Tag Archives: Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia
Family of fisherman lost in F/V Chief William Saulis tragedy denied death benefit, seek legislative change
Lori Phillips closes her eyes in a failed attempt to suppress tears. Her 29-year-old son was one of six crew members aboard the Chief William Saulis scallop dragger that sank off of the coast of Annapolis County’s Delaps Cove on Dec. 15, 2020.,, The Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia recently informed Phillips that there will be no lump sum payout to Cogswell’s family following his accidental death on the job. Phillips plans to appeal the decision. “His life mattered,” she said. She’s also set her sights on pushing for a change to the legislation in question. >click to read< 16:27
Absolute Inequity – Family of lost fisherman denied Workers’ Compensation survivor’s benefit
The mother of a fisherman who died when his scallop boat sank says she was shocked to learn his family won’t receive an accidental death benefit because he was single and had no children. Aaron Cogswell, 29, was one of six men who died when the Chief William Saulis sank off the coast of Delaps Cove, N.S., in December. His mother, Lori Phillips, said she recently learned that the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia will not pay the $15,000 lump sum survivor’s benefit to the family. “A survivor is a survivor, if it’s a wife or,,, Phillips said she asked the board to put the denial in writing, so she knew exactly why >click to read< 10:48
Fishing Industry sees workers compensation rates hit 20-year low thanks to safety campaigns
Stuart MacLean says it was a particularly dark event that helped spark a culture change when it comes to safety in the fishing industry: the sinking of the Miss Ally. Five young men from southwest Nova Scotia were lost at sea when their fishing boat was hammered by a raging storm in 2013. The incident gripped fishing villages everywhere, and MacLean, CEO of the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia, believes it had a dramatic effect on the way fishermen approach safety today. “What’s happened in that sector is people have moved from knowing about it to caring about it,” he said. “And I think what people said is, ‘It’s not OK to keep losing people at sea.'” click here to read the story 18:12
Nova Scotia’s deadliest industry slowly becomes safer
It is one of the most mundane tasks on a fishing boat: tying up the bumper balloons that prevent the vessel from crunching into the wharf when it docks. But for fisherman Mitch MacDonald it proved life-altering. For 10 years he fastened them with little problem. That is until last May, when his boat pitched unexpectedly and a balloon fell overboard, the rope sawing through his left index finger. “It pretty much burnt right through my finger and took the end of my finger off overboard,” he said. MacDonald has not regained the full use of his hand. The injury cost him thousands of dollars in lost income as he had trouble holding onto things and couldn’t work the rest of the fishing season. He is not alone. In 2016 there were 224 injuries on fishing boats, according to the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia, but good news is the numbers are declining. Six years ago 351 injuries were reported. Read the story here 08:37
More fishermen using personal flotation devices; still room for improvement
Commercial fishing has been getting safer as more people heading to sea are willing to wear personal flotation devices, says a fishing safety consultant with the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia. “Most folks are doing a good job,” says Tommy Harper. He was in Eastern Passage on Thursday, leading a man-overboard exercise for fishermen and an education session on personal flotation devices. Read the rest here 22:32
Nova Scotia fishing industry continues to be most deadly
Nova Scotia’s fishing industry continues to be the deadliest workplace in the province because health and safety are not priorities, a legislature committee heard Wednesday. “We see an industry that’s struggling with high levels of fatality and also severe injury and a high frequency of injury,” said MacLean. Read the rest here 10:43
The Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia campaign aims to keep fishermen afloat
The Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia has taken matters in hand, literally, with a new campaign aimed at encouraging fishermen to wear personal flotation devices while near or on the water. Board staffers have been hitting waterfront events across the province with a new summer slogan: “Who do you wear your PFD for?” continued@chronicleherald17:25:41
