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Performance Audit of Saskatchewan WCB – Monitoring Safety Associations’ Use of Funding

Jun
12
Regina, SK – The Provincial Auditor’s Report was released last week, including a performance audit of the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) on monitoring the use of funding received by provincial safety associations. The Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) is one of seven industry associations that receive WCB funding to provide safety training, services and programs to help prevent workplace injuries.
 
The SCSA encourages its members and customers to read the report, which can be found on the Provincial Auditor’s website at auditor.sk.ca. 
 
Though five of the seven industries represented by safety associations have a higher injury rate than the overall provincial injury rate, these industries also have a higher risk of injury due to the type of work employers deliver, such as construction, oil & gas, manufacturing, and healthcare.
 
The report showed that injury rates are declining across industries represented by safety associations. In the last five years, the SCSA saw injury rates for its members in residential, commercial & industrial, and construction trades decrease to 6.4 per 100 in 2022 from 8.1 per 100 in 2018.
 
Serving close to 14,000 member companies, the SCSA remains committed to injury prevention by providing quality safety training courses, safety certification programs for companies and individuals, and expert advice from a team of safety professionals in the field. 
 
The SCSA delivers effective injury prevention practices in the following ways:
  • The nationally recognized COR® designation helps companies see a 21-30% reduction in the cost and frequency of injuries compared to firms that are not COR-certified.
  • Training courses address crucial topics such as Fall Protection & Prevention, highlighting Saskatchewan legislation and regulations for workplace safety. Courses reference CSA and WorkSafe SK standards and reach about 12,000 people per year.
  • Custom analytics dashboards are available to every member company to easily view, report and improve on their safety performance using WCB injury reports, SCSA training records, audit history and safety culture survey scoring.
“The SCSA received clear direction from our industry in a 2022 member survey,” says SCSA vice president Edward Pyle. “Our member companies want a physically and psychologically safe environment for their employees. They also want to see well-managed finances. We know this level of performance involves strong measures of transparency and sound financial administration,” continued Pyle. “The SCSA has an over 25-year relationship with Saskatchewan WCB, and both organizations are driven by strategies to reduce and eliminate injuries in the workplace. Ultimately, this is a productive process and the SCSA looks forward to our part in implementing the Provincial Auditor’s recommendations.”
 
Key information on the SCSA’s funding agreement, financial statements, strategic plan and transparency reporting is available here: scsaonline.ca/corporate-reports