WCB Nova Scotia shows progress and challenges with an injury report from 2024

A remarkable success story affects 90 employees in the healthcare system who had been used despite injuries in 2024. Adams attributes this to strong support from employers who offer injured employees “transitional tasks”. “If I am a nurse and hurt myself, I could take on a role in which I help to train other nurses while I recover,” she explains.

Despite these improvements, the report also reveals a sobering reality: 20 Nova Scotians lost their lives in 2024 due to acute incidents at work, occupational diseases or other work -related health problems. “Every single death is avoidable,” says Adams. “We continue to see cancer of lung diseases, especially for firefighters who breathe smoke over time. It is a real tragedy.”

New strategic orientation with an accountability in the core

The report 2024 is also the first full year of the protection plan of WCB Nova Scotia (2024-2030), which ADAMS describes as a postponement of the greater accountability obligation for all parties involved in work, employers and employees alike.

“We are responsible for simplifying the processes and concentrating on the processing of claims faster, returning to people and basically only the service that Nova Scotians deserves,” she says. “We already see the results and 2025 will blow out of the water in 2024.”

A key element of this strategy is a new focus on faster results of the return to work. In the first three months of the 2025, more than 70% of the injured workers returned to work within 90 days. Adams attributes this success to a new service model that emphasizes early intervention.