Nova Scotia records record-low time-loss injury rate in 2025

More Nova Scotians came home safe from work in 2025 than ever before, as the province’s time-loss injury rate fell to its lowest level on record, according to a report. 

The time-loss injury rate dropped to 1.21 claims per 100 covered workers in 2025, down from 1.38 in 2024 and 1.40 in 2023, the provinces’ Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) stated in its 2025 Impact of Workplace Injury Report. 

In total, 4,834 Nova Scotians missed three or more days of work due to a workplace injury, eight per cent fewer than in 2024. In 2025, 426 fewer people were seriously hurt than the year before.

“Safe workplaces keep Nova Scotians working. And when more people are working, contributing, building, and caring for one another, Nova Scotia is stronger for it,” said Karen Adams, CEO of WCB Nova Scotia. “That’s why we work alongside employers, workers, and partners every day to make it happen. This report shows it’s working.”

Sector gains and fewer days lost

Some of the strongest improvements came in higher-risk sectors. Construction’s time-loss injury rate fell to 1.39 per 100 covered workers in 2025, from 1.68 in 2024 and 1.99 in 2015 — a 30 per cent decrease over the decade. “As the number of covered workers has increased, injuries have not followed, suggesting that safety is keeping pace with growth,” the report states.

“The construction industry, employers, and workers have shown that prioritizing safety protects workers and strengthens the industry,” said MJ MacDonald, CEO of Construction Safety Nova Scotia. “Strong safety programs improve productivity, build a resilient workforce, and support sustainable companies. When safety leads, everyone wins.”

Manufacturing’s injury rate declined to 1.11 in 2025, from 1.38 in 2024 and 1.80 in 2015 — a 45 per cent decrease over 10 years. Health and social services remained the largest source of time-loss claims, with an injury rate of 1.80, down from 2.09.

Time-loss days paid per 100 covered workers fell to 226 in 2025, from 269 in 2024. “Days lost per 100 covered workers dropped 13 per cent from 2024 — and in real terms, that means 83,000 working days returned to Nova Scotia’s labour force,” the report notes. In 2025, 78 per cent of injured workers returned to work within 90 days, up from 67 per cent in 2024.

Accountability, MSDs and ongoing risks

WCB Nova Scotia links the improvements to stronger shared accountability and earlier intervention. “Through Duty to Cooperate, workers and employers share clearer responsibility for safe, timely return to work,” the report stated. “Through Work-Connected Recovery, health care providers are playing a more active role in recovery.”

Musculoskeletal disorders remain the dominant issue. “Sprains, strains, and other musculoskeletal injuries remain the most common workplace injury in Nova Scotia, and the first priority of the Safer Workplaces Together Action Plan,” the report noted. These injuries made up 57.8 per cent of time-loss claims, driven largely by “moving, lifting, and repetitive movements.”

Psychological injury claims declined in 2025 but remain a concern, with nearly half of such claims involving first responders. Fatalities increased to 22 in 2025 from 20 in 2024, including 13 occupational disease deaths. 

“Every worker in Nova Scotia deserves to go home safe,” the report concluded. “When people are protected on the job, the impact reaches far beyond the workplace.”

Below is a table showing the cost of workplace injury in Nova Scotia in the past five years, according to data from the provincial regulator-insurer. WCB Nova Scotia is fully employer-funded, so "Insurance/Assessment Revenue" is the direct premium cost to employers; "Claims Costs Incurred" is the actuarial cost of injuries that occurred in that year; "Legislated Obligations" is the amount the province itself was reimbursed by WCB for running the OH&S Division, Workers' Advisers Program, and Workers' Compensation Appeals Tribunal. 

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 figures previously released by WCB Nova Scotia.