Canadian Occupational Safety

February/March 2016 7 New Brunswick gets top mark for workers' compensation system N ew Brunswick boasts the nation's top workers' compensation system, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business' (CFIB) Small Business Workers' Compen- sation Index. The report ranks workers' compen- sation systems through the lens of a small- and medium-sized business, examining 35 indicators in seven major areas: • cost of premiums • claims management • experience rating • classifi cation and assessment • coverage • long-term fi nancial sustainability • customer service. Scores are assessed on a scale of zero to 10. New Brunswick scored an overall seven out of 10 thanks to consistently strong scores across the board, edging out Prince Edward Island (6.69) for the top spot. "Low premium rates, discourag- ing frivolous claims and having an employer advocate really helped New Brunswick take the top spot," said Erin McGrath-Gaudet, CFIB director of intergovernmental policy. Gerard Adams, president and CEO of WorkSafeNB, said the agency is pleased to be recognized for its hard work and commitment, but notes the work is far from over. "While this index shows that, according to one of our major stake- holders, we're doing great work and we're on the right track, we also know we can do better. We focus every day on improving," he said. The agency recently announced it hired seven more health and safety offi cers to provide additional support to employers and workers. New Bruns- wick's Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, along with WorkSafeNB, is currently review- ing workers' compensation legislation, which hasn't been reviewed in more than 20 years. Denis Robichaud, CFIB's director of provincial affairs for New Bruns- wick, said the analysis found that New Brunswick's system has some of the lowest industry-specifi c premium rates across sectors. "And our survey shows that a major- ity of small business owners feel that WorkSafeNB's staff is accessible, knowl- edgeable and professional," he said. Alberta (6.35), Nova Scotia (5.86) and British Columbia (5.70) rounded out the top fi ve. There was some movement in the rankings, though most systems across the country remained roughly in the same shape as they were for the previ- ous report published in 2011. Alberta made the greatest improvement, moving from fi fth to third, while Brit- ish Columbia saw the biggest drop, falling from third to fi fth. "We've seen some positive strides across the country since our last report, but we're still seeing signifi cant struggles when it comes to customer service, as nine provinces received scores under six in that category," said McGrath-Gaudet. Newfoundland and Labrador (5.61), Saskatchewan (5.17), Manitoba (5.15), Quebec (4.30) and Ontario (3.59) round out the bottom half of the list. The workers' compensation boards in both Quebec and Ontario have been working with CFIB in recent years and have begun to take steps to address small business concerns. "Nearly two-thirds of business owners identify workers' compensa- tion, occupational health and safety as their most burdensome provincial regulations," said McGrath-Gaudet. CFIB recommends workers' com- pensation boards focus on keeping red tape and costs reasonable for employers, and commit to improving the customer service experiences they provide to Canada's small businesses. ® DENTEC • Skeetsafe Ad 3.125"x4.875".indd 1 1/22/16 12:06 PM ® Dentec_ADwithLogo 3.125 x 4.875.indd 1 1/22/16 12:05 PM Corporate reporting to focus on OHS S ustainability and fi nancial accounting will soon include critical occupational safety and health data in the continued evolution of integrated report- ing, according to a report by the Center for Safety and Health Sustainability (CSHS). "OHS professionals know their work not only saves lives but contributes to an organization's long-term viability and fi nancial stability. By integrating OHS performance into effective sustainability reporting, business leaders and investors will have more inter- est in OHS as a foundational aspect of human capital in their world of economic, social, governance (ESG) investing," said CSHS board chair Kathy Seabrook. Sustainability information helps business leaders identify opportunities for risk mitigation and value creation while helping investors and analysts under- stand factors that affect investment performance. As a result, there is an increased focus on improving performance on "material" sustainability issues, according to The Accounting Revolution and the New Sustainability: Implications for the Occupational Safety and Health Professional. With the increasing recognition that many non-fi nancial topics, such as OHS, are material, OHS stands to benefi t from a "dramatic transformation" of the way it is viewed and managed by organiza- tions, said CSHS. Integrated reporting, which combines the report- ing of sustainability information with fi nancial information, is a major step in the direction of greater corporate transparency and the sharing of mean- ingful risk management and performance data. It ensures sustainability information is better integrated into business strategies, processes and decisions, said CSHS. An expanded notion of "capitals" in reporting is moving beyond traditional reporting on fi nancial and physical capital to include human, social and relationship, intellectual and natural capitals that are also essential to organizational growth. "OHS professionals now have line-of-sight to the boardroom in their organizations as never before," said Seabrook. "To capitalize on this, OHS profes- sionals should play a leadership role in activities such as horizon scanning, change management, enterprise risk management, supply chain management and developing and implementing new standards, such as ISO 45001. Not recognizing the opportunities that sustainability brings will leave OHS professionals behind in reactive, compliance-focused roles."

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