wage per worker: $62,400)
2005: $4.05 (maximum wage per worker: $61,300)
Previous rates:
2007:
$3.17 (maximum wage per worker: $64,400)
2006:
$3.97 (maximum wage per worker: $62,400)
The decrease from 2007 to 2008 works out to .63 cents less.. that would be a 20% discount from last year.. 2006 the year I was injured the discount on premiums was .80 cent discount.. that would be a another 20% discount.. $1.43 discount in the past two years for having safe workplaces that works out to a total of 36% less in premiums in the past two years... this is absolutely devastating to injured workers, who are at the disposal of the negligent employers.. the employers are the ones who have been in control of the health and safety and WorkSafeBC will continue to help these employers achieve lower premiums.. With WorkSafeBC in control of our health and safety this has put injured workers at a huge disadvantage.. WSBC are not dealing with our health and safety appropriately and workplace injuries that should have been preventable are being neglected and workers are being placed in these jobs that are to high a risk and are causing more injuries not less.. it is getting so bad that the medical system is being eaten alive by this WCB system.. doctors aren't able to do their jobs.. workers have taken their own lives by suicide or they have died from stress related (pain) due to their injuries and trying to fight these employers and compensation boards to help them recover from their workplace injuries..
I was injured on the job in March of 2006 working for a sawmill/planer mill in Prince George. It took me almost 2 years to get WorkSafeBC to do a safety investigation. I started hounding WorkSafeBC in Nov of 2006 with a complaint. After going through many different ministries and the NDP to get WorkSafeBC to deal with my safety complaint, I finally had some head way in Nov of 2007. After re-sending my work place safety complaint to a WorkSafeBC manager in Prince George, I still couldn't get them motivated to deal with the safety complaint. Finally, after many e-mails to the Ministry of Labor and Citizens, Feb of 2008, they dealt with my safety complaint. They stated that the work site layout was the root cause to my work place injury and that the employer had some weaknesses in their investigation and that WorkSafeBC is working with this employer to correct those weaknesses. This employer continued to operate in the same manner, putting other workers at risk of the same type of injury. WorkSafeBC seems to be adamant about refusing unsafe work, well I was on the job for 3 weeks, just barely trained. The employer made no changes to this work site layout after my injury. Putting me at further risk of being injured again. Now this employer has received premium rebates over the past two years, while operating a unsafe job site. WorkSafeBC has denied all my rights to compensation and medical, but only after the doctor had taken me off work.
Mindy Barnett
Prince George
Mr. Anderson has a nice way
By Anonymous, July 10, 2008 at 13:57Mr. Anderson has a nice way of telling injured employees they will not be taken care of, or, have care spread so thin it is useless. Simple math will tell you if it takes $1.70 to heal an injured worker, then $1.55 will not give that result. All Canadian workers expect their compensation boards to do what the government says they are to do. That is pay wage loss and medical care as a basic right . In exchange we gave up our right to sue the company. This is not something you can say we don't have enough money for. That is exactly your job to ensure the money is there. If Canadian employees cannot be confident and secure in the knowledge they will be taken care of medically and financially after an accident then I see no need for any Canadian worker to accept this non existent compensation. Thank you Mr Anderson for proving to all Canada the workers compensation system is only a fraud against every working man and woman in this country.
What a load of
By Anonymous, July 10, 2008 at 10:46What a load of disinformation. Mr Anderson has perverted the concept of Worker compensation. Unconsitutional legislation and changes to policy has meant a repayment back to rightful disabled workers to sum of hundreds of millions of that very surplus he has bragged about.
His personal credibilty is tarnished by hiding medical reports on a claimant, Mr. Powell, and then creating a stigma of a negative mental health conotation. He used "mental health" as a weapon, to create discrimination of a condition(s) which were not ever evidenced, or relevant to the claim. He buryed the medical reports which stated no-preexsisting conditions from a memer of the Legislature, Hon. Gordon Wilson. This is his history. this is not lawful. period, and also reprehenseable to use negative stigma that exsists, as a weapon. This was submitted to the Kirby committee on Mental Health.
Lastly, again , the accident fund is in trouble by sophmoric attempts at plicies and legislation which has been overturned in the courts and Tribunal forcing repayments that are likely over 700,000,000.00 of the 900,000,000.00 accident fund, which was to be for compensating, and returning disabled workers to function.
The business sector will pay dearly down the road for the David Andersons wet dream and Terry Boygo, who is really the author, and the "Dick Chenny " of this destryed and bankrupt system. The circumstances and costs are being off-loaded to the population and society in general, which means the business sector will pay too for this destruction to population health , ehalth system and other resources of Government, provincially and federaly - nationally. The insurance and business sector, especially WCBs cannot be driving health and social policies of Government, while draining other systems and programs , off-loading in the short term.
It is time to look at the social agreement ; the service and effect of Workers Compensatiuon Schemes in Canada.
Darrell C. Powell
Official witness to the Senate Committee on Mental Health
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