There were 31 workplace fatalities in Saskatchewan last year, down from 34 in 2020. That’s according to the provincial Workers’ Compensation Board annual operating report, which also cites that 90 per cent of the province’s workplaces reported no injuries or fatalities in 2021, for the second year in a row.

However, injuries in the workplace rose by two per cent and the Time Loss injury rate is up 14 per cent. The WCB says one of the major factors was the number of COVID-19 claims impacting both 2020 and 2021. The WCB accepted 1,035 compensation claims related to COVID, compared to 347 in 2020. Board chair, Gord Dobrowolsky says many employers suffered because of the impacts of the pandemic, so to ease that, the WCB implemented a number of initiatives, including providing more than $5.6-million in 2020 and 21 in cost relief related to claims from COVID-19, and that relief has been expended to this June.