Explanation of trend terms
To help you understand the terminology used in the charts, here is a list of key trend terms and definitions.
For further interpretation of the charts, contact WorkSafeBC.
Accumulated payroll
Assessable payroll accumulated to February 29, 2008 at CPI (consumer price index) + 3 ½ percent.
Assessable payroll
The gross earnings of all workers, including casual workers, shareholders, and principals. Gross earnings include wages, salaries, commissions, holiday pay, bonuses, piecework, and any other remuneration paid to workers before deductions, up to a maximum wage per worker.
Average benefit cost rate
The average benefit cost rate is used to calculate the base rate. It includes the multi-year average of short term disability, long term disability, survivor benefits, health care, and rehabilitation costs charged directly to the rate group. This figure is calculated by dividing the total accumulated costs (paid and anticipated future costs) by the total accumulated payroll, over the number of years required for credibility. Contact WorkSafeBC for assistance with this calculation.
Average weekly wage
The average wage amount earned weekly by short-term disability claimants.
Base rate
The rate assigned to all the employers in a classification. The base rate is the rate each industry is charged per $100 of assessable payroll, based on the risk of injury. The base rate does not include an experience rating adjustment.
Benefit cost rate
Estimate of benefit cost rate for rate group as of February 29, 2008. This includes the short-term disability, long-term disability, survivors, health care, and vocational rehabilitation benefits costs charged directly to the rate group. It excludes indirect charges such as Section 39 relief and administration costs.
Cost history
Paid costs and awards accumulated to February 29, 2008 at CPI + 3 ½ percent, plus unfinalled claims liability at February 29, 2008.
Health care
This type of claim covers costs of doctors' visits and related health care costs; no wage loss payments are included.
Injury rate
The number of short-term disability claims per 100 person years of WorkSafeBC-covered employment.
Long-term disability
An injury resulting in a permanent disability.
Number of claims
The number of wage loss claims occurring in the year of injury and recorded as of February 29, 2008.
Number of years
Two thousand wage loss claims are required to calculate the average benefit cost rate. This number represents the number of years of data required to meet the minimum threshold.
Person year
One year of work in any given industry by one person.
Short-term disability
An injury resulting in loss of wages for a finite period.
Survivor benefits
Payments made and anticipated future payments to the family of a deceased claimant.
Total costs
Total costs of injuries occurring each year, including short-term disability, long-term disability, survivor benefits, health care, rehabilitation, and unfinalled claim liabilities.
Total duration
Days of work lost per claim in the rate group in the injury year and in subsequent years. Duration measures the number of days paid and commences the first day of wage loss.
Unfinalled claim liabilities
These represent the amounts WorkSafeBC projects claims will cost in future years.
Vocational rehabilitation
Costs associated with vocational rehabilitation. This does not typically include occupational therapy costs. It does include costs such as tuition, training expenditures, rehabilitation assistance, rehabilitation subsistence, work assessment, travel expenditures, income continuity, business start-ups, third party contracts, planning, and miscellaneous rehabilitation costs.
The number of single person years (see definition of 'person years' above).