Every spring, WorkSafeBC publishes its annual report reflecting the work it did in the prior calendar year.  Here are some of the highlights from the 2025 annual report:

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Deaths because of work still happen.

• WorkSafeBC reports that 138 workers died at or because of work in 2025.
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  • 59 died due to physically traumatic incidents, including 18 as a result of motor vehicle incidents.
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  • 79 due to occupational disease, including 36 deaths related to asbestos exposure.

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Prevention is key.

• Employers have an easier way to report incidents and near-misses at their workplaces, which helps to improve data accuracy and provide insight into the hazards that led to the incident and what actions the employer can take to improve workplace safety.
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• WorkSafeBC focuses on high-risk areas, ensuring consistent inspections across industries and regions and targeted risk-reduction strategies are the goal, for instance their refreshed crane-safety initiative. Their approach focuses on three areas of worker health and safety:
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  • physical risks,
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  • occupational disease and environmental hazards, and
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  • psychological health and safety.
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• The changing mix of industries and more major projects means a shift from lower- to higher-risk industries in BC. As such, WorkSafeBC is developing and implementing targeted strategies to effectively mitigate risk.
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• WorkSafeBC is working on draft regulations on psychological health and safety, and harassment and violence in the workplace.

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Claims are getting more complex.  

• While the number of claims has remained the same claims are more complex involving chronic pain and psychological injuries, which leads to higher costs and longer claim durations.
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• A new clinical advisor role, along with new streamlined processes for psychological assessments, and improved tools have been introduced to enhance supports for psychological injuries.

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Claims management is changing with the times.

• WorkSafeBC is improving and modernizing processes and approaches to manage the increasing number of complex claims.
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• This includes changes to care pathways, which “are structured, step by step plans that outline how patient care is delivered over time, ensuring care is consistent, evidence based, and coordinated. They are used to improve quality, efficiency, and patient outcomes. In the WorkSafeBC context, care pathways guide injured workers through the claim and recovery process.”
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• 2025 saw changes to WorkSafeBC’s digital infrastructure, improved data and analytics capabilities, and the establishment of robust artificial intelligence (AI) and data governance frameworks.

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If your company needs help understanding its obligations under the Workers' Compensation Act and regulations, including supporting injured workers as they return to work and creating policies that address workplace investigations, psychological health and safety, and harassment and violence in the workplace please contact Fiona H McFarlane for more information.

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