Occupational Health and Safety Report - First and Second Quarters of 2019

The overall invoiced costs related to the City's current Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) firm numbers increased from $13.7 million in the first half of 2018 to $15.9 million in 2019. Increased costs are primarily attributed to mental/emotional illnesses or disorders, including traumatic mental stress and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in first responders. These costs were $5.7 million in the first half of 2018 and $7.4 million in 2019. Legislation introduced in 2016 presumes that if a first responder or other designated worker is diagnosed with PTSD by a psychiatrist or psychologist, the condition is work-related. This pattern of increased costs is continuing from 2016 and mirrors the experience of other municipalities. Toronto Paramedic Services and Toronto Fire Services have developed action plans to address PTSD and submitted them to the Ministry of Labour (MOL). The actions that were identified in the plans continue to be implemented. The cost of firefighter cancers decreased from $3.5 million in the first half of 2018 to $3.1 million in 2019. Additional presumptive legislation regarding firefighter cancers was introduced in 2014 and rolled out incrementally over a period of four years. Decisions regarding new and retroactive claims resulted in significantly increased costs, particularly in 2016 and 2017. The number of new retroactive cases is declining, a trend that is expected to continue.