Nova Scotia records 22 workplace deaths in 2025

Twenty-two people in Nova Scotia died at work or because of their work in 2025, highlighting ongoing concerns about fatal risk exposures despite historically low injury rates, according to new figures released by WCB Nova Scotia.

The workers’ compensation agency reported that last year’s workplace fatalities included seven acute traumatic incidents, 13 deaths linked to occupational disease and two health-related fatalities. While the province’s time-loss injury rate remains at a record low of 1.21 per 100 covered workers, no level of fatal harm is considered tolerable.

“Every life lost is a devastating tragedy for families, workplaces and communities, and my deepest condolences go to those who are grieving,” Labour, Skills and Immigration Minister Nolan Young said. “These are not numbers on a page. They are parents, partners, friends and co-workers, and we must honour them by learning from every incident.”

Occupational disease deaths more than double

Occupational disease deaths rose sharply in 2025, more than doubling to 13 from six in 2024, according to WCB Nova Scotia. Four of those deaths were due to cancers that became eligible for presumptive coverage for firefighters in 2022, when coverage was expanded from six to 19 types of cancer.

Starting this year, presumptive cancer coverage is being extended to wildland firefighters and fire investigators, a change intended to ensure more workers and families are supported when work-related cancers are diagnosed.

For statistical and prevention purposes, workplace fatalities in Nova Scotia are classified in three categories:

• acute (sudden workplace incidents such as falls, collisions or drownings)
• occupational disease (including work-related illnesses such as lung cancer)
• health-related (medical events such as heart attacks or strokes occurring at work that may or may not be job-related)

In 2025, acute fatalities held steady at seven, while health-related deaths dropped to two from seven the year before.

The compensation board’s president and CEO Karen Adams said every fatality represents a preventable loss. “Every fatality is someone who should have come home safely, and each death leaves friends and family forever impacted,” she said. “Prevention saves lives and WCB is deeply committed to helping create safer workplaces in Nova Scotia to stop tragedies like these from happening.”

Joint prevention strategy targets high-risk sectors

To respond to the continuing toll of serious and fatal incidents, WCB Nova Scotia and the provincial government have introduced Safer Workplaces Together, a joint action plan intended to focus on data-driven prevention, shared accountability and the highest-risk sectors.

The strategy is designed to bring government, employers, workers and safety partners together to “stop injuries before they happen and build safer workplaces across Nova Scotia,” WCB Nova Scotia said. The initiative is framed as an effort to work as one system to prevent future tragedies and ensure people come home safely at the end of the day.

Recently, Safety Services Nova Scotia launched a new community grant aimed at supporting local organisations that advance safety, wellbeing, education and social inclusion across the province. The not-for-profit safety organisation said its Road to Impact programme will distribute a total of $25,000 to Nova Scotia-based non-profits, charities and community groups over a 10‑month period in 2026.

Dealing with a loss of a worker 

According to the Canadian federal government, when an employee passes away, managers can help by respecting the wishes of those who represent the deceased, most often the family, and by supporting the employee’s team. Ottawa advises that managers do the following:

Respecting the wishes of the family:

• Communicate with the human resources group to determine who should be your organization’s key point of contact with the family.
• If you are identified as the key point of contact, offer your condolences to the family and:
  • ask them what information about the loss, such as funeral arrangements, should or should not be communicated to the deceased employee’s team and organization
  • direct them, as appropriate, to this list of steps to take when someone dies and let them know about resources available to them, including the Employee Assistance Program
  • arrange with the family for return of any personal effects from the workplace and the return of government property

Supporting the team:

• Contact the human resources group and the Employee Assistance Program, if needed, for help in developing a plan to support staff.
• Inform the deceased’s colleagues through thoughtful messaging that:
  • reminds them of resources they can access, including the:
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • benefits provided under the Public Service Health Care Plan
  • if available, the mental health first aid responder
  • encourages them to prioritize their own well-being, recognizing that some employees may feel overwhelmed and may not be able to carry out their regular work duties
• After the initial announcement:
  • review the need to redistribute work duties within the team and to support employees that may need to take some time to address the loss
  • if the team wishes it, consider having a group discussion with affected team members
  • Check in regularly with your employees to gauge their need for support and acknowledge those who may be taking on extra workloads.