WCB Nova Scotia

RANS, in collaboration with the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia, has brought together a series of resources to assist restaurant operators with the prevention of workplace related injuries and illnesses.

Maintaining and promoting employee health and safety is critical to being able to serve customers effectively. Protecting employees from injuries such as slips, trips, falls, soft tissue injuries, violence and other hazards has several benefits:

  • Increased employee motivation and retention
  • Demonstrated social responsibility to customers
  • Increased revenue
  • Decreased costs associated with compensation claims and compliance orders
  • Business continuity

WCB Nova Scotia MyAccount

WCB Nova Scotia has replaced its core operating systems, marking a major milestone in its modernization and overall business transformation.

Today, it is already generating clearer, easier to read letters. It is processing many simple claims automatically. It is building new types of data that, in the future, will enable whole new approaches to injury prevention.

MyAccount offers a fully digital clearance process, which replaces the need for paper-based clearance letters. Hiring employers will search for contractors and confirm their clearance status in MyAccount.

What can you do? If you’re on MyAccount, visit the support site, watch video demos, and learn about the new system and what it means in your workplace. If you’re not, sign up today at my-account.ns.ca. The best place for a safety-minded employer to be is registered on MyAccount, and using the system regularly.

Workplace injuries hurt the most at home

This ad campaign, developed in partnership with the Department of Labour and Advanced Education and the other Atlantic provinces, reminds us that it’s who and what we come home to at the end of the day that makes workplace safety so important. The ads and discussion guides serve as a great tool for conversations about safety in your workplace.

New materials built for your industry

You may have received a new workplace safety kit, which contains an assortment of materials to help you remind your team why they work safely in the moments when a clear reminder is most impactful. There are posters and decals you can place in high-traffic areas or areas where a safety reminder is needed most. If you haven’t got one yet, request yours today.

Working to Well helps your employees get back to work

Working to Well is a shared initiative of Atlantic Canada’s workers’ compensation organizations. Its goal is to keep people connected to their workplace, whenever possible, following an injury. The Working to Well program provides information to assist employers and workers through a workplace injury. It outlines return-to-work resources, and helps everyone in the process understand their role. At its core are four powerful stories of Atlantic Canadians who overcame challenging and life-changing workplace injuries.

New tools for psychologically safe and healthy workplaces

A workplace that is psychologically healthy and safe will respect and listen to workers, act on their concerns, and provide opportunities for workers to have some control over their work. This often results in fewer work-related injuries and illnesses, less time loss and shorter time off work when injuries and illnesses occur, less absenteeism, and more productive and engaged workers. WCB has awareness, assessment, and coaching resources that will help you improve the psychological health and safety of your workplace.

WCB YouTube Channel

WCB Nova Scotia’s YouTube channel includes a number of inspirational videos and resources that may be helpful for your business in tackling safety challenges. You’ll find “Back Protection Agents”, a series dedicated to preventing back injury, the “Rod Stickman — Workplace Safety Training Series“, featuring fun workplace safety videos covering a range of topics, the “Working to Well” series of inspirational stories about return-to-work, and much more. Check back often, as new resources are added regularly.

Safe and Secure brings safety straight to your inbox

Sign up for Safe & Secure, the WCB’s email newsletter, full of useful workplace safety and return-to-work information, and other regular updates.

Slips, trips and falls: Are you ready for winter?

There are many simple steps you can take to help protect you, your employees and customers. Check out our infographic, tip sheet/checklist, awareness posters, and discussion guides to help you clear the path for safety.

Everyone plays a role in workplace safety

In Nova Scotia, everyone in a workplace shares responsibility for safety, based on their own level of authority and ability. That’s the central message behind the Internal Responsibility System (IRS), that our province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act is founded upon. Watch this video to get a sense of how it works. Use this discussion guide to round out your safety talk and distribute these brochures so your employees can take the pledge to make their workplace safe.

Musculoskeletal injuries

What are musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs)? In short, they are injuries that involve our muscles and skeleton. In addition, they can affect tendons, ligaments, joints, nerves and blood vessels.

These injuries are commonly known as:

  • Sprains and strains
  • Overexertion
  • Soft tissue
  • Repetitive strain

This MSI prevention guide will help you every step of the way. Learn how to build awareness, identify hazards, assess risk, implement controls and assess the effectiveness of your action plan. You’ll soon be on your way to making your workplace safer for everyone.

Also check out these tools for industry.

Workplace Incident Cost Calculator

When something goes wrong at work, the greatest costs aren’t financial at all — they’re the human costs for anyone who gets hurt, and the people that care about them. Don’t wait until you’re picking up the pieces to find out what an incident could cost you. Go to the Workplace Incident Cost Calculator, select Custom, enter your data, and get started today.

Small Business Safety Toolkit

The Small Business Toolkit is designed to help small business operators:

  • Learn basic duties and responsibilities under the Nova Scotia Health and Safety Act and Regulations.
  • Put a health and safety system in place to protect your workers from injury and illness at work.
  • Understand how health and safety plays a role in the day-to-day operation of your business.

Safety and prevention programs

Learn how to create your own safety and prevention program.

Young workers

Young workers make great employees but they don’t always understand the importance of workplace safety. Check out these tips and tools for parents, employers and youth, to help keep young workers safe on the job.

Injury prevention resources

Check out these additional resources to help keep your workplace safe: from safety tips, to videos and interactive tools.

Safety Matters blog

Looking for an updates and information on health and safety in Nova Scotia? Check out WCB Nova Scotia’s Safety Matters blog.


To learn more about the resources above, please contact:

Lise Theriault
Relationship Manager
Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia
Direct Line: 902-483-3121
E-mail: lise.theriault@wcb.ns.ca