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Asbestos claims

Supporting documents

In British Columbia, the number of work-related deaths caused by disease has been slowly increasing over the last couple of decades. (Occupational disease fatalities are typically the result of an exposure that occurs many years prior to the year of death.)

  • From 1994-2003 occupational diseases1 in B.C. took 513 lives, resulted in more than 50,000 claims and cost almost $650 million2 .
  • In the same 10-year period, more than 20% of all fatal claims accepted3 by the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia (335 of 1,525) were the result of asbestos exposure (asbestosis, mesothelioma or lung cancer). 178 fatal claims accepted were related to other occupational diseases.
  • The number of work-related fatalities due to asbestos exposure has been increasing over the past 15-20 years.
  • Most of the exposures to asbestos occurred many years ago, prior to the introduction of the asbestos-handling regulations. Given this, and the increased awareness of the disease, the upward trend in asbestos-related fatalities being accepted by the WCB is expected to continue and to peak between 2015 and 2020.

Asbestos-related fatalities accepted in 1984-2003
Year Accepted Asbestos-related Fatalities # Fatalities Accepted % Fatalities Accepted
1984-1988 60 682 9%
1989-1993 77 754 10%
1994-1998 132 727 18%
1999-2003 203 798 25%

Work-related deaths in 2003

  • In 2003, 53 of the 170 fatal claims accepted (almost one-third) were the result of exposure to asbestos; 17 were due to other occupational diseases.
  • Asbestos-related claims accepted in 2003 cost almost $12 million2.
  • Approximately half of the asbestos-related deaths in 2003 (27 of 53) occurred among workers who were employed in construction-related industries.

Asbestos-related fatalities accepted in 2003 — by industry subsector

Subsector # Fatalities Accepted4
General Construction 27
Other Services (not elsewhere specified) 6
Metal and Mineral Products Manufacturing 3
Transportation and Related Services 3
Oil and Gas or Mineral Resources 2
Food & Beverage Products Manufacturing 2
Utilities 2
Wood and Paper Products Manufacturing 2
Forestry 1
Petroleum & Chemical Products Manufacturing 1
Public Administration 1
Education 1
Health Care 1
Federal Government 1
TOTAL All Subsectors 53
Source: Statistical Services, WCB of BC, February 2005

General Construction5 Subsector 1994 - 2003

  • From 1994-2003 occupational diseases in the General Construction industry in B.C. took 140 lives, resulted in more than 4,300 claims and costing almost $80 million.
  • In the same 10-year period, approximately half of all fatal claims accepted (126 of 246) were the result of asbestos exposure (asbestosis, mesothelioma or lung cancer). Fourteen fatal claims accepted were related to other occupational diseases.

Asbestos-related fatalities accepted in 2003 for General Construction — by classification unit
Classification Unit # Fatalities Accepted
Plumbing, Heating, Vent Installation or Repair 11
Insulation Work or Fireproofing 4
Electrical Work 3
Industrial, Commercial Construction 2
Concrete Placing, Finishing or Repair 1
Construction Labour Supply 1
Floor Covering Installation 1
Low Slope Roofing 1
Power Pole, Powerline Installation or Repair 1
Siding, Awning Installation or Repair 1

Commercial Boiler Installation or Removal		 1
TOTAL General Construction 27

1Occupational diseases include: asbestos exposure, cancer (not from asbestos), silicosis, other pneumoconiosis, cardiovascular, and other exposures and diseases.
2The 'costs' are the dollars of short-term disability paid in the period plus the value of the long-term disability & survivor reserves and awards set up in the period (regardless of the year the claim was counted). The 'costs' exclude health care and rehabilitation cost.
3Number of Fatalities (or work-related deaths) is counted based on the year accepted. Year accepted is the year in which survivor benefits are first awarded.
4The percentage of asbestos-related fatalities is calculated based on the number of fatal claims accepted by the WCB within each 5-year period. Given that occupational diseases have a very long tale between exposure and death and that traumatic fatalities are generally accepted within the year of injury, the increasing trend is not likely to be an indication of an emerging health and safety issue.
5General construction does not include heavy construction or road building and maintenance.