Safety Matters

Adjusting to the new realities brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has meant big changes for just about every workplace in Nova Scotia. Public health requirements aimed at reducing risk and flattening the curve have limited social gatherings, and encouraged heightened levels of hygiene such as hand-washing and frequent cleaning for high-touch surfaces. They also mandate self-isolation for returning travellers and their contacts, and social distancing for everyone else.

At WCB Nova Scotia, we responded to COVID-19 by shifting our largely on-site workforce to working from home. We continue to serve workers and employers remotely, but have suspended in-person service at our Halifax and Sydney offices. Benefit payments for injured workers continue to be paid as usual, but health services are being delivered differently, as most clinics have closed. In some cases, appointments are continuing remotely by telephone or video link, as long as they meet specific conditions, however benefit payments are not impacted if a treatment can’t be provided. 

Claim registration and assessment services continue to be provided as usual for employers, and WCB premiums have been deferred for a period of three months as part of a broader Government strategy to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic. 

As the situation has evolved, so too have the needs of workplaces when it comes to applying the public health directives to their unique sector and operations. An important focus going forward for the WCB, in partnership with the Occupational Health and Safety Branch of the Department of Labour and Advanced Education, will be on developing and sharing prevention messages, tools and resources to help employers and workers continue to stay safe at work.

With that in mind, we invite workers and employers to:

Visit our corporate website, for information about COVID-19 impacts on WCB services.

Check out worksafeforlife.ca, for COVID-19 prevention tools and resources, especially for essential service sectors including health care, manufacturing, trucking, retail, food services, and for all workplaces too.

Follow us on Twitter for daily prevention tips, tools and resources - @worksafeforlife.

Stay tuned for more Safety Matters blogs in the weeks to come.

Sign up for WCB Online and MyAccount, to stay connected to your claims, and for Direct Deposit, to receive your payments faster.