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Statistics for Young Workers
A snapshot of young worker injuries 
This video is part of the Young Worker Focus Report.
(2 min 13 sec)
Also, see When young workers are seriously injured (1 min 46 sec) and When young workers are killed (3 min 13 sec)
View the entire report in HTML
General Statistics
Injury Rate Comparison 2006 - 2010
| Year | Males 15-24 | Females 15-24 | All Ages 15-24 | All Workers Overall injury rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 5.3 | 1.7 | 3.5 | 3.1 |
| 2007 | 4.9 | 1.9 | 3.5 | 3.1 |
| 2008 | 4.7 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| 2009 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| 2010 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
Data Source: WorkSafeBC Statistical Services
See Terms of Reference for definitions of terms used.
Young Worker Employment 2006-2010
| Year | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | 349,600 | 362,600 | 363,100 | 328,900 | 322,400 |
Data Source: WorkSafeBC Statistical Services
See Terms of Reference for definitions of terms used.
Young Worker Claims 2006-2010
| Year | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claims | 10,879 | 11,376 | 10,562 | 6,937 | 6,312 |
Data Source: WorkSafeBC Statistical Services
See Terms of Reference for definitions of terms used.
Young Worker Claims by Industry 2006-2010
| Industry | STD/LTD/Fatal Claims |
|---|---|
| Service Sector | 31% |
| Construction | 21% |
| Retail Trade | 21% |
| Manufacturing | 16% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 5% |
| Primary Resources | 4% |
| Public Sector | 2% |
Data Source: WorkSafeBC Statistical Services
The top seven dangers to young workers.
See Terms of Reference for definitions of terms used.
Total Young Worker Serious Injuries 2006-2010
| Year | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Serious Injuries | 2,274 | 2,373 | 2,218 | 1,586 | 1,476 |
Data Source: WorkSafeBC Statistical Services
The top seven dangers to young workers.
See Terms of Reference for definitions of terms used.
Total Young Worker Serious Injuries by Industry 2006-2010
| Industry | Number of Serious Injuries |
|---|---|
| Service Sector | 27% |
| Construction | 25% |
| Retail Trade | 20% |
| Manufacturing | 16% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 6% |
| Primary Resources | 5% |
| Public Sector | 1% |
Data Source: WorkSafeBC Statistical Services
The top seven dangers to young workers.
See Terms of Reference for definitions of terms used.
Claims Overview by Industry
Manufacturing | Retail | Construction | Hospitality | Transportation | Forestry | Agriculture
Manufacturing Claims Overview (2006-2010)
Total number of claims 2006-2010 = 7,311
Struck by accidents
(Total number of claims = 2,034)
From 2006-2010, 27 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the manufacturing industry involved being struck by objects such as
- cutting handtools
- wood, lumber
- fasteners
- structural metal materials
- striking and nailing handtools
The most common injury outcomes from being struck by objects were
- cuts, lacerations
- bruises, contusions
- sprains, strains, tears
- punctures
- fractures
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to struck by accidents were welders, wood product and sawmill labourers, and metal product workers.
Overexertion accidents
(Total number of claims = 1,816)
Overexertion accidents accounted for 25 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the manufacturing industry from 2006 to 2010.
The typical overexertion accident is related to the use of cutting handtools, and to moving or lifting such objects as wood, and lumber.
Overexertion accidents most often result in sprains, strains, tears.
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to overexertion accidents were welders, wood product and sawmill labourers, and metal product labourers.
Caught in accidents
(Total number of claims = 733)
From 2006-2010, 10 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the manufacturing industry were related to being caught in machinery and materials.
Getting caught in machinery and materials results in such injuries as
- crushing injuries
- cuts, lacerations
- fractures
- bruises, contusions
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to caught in machinery and material accidents were sawmill and wood product workers.
Retail Claims Overview (2006-2010)
Total number of claims 2006-2010 = 8,425
Overexertion Accidents
(Total number of claims = 2,999)
From 2006-2010, 36 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the retail industry were overexertion accidents.
The typical overexertion accident in the retail industry is related to moving or lifting
- boxes, crates, cartons
- bags, sacks, totes
- skids, pallets
Overexertion accidents most often result in sprains, strains, or tears.
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to overexertion accidents were grocery clerks, sales clerks, and warehouse workers.
Struck by object accidents
(Total number of claims = 1,940)
From 2006-2010, 23 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the retail industry involved being struck by such things as
- cutting hand tools
- boxes, crates, cartons
- skids, pallets
- cart, dolly, handtruck
Injuries such as cuts, lacerations, bruises, contusions, sprains, strains, and tears were the most common outcome of struck by accidents.
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to struck against object accidents were grocery clerks, sales clerks, warehouse workers, and deli sale clerks.
Struck against object accidents
(Total number of claims = 803)
From 2006-2010, 10 percent of all young worker time-loss claims in the retail industry involved workers striking against an object such as
- food and beverage processing machinery
- shelving
- sawing machinery
Injuries such as cuts, lacerations, bruises, contusions, sprains, strains, and tears are the most common outcomes of striking against objects.
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to struck against object accidents were delicatessen sales clerks, retail salesperson, and grocery clerks.
Construction Claims Overview (2006-2010)
Total number of claims 2006-2010 = 9,893
Struck by accidents
(Total number of claims = 2,805)
From 2006-2010, 28 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the construction industry involved being struck by objects such as
- fasteners
- cutting handtools
- wood, lumber
- striking and nailing handtools
The most common injury outcomes from being struck by objects were
- cuts, lacerations
- punctures
- bruises, contusions
- fractures
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to struck by accidents were construction helpers and labourers, carpenters, and carpenter's apprentices/helpers.
Overexertion accidents
(Total number of claims = 2,037)
Overexertion accidents accounted for 21 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the construction industry from 2006 to 2010. The typical overexertion accident is related to moving or lifting such objects as
- wood, lumber
- structural metal materials
- pipes, ducts, tubing
- digging handtools
Overexertion accidents most often result in sprains, strains, or tears.
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to overexertion accidents were construction helpers and labourers, and carpenters and their apprentices.
Fall from elevation accidents
(Total number of claims = 1,564)
From 2006-2010, 16 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the construction industry were falls from elevations such as
- fall from ladders
- other falls or jumps to lower levels
- falls from scaffolds, staging, platforms
- falls from roofs
Fall from elevation accidents resulted in such injuries as
- sprains, strains, tears
- fractures
- bruises, contusions
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to fall from elevation accidents were construction helpers and labourers, carpenters, and roofers.
Hospitality Claims Overview (2006-2010)
Total number of claims 2006-2010 = 7,934
Struck by accidents
(Total number of claims = 2,167)
From 2006-2010, 27 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the hospitality (accommodation and food service) industry involved being struck by things such as
- cutting handtools
- drinking cups, beverage glasses
- boxes, crates, cartons
- doors
The most common injury outcomes from being struck by objects are
- cuts, lacerations
- bruises, contusions
- sprains, strains, tears
- avulsions
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to struck by accidents were cooks, kitchen/service helpers, food and beverage servers.
Fall on same level accidents
(Total number of claims, 2006-2010 = 1,216)
Fall on same level accidents accounted for 15 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the hospitality industry from 2006 to 2010.
The fall on same level accidents included falls
- onto floors, walkways, or other surface
- onto or against objects
Falls on floors, walkways, or other surface accounted for 82% of the fall on same level accidents.
Falls on the same level accidents resulted in
- sprains, strains, tears
- bruises, contusions
- fractures
- cuts, lacerations
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to fall on same level accidents were food and beverage servers, fast food preparers, and kitchen/service helpers.
Exposure to Heat, Cold
(Total number of claims, 2006-2010 = 1,178)
From 2006-2010, 15 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the hospitality industry involved being exposed to heat or cold such as
- fresh or processed food products
- liquids
- beverages
- heating and cooking machinery and appliances
- pots, pans and trays
Exposure to heat, cold accidents resulted most commonly in heat burns and scalds.
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to exposure to heat/cold accidents were cooks, fast food preparers, kitchen/service helpers, food/beverage servers.
Transportation and Warehousing Claims Overview (2006-2010)
Total number of claims 2006-2010 = 2,165
Overexertion Accidents
(Total number of claims = 673)
Overexertion accidents accounted for 31 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the transportation industry from 2006 to 2010.
The typical overexertion accident is related to moving or lifting such objects as
- boxes, crates, cartons
- luggage, handbags
- bags, sacks, totes
Overexertion accidents most often resulted in sprains, strains, and tears.
The occupations that experienced the highest number of young worker claims due to overexertion accidents were warehousemen/women, airport/aircraft attendants, and truck drivers' helpers.
Struck by accidents
(Total number of claims = 421)
From 2006-2010, 19 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the transportation industry involved being struck by such as
- boxes, crates, cartons
- trucks
- structural metal materials
The most common injury outcomes from being struck by objects were
- bruises, contusions
- sprains, strains, tears
- cuts, lacerations
- fractures
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to struck by accidents were warehousemen/women, truck drivers' helpers, and airport/aircraft attendants.
Fall from elevation accidents
(Total number of claims = 199)
From 2006-2010, 9 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the transportation industry included
- falls or jumps from nonmoving vehicles
- falls or jumps to lower levels
- falls down stairs or steps
Fall from elevation accidents resulted in such injuries as
- sprains, strains, tears
- fractures
- bruises, contusions
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to fall from elevation accidents were truck drivers, warehousemen/women, and truck drivers' helpers.
Forestry Claims Overview (2006-2010)
Total number of claims 2006-2010 = 560
Struck by object accidents
(Total number of claims = 116)
From 2006-2010, 21 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the forestry industry involved being struck by objects such as
- falling/rolling trees or logs
- cutting handtools
- ropes, ties
The most common injury outcomes from being struck by objects included:
- cuts/lacerations
- fractures
- bruises, contusions
- sprains, strains, tears
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to struck by accidents were logging and forestry labourers, tree planters, chokermen/women, and buckers.
Overexertion accidents
(Total number of claims = 85)
From 2006-2010, 15 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the forestry industry were related to moving or lifting trees, logs, digging handtools, ropers and ties.
Overexertion accidents resulted in such injuries as
- sprains, strains, tears
- traumatic inflammation of muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints
- dislocation
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to overexertion accidents were tree planters, and logging and forestry labourers.
Fall on same level accidents
(Total number of claims = 82)
Fall on same level accidents accounted for 15 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the forestry industry from 2006 to 2010.
The typical fall on same level accidents involved
- falls to the ground
- falls on or against trees or logs
Fall on same level accidents most often result in
- sprains, strains, tears
- bruises, contusions
- cuts, lacerations
- fractures
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to fall on same level accidents were tree planters, chokermen/women, and logging and forestry labourers.
Agriculture Claims Overview (2006-2010)
Total number of claims 2006-2010 = 509
Struck by accidents
(Total number of claims = 146)
From 2006-2010, 29 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the agriculture industry involved being struck by things such as
- animals
- cutting handtools
- other building materials
- cart, dolly and handtrucks
The most common injury outcomes from being struck by objects were
- cuts, lacerations
- bruises, contusions
- fractures
- sprains, strains, tears
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to struck by accidents were general farm workers, nursery and greenhouse workers, and specialized livestock workers.
Overexertion accidents
(Total number of claims = 87)
Overexertion accidents accounted for 17 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the agriculture industry from 2006 to 2010.
The typical overexertion accident was related to moving or lifting such objects as
- boxes, crates, cartons
- trees and logs
- pots, pans and trays
Overexertion accidents most often resulted in sprains, strains, and tears.
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to fall from elevation accidents were nursery and greenhouse workers and general farm workers.
Fall from elevation accidents
(Total number of claims = 71)
From 2006-2010, 14 percent of all time-loss claims to young workers in the agriculture industry were for falls from elevations such as
- ladders
- upper levels
- non-moving vehicles
Injuries such as sprains, strains, tears, fractures, bruises, and contusions were the most common results of fall from elevation accidents.
The occupations that experienced the highest numbers of young worker claims due to fall from elevation accidents were nursery and greenhouse workers and general farm workers.
Data Source: WorkSafeBC Statistical Services
Notes and Definitions
Counts and percentages are based on STD, LTD, Fatal Counts: SLF Claims represent claims with a short-term disability, long-term disability or fatal benefit (reserve set or cash award) paid in the period, regardless of the year of injury.
Young Workers: Workers who are aged 15-24 at the time of injury.
| Industry | Sector/Subsector |
| Agriculture | Subsector 7010 |
| Construction | Sector 72 |
| Forestry | Subsector 7030 |
| Hospitality | Subsector 7610 |
| Manufacturing | Sector 71 |
| Retail | Subsector 7410 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | Sector 73 |
Data Source - ODW, July 2011
Fact Sheets by Geographic Region
Click on the links below for young worker fact sheets by geographic region.
- Fraser Valley (Surrey/Langley and Abbotsford) (PDF 121 KB)
- Interior (Cranbrook, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nelson) (PDF 140 KB)
- Lower Mainland (Richmond, Vancouver, Delta, Coquitlam, North Shore, Burnaby, and New Westminster) (PDF 139 KB)
- North Region (Fort St. John, Prince George, Terrace) (PDF 95 KB)
- Vancouver Island (Victoria, Nanaimo, Courtenay) (PDF 99 KB)
Statistics: WorkSafeBC Terms of Reference
Accepted Fatalities are fatality claims accepted by WorkSafeBC for survivor or fatal benefits.
Active Employers refer to the current number of active employers registered with WorkSafeBC. Employer identification numbers are aggregated by CU, Subsector, and Sector.
Assessable Payroll refers to the payroll upon which the Assessment is calculated.
Average Costs Per Claim are claim costs divided by accepted claims.
Claim Costs for CU is all cost on claims except health care and rehabilitation cost. It is cost charged in the year for all years of injury. This measure is consistent with the counting methodology used in Accepted Claims.
Claims Costs Paid for firms refer to total health care, STD, rehab, LTD reserves, survivor reserves and cash awards paid in the year regardless of year of injury. This measure is consistent with the counting methodology used in Non-HCO Claims.
Classification Unit (CU) is the industry classification unit code. Its description can be found in the WorkSafeBC Classification and Rate List.
Days Lost for CU are days paid in the year for all years of injury. This measure is consistent with the counting methodology used in Accepted Claims.
Days Paid Quantity (also referred to as 'Total Work Days Lost') refers to the total STD days paid in the year regardless of year of injury. Code R Rehab days, which are included in the days lost statistic published in the statistical supplement to the annual report, are NOT included in this report. This measure is consistent with the counting methodology used in Non-HCO Claims.
First-Paid Short-term Disability (STD) Claim refers to claims with first STD payment made in the same year.
Injury Rate represents the number of Non-HCO Claims per 100 Person Years.
Injury Year Duration is also referred to as 'Current Year Duration'. It includes only days lost (i.e. days paid per claim) in the year of injury. For example, the 1998 injury year duration would only include days lost in 1998 respective to its accepted injury claims in 1998. Injury year duration is the most widely-used method of calculating duration for statistical purposes. Calculations of this method can be provided for classification units, subsectors, sectors, occupational type, age, and other work-related variables. A duration statistic calculated for a group of 25 or fewer claims should be regarded as having high statistical variability. It is important to note that 'Injury Year Duration' is not the same as 'Total Claim Duration' which is reported in the WorkSafeBC Statistical Annual Report.
MSI or Musculoskeletal Injury refers to a combination of overexertion and repetitive motion accident types.
Non-HCO Claims for firms refer to the total number of non-health-care-only claims. A Non-HCO claim must have a Short Term Disability (STD), Long Term Disability (LTD), or Fatal benefit in the year of injury or in the following 3 months.
Person-Years of employment for an employer are estimated by dividing the employer's payroll by the average wage rate for the industry in which the employer operates. The assumption is that wage rates are the same for all employers in the industry. Person years were adjusted retroactively in 2001, based on a newly established industrial classification system called NAICS-- the North American Industrial Classification System. For example, a person year is equivalent to one person working full-time at an occupation for a one-year period.
Small business refers to employer operations with fewer than 20 employees.
Serious Injury: A Serious Injury is defined as a claim with an STD, LTD, or Fatal benefit payment in the period consisting of the month of injury or the following 3 months that has at least one of the following:
- 28 or more STD days lost in the period;
- Healthcare costs in the period equivalent to 28 days of STD costs;
- a Fatal benefit paid in the period;
- one of the 275 ICD9 Medical Diagnosis codes assigned which have been designated as Serious Injuries. The Serious Injury Rate is lagged 3 months to allow for the qualifying payments to accrue. Some Serious Injuries under the ICD9 category are estimated due to uncoded claims.
STD/LTD/FTL Claims represents claims with a first short-term disability, long-term disability or fatal benefit (reserve set or cash award).
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