April 30, 2025 from HRD Canada
A recent report from the University of Regina is raising concerns about British Columbia’s workplace fatality trends, which have plateaued after years of steady decline — and in some cases, reversed. The 2025 report, reflecting fatalities from 2023, reveals a troubling increase in traumatic injury deaths.
These include fatalities from falls, electrocutions, and machinery-related incidents. Although the increase is not large, it marks a break from past progress. “Concerning,” said University of Regina HR professor Sean Tucker in an interview with The Tyee.
Workplace safety concerns are growing worldwide, too — a recent WTW and Clyde & Co report found eight in 10 directors cite workplace health and safety as a top risk.
Construction, Manufacturing Driving Fatalities
WorkSafeBC data show construction and manufacturing sectors are leading the recent rise in traumatic fatalities. Deaths in construction have risen steadily since 2020, with a similar upward trend in manufacturing. “These two sectors appear to be primarily driving the overall increase,” Tucker said.
Meanwhile, the health-care sector remains a persistent concern. With high injury rates and staffing shortages, conditions remain ripe for worker harm. Tucker stated that
“We have a significant staffing shortage in health care, and yet we manage to injure a lot of health-care workers each year. We need to work on those working conditions.”
Data Gaps and Underreporting Persist
B.C.’s occupational disease fatalities declined in 2023 after five consecutive years of increases. However, Tucker cautioned that delays in reporting and the long latency of diseases like cancer may be masking the true toll.
The report relies on accepted workers’ compensation claims — but many incidents go unreported. Tucker told The Tyee that
“Injury reporting is an issue. Workers may not know they need to report, or may not think their injury is serious enough.”
In some cases, employers suppress claims.
Other issues include discrepancies between provinces. Not all jurisdictions classify heart attacks at work as occupational fatalities, and reporting of violence or harassment varies, which can affect all of the calculated rates.
In total, 146 workers died due to workplace incidents and illnesses in B.C. in 2024:
- 78 from occupational diseases, nearly half related to asbestos exposure
- 38 from traumatic injuries such as falls or equipment accidents
- 30 from motor vehicle incidents
Tucker emphasized that psychosocial hazards like bullying and harassment must also be considered.
“This is a human rights issue. It’s a matter of dignity, but it’s also a health and safety issue.”
Recommendations for Regulators
Tucker and University of British Columbia researcher Anya Keefe offered key recommendations in their report:
- Standardise fatality data collection across provinces
- Release data faster to support timely risk responses
- Improve mechanisms to prevent underreporting, especially for disease and harassment-related claims
“We want to prevent serious injury and death in the workplace and that’s why we do this work,” Tucker said.
At a recent Day of Mourning event, B.C. Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside echoed the importance of protecting workers.
“Every workplace fatality is a tragedy… We reaffirm our commitment to stronger protections and a culture that truly values the health and safety of every worker.”
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