Quick Links
Customer Centres
Statistics for Small Business
Small Business Statistics 2001 - 2005
Overview
- Over the last 5 years (2001-2005) 92% of employers registered with WorkSafeBC were Small Businesses.
- The 2005 Injury Rate for Small Business was 2.6, lower than the All BC Injury Rate which was 3.1. Between 2001 and 2005, the Small Business Injury Rate decreased by 10% while the All BC Injury Rate decreased by 14%.
- In 2005, there were about 644,000 Work Days Lost for Small Business, compared to 2,345,000 Work Days Lost for All BC (27%).
- In 2005, 23% of STD/LTD/FATAL (Short Term Disability/Long Term Disability/Fatal) claims were from Small Businesses.
- In 2005, Small Business accounted for Claim Costs Paid of approximately $165,000,000. Claim Costs Paid for All BC in 2005 was $694,500,000 (24%). [Claim Costs Paid are the total health care payments, short term disability (STD) payments, vocational rehabilitation payments, long term disability (LTD) reserves, survivor benefit reserves and one-time cash awards charged in the year regardless of year of injury].
| Year | Injury Rate | #STD/LTD/ FTL Claims |
Claim Costs Paid (millions) |
Total Work Days Lost | Assessable Payroll (billions) |
# Young Worker Claims |
# Ergonomic Claims | Serious Injury Claims |
| 2001 | 2.9 | 14,148 | $170.3 | 726,089 | $12.6 | 2,512 | 3,687 | 453 |
| 2002 | 2.7 | 13,016 | $169.6 | 672,506 | $12.9 | 2,245 | 3,262 | 531 |
| 2003 | 2.6 | 12,917 | $158.7 | 620,422 | $13.4 | 2,213 | 3,403 | 543 |
| 2004 | 2.6 | 13,252 | $165.4 | 670,609 | $14.3 | 2,361 | 3,294 | 553 |
| 2005 | 2.6 | 13,703 | $164.8 | 644,338 | $15.3 | 2,656 | 3,265 | 518 |
| 2001- 2005 Total |
2.7 (avg) |
67,036 | $828.9 | 3,333,964 | $68.6 | 11,987 | 16,911 | 2,598 |
Injury Rate: The number of Non-HCO claims per one hundred Person Years -- shows the rate of injuries. Calculations are subject to variability, hence affecting specific levels of precision in such rates. Figures rounded to the closest whole number are a more meaningful indicator of the Injury Rate at a CU level.
# STD/LTD/FTL Claims: A claim is counted as a short term disability (STD), long term disability (LTD), or fatality if the claim had the first short term disability (STD) benefit, long term disability (LTD) benefit, or survivor benefit (fatal reserve set or cash award) made in the year, regardless of the year of injury. The # STD/LTD/FTL Claims is not equivalent to adding #STD Claims and #LTD Claims and #FTL claims together.
Claim Cost Paid: Total health care payments, short term disability (STD) payments, vocational rehabilitation payments, long term disability (LTD) reserves and one-time cash awards, and survivor benefit reserves and one-time cash awards charged in the year regardless of year of injury.
Total Work Days Lost: Total short term disability (STD) days and rehabilitation income continuity days paid in the year regardless of year of injury.
Assessable Payroll: The payroll upon which Assessment Amounts are calculated.
Assessment Amount: The amount of assessment an employer will pay as a result of being assessed at the Net Rate (i.e. with consideration of the experience rating and/or transitioning).
# Young Worker Claims: The # STD/LTD/FTL Claims that are coded to workers between 15 and 24 years of age at the time of injury. (Derived from # STD/LTD/FTL Claims and Injured Worker Age).
# Ergonomic Claims: Ergonomic injury; formerly referred to as Musculoskeletal injury (MSI). The number of short term disability (STD) and long term disability (LTD) claims that are coded with mapped Accident Type of Overexertion or Repetitive Motion. The number of claims is estimated based on the percentage of uncoded vs. coded claims in each year. (Derived from # STD/LTD/FTL Claims that have a Mapped Accident Type code of Overexertion or Repetitive Motion, but that do not have a Stats FATAL Claim Count Indicator).
# ICD9 Serious Injury Claims: The number of short term disability (STD) and long term disability (LTD) claims coded with an ICD9 medical diagnosis that indicates serious injury. Serious injury claims include major fractures (e.g., skull, spine, pelvis, multiple fractures, etc.), amputations, 3rd degree burns, serious eye injuries, and other serious spinal, head or crushing injuries that are based on 165 medical diagnosis type ICD9 codes. These traumatic injuries, which require immediate medical attention, result in significant physical impairment and impact the injured worker's socio-economic well-being. The characterization, context, and meaning of serious injuries can be subject to broad interpretation. The ICD9 medical diagnosis approach serves as a reasonable indicator to capture those claims that constitute serious injuries and it is not intended be an inclusive measure of all such claims. The number of claims is estimated based on the percentage of uncoded vs. coded claims in each year. (Derived from # STD/LTD/FTL Claims that have an ICD9 Medical Diagnosis Type code that meets the Serious Injury criteria, but that do not have a Stats FATAL Claim Count Indicator).
# Employers: The estimated number of employers within each year is based on the number of employers with greater than zero Person Years in the given year. A multi-classification employer will be counted once for each of its classifications that are included in the selection criteria. (Derived from # Person Years)
Prepared by Risk Management
Data Source: WorkSafeBC EPDM as of September 30, 2006
Small Business: Claim Characteristics
Classification Level: All Classifications (Ratable CUs)
Employer Size: Small Employers (0.01 - 19.99 person years)
Year Range: 2001-2005
Accident Type
Accident Type is a classification of an accident or exposure that describes the manner in which the injury or disease was produced or inflicted.
|
Accident Type - Top 10
|
#STD/LTD/FTL
Claims % of Total |
|
Stuck by object
|
19%
|
|
Overexertion
|
19%
|
|
Fall to lower level
|
11%
|
|
Fall on same level
|
9%
|
|
Struck against object
|
7%
|
|
Bodily reaction
|
7%
|
|
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
|
4%
|
|
Repetitive motion
|
4%
|
|
Highway accident
|
4%
|
|
Bodily reaction and exertion, NEC
|
3%
|
Nature of Injury:
Nature of Injury is a classification of the injury or illness in terms of its principal physical characteristics.
|
Nature of Injury - Top 10
|
#STD/LTD/FTL
Claims % of Total |
|
Traumatic injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints,
etc.
|
44%
|
|
Open wounds
|
16%
|
|
Traumatic injuries to bones, nerves, spinal cord
|
13%
|
|
Surface wounds and bruises
|
11%
|
|
Other traumatic injuries and disorders
|
4%
|
|
Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases
and disorders
|
4%
|
|
Burns
|
2%
|
|
Intracranial injuries
|
2%
|
|
Nervous system and sense organs diseases
|
1%
|
|
Digestive system diseases and disorders
|
1%
|
Body Part:
Body Part is a classification of a body part or bodily system, directly affected by an injury or disease identified in the nature of injury classification.
|
Body Part - Top 10
|
#STD/LTD/FTL
Claims % of Total |
|
Back, including spine, spinal cord
|
21%
|
|
Finger(s), fingernail(s)
|
14%
|
|
Leg(s)
|
10%
|
|
Multiple body parts
|
7%
|
|
Shoulder, including clavicle, scapula, and trapezius muscle
if mentioned
|
6%
|
|
Ankle(s)
|
6%
|
|
Wrist(s)
|
5%
|
|
Arm(s)
|
5%
|
|
Face
|
5%
|
|
Hand(s), except finger(s)
|
5%
|
Source of Injury:
Source of Injury is a classification of the object, substance, exposure, or bodily motion that directly produced, transmitted, or inflicted the injury or illness.
|
Source of Injury - Top 10
|
#STD/LTD/FTL
Claims % of Total |
|
Floors, walkways, ground surfaces
|
18%
|
|
Person-injured or ill worker
|
12%
|
|
Building materials - solid elements
|
8%
|
|
Highway vehicle, motorized
|
6%
|
|
Containers - nonpressurized
|
6%
|
|
Handtools - nonpowered
|
6%
|
|
Plants, trees, vegetation - not processed
|
3%
|
|
Handtools - powered
|
3%
|
|
Other structural elements
|
3%
|
|
Fasteners, connectors, ropes, ties
|
3%
|
Occupation:
Occupation is a collection of jobs, sufficiently similar in work performed to be grouped under a common title for classification purposes. A job, in turn, encompasses all the tasks carried out by a particular worker to complete his/her duties.
|
Occupation - Top 10
|
#STD/LTD/FTL
Claims % of Total |
|
Construction trades
|
13%
|
|
Trades helpers, construction, and transportation labourers
and related occupations
|
13%
|
|
Transportation equipment operators and related workers,
excluding labourers
|
11%
|
|
Sales and service occupations N.E.C.
|
7%
|
|
Mechanics
|
5%
|
|
Machine operators in manufacturing
|
5%
|
|
Labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities
|
5%
|
|
Primary production labourers
|
4%
|
|
Occupations unique to forestry operations, mining, oil
& gas extraction, fishing, excluding labourer
|
4%
|
|
Machinists, metal forming, shaping and erecting occupations
|
3%
|
|
Age
|
#STD/LTD/FTL
Claims % of Total |
|
0 - 14
|
0%
|
|
15 - 24
|
18%
|
|
25 - 44
|
53%
|
|
45 - 64
|
28%
|
|
65 and over
|
1%
|
|
Gender
|
#STD/LTD/FTL
Claims % of Total |
|
Female
|
17%
|
|
Male
|
83%
|
STD/LTD/FTL Claims (2001-2005)
|
Top 20 CUs
|
Cu Name
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
Total
|
|
721027
|
House, Other Wood Frame Constr., Renovation
|
596
|
708
|
726
|
866
|
880
|
3776
|
|
732019
|
General Trucking
|
798
|
720
|
716
|
733
|
693
|
3,660
|
|
761035
|
Restaurant or Other Dining Establishment
|
671
|
581
|
564
|
571
|
507
|
2,894
|
|
764006
|
Auto Service or Repair
|
414
|
380
|
397
|
335
|
387
|
1,913
|
|
741013
|
General Retail nes
|
399
|
360
|
361
|
355
|
414
|
1,889
|
|
721043
|
Plumb, Heat, Vent, Res AC, Cnt Vac Inst, Repair
|
306
|
298
|
289
|
341
|
393
|
1,627
|
|
721024
|
Framing of Residential Forming
|
182
|
208
|
228
|
307
|
384
|
1,309
|
|
703008
|
Integrated Forest Management
|
323
|
301
|
211
|
202
|
233
|
1,270
|
|
714042
|
Woodworking or Carpentry Shop
|
187
|
216
|
210
|
167
|
229
|
1,009
|
|
721031
|
Land Clearing, Excavation, or Site Surface Prep
|
196
|
182
|
198
|
191
|
218
|
985
|
|
721028
|
Ind, Comm, Institution or Hirise Res Construction
|
167
|
173
|
167
|
222
|
216
|
945
|
|
732011
|
Courier Services
|
202
|
163
|
157
|
165
|
156
|
843
|
|
703013
|
Manual Tree Falling and Bucking
|
155
|
159
|
154
|
175
|
197
|
840
|
|
764040
|
Landscaping, Install Lawn Irrigation Systems
|
172
|
165
|
160
|
171
|
157
|
825
|
|
721019
|
Electrical Work
|
136
|
158
|
153
|
165
|
199
|
811
|
|
721041
|
Painting or Wallpapering
|
147
|
130
|
139
|
169
|
198
|
783
|
|
732044
|
Log Hauling
|
169
|
142
|
140
|
157
|
156
|
764
|
|
721051
|
Steep Slope Roofing
|
144
|
115
|
147
|
156
|
158
|
720
|
|
764028
|
Hvy Equip, Mchn, Prts Sls, Srv, Rpr >500 lbs
|
150
|
152
|
139
|
139
|
137
|
717
|
| 712027 | Structural Metal Product Fabrication |
193
|
150
|
135
|
119
|
107
|
704
|
| Other |
8,441
|
7,555
|
7,526
|
7,546
|
7,684
|
38,752
|
|
|
Total
|
14,148
|
13,016
|
12,917
|
13,252
|
13,703
|
67,036
|
|
ICD9 Serious Injury Claims
|
Subsector
|
Subsector Name
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
Total
|
|
7210
|
General Construction
|
102
|
130
|
148
|
162
|
158
|
700
|
|
7320
|
Transportation and Related Services
|
62
|
67
|
76
|
67
|
58
|
330
|
|
7030
|
Forestry
|
61
|
59
|
43
|
55
|
56
|
274
|
|
7140
|
Wood and Paper Products
|
45
|
53
|
58
|
50
|
49
|
255
|
|
7640
|
Other Services (not elsewhere specified)
|
40
|
49
|
45
|
56
|
48
|
238
|
|
7610
|
Accommodation, Food, and Leisure Services
|
31
|
33
|
36
|
39
|
20
|
159
|
|
7410
|
Retail
|
18
|
13
|
18
|
14
|
21
|
84
|
|
7630
|
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
|
6
|
10
|
9
|
8
|
10
|
43
|
|
7420
|
Wholesale
|
7
|
9
|
6
|
13
|
6
|
41
|
|
7620
|
Business Services
|
4
|
6
|
4
|
4
|
7
|
25
|
Accepted Fatalities (2001-2005)
|
Subsector
|
Subsector Name
|
Total
|
% of Fatalities
|
|
7320
|
Transportation and Related Services
|
90
|
31%
|
|
7030
|
Forestry
|
53
|
18%
|
|
7210
|
General Construction
|
45
|
15%
|
|
7640
|
Other Services (not elsewhere specified)
|
27
|
9%
|
|
7010
|
Agriculture
|
18
|
6%
|
|
7610
|
Accommodation, Food, and Leisure Services
|
13
|
4%
|
|
7410
|
Retail
|
10
|
3%
|
|
7120
|
Metal and Non-Metallic Mineral Products
|
5
|
2%
|
|
7140
|
Wood and Paper Products
|
5
|
2%
|
|
7620
|
Business Services
|
5
|
2%
|
| 7530 | Public Administration |
4
|
1%
|
| 7040 | Oil & Gas or Mineral Resources |
3
|
1%
|
| 7420 | Wholesale |
3
|
1%
|
| 7630 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services |
3
|
1%
|
| 7660 | Health Care and Social Assistance |
3
|
1%
|
| 7020 | Fishing |
2
|
1%
|
| 7110 | Food and Beverage Products |
2
|
1%
|
| 7650 | Education |
2
|
1%
|
| 7130 | Petroleum, Coal, Rubber, Plastic, and Chemical Products |
1
|
0%
|
| 7230 | Road Construction or Maintenance |
1
|
0%
|
| Total |
295
|
100%
|
|
|
Cu
|
CU Name
|
Total
|
% of Fatalities
|
|
732019
|
General Trucking (not elsewhere specified)
|
40
|
14%
|
|
732044
|
Log Hauling
|
21
|
7%
|
|
703008
|
Integrated Forest Management
|
19
|
6%
|
|
703013
|
Manual Tree Falling and Bucking
|
11
|
4%
|
|
764028
|
Heavy Equipment, Machinery, or Parts Sales, Service, or
Repair (greater than 500 lbs weight) (not elsewhere specified)
|
9
|
3%
|
|
721027
|
House or Other Wood Frame Construction or Renovation Work
|
8
|
3%
|
|
732008
|
Barge, Tug, or Other Water Transport or Goods (not elsewhere
specified)
|
8
|
3%
|
|
701005
|
Dairy Farming
|
5
|
2%
|
|
703006
|
Ground Skidding, Horse Logging, or Log Loading
|
5
|
2%
|
|
721031
|
Land Clearing, Excavation, or Site Surface Preparation
|
5
|
2%
|
| Other |
164
|
56%
|
|
| Grand Total |
295
|
100%
|
|
An employer is considered a small business if they have less than 20 Person Years [Person Years are the estimated number of employed full time equivalents (FTEs) based on Assessable Payroll reported to WorkSafeBC and Statistics Canada data]. So employers with less than 20 estimated FTEs are considered small businesses.
General Small Business Statistics 1998 - 2002
Facts and detailed claims statistics for small businesses in B.C. from 1998 to 2002.
* PDF (144 KB)
Small Business Claims by Accident Type
(5 Year Average)
|
|
Small Business Claims by Injury Type
(5 Year Average)
|
|
Small Business Claims by Body Parts
(5 Year Average)
|
|
Small Business Claims by Occupation Type
(5 Year Average)
|
Small Business Claims by Gender & Age
(5 Year Average)
|
 |
||||||||||||||||
 |
Short-term Disability Injury Rate
|
 |
You can return to the Top of this page