22 Nova Scotians died at work or because of work in 2025: WCB

A worker holding a yellow hard hat is seen in this generic image. (Getty Images)

The Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia (WCB) says more residents died at work or because of work in 2025 than the year before.

Last year, 22 Nova Scotians died in connection with their work, which is an increase from 20 in 2024.

There are three classifications of workplace fatalities:

• acute: where an incident on the job, like a fall, drowning, or a motor vehicle accident, leads to a fatality
• occupational disease: like mesothelioma or other work-related illnesses
• health-related: where a person dies while at work, but for health reasons, which may or may not be related to their work

Of the 22 workplace fatalities in 2025, there were:

• seven acute traumatic incidents, the same number of acute deaths as in 2024
• 13 deaths linked to occupational disease, up from six in 2024
• two health-related fatalities, a decrease from seven in 2024

The board says four of last year’s occupational disease deaths were due to cancers that became eligible for presumptive coverage for firefighters in 2022, when presumptive coverage was expanded from six to 19 types of cancer. Starting this year, presumptive cancer coverage will also be extended to wildland firefighters and fire investigators.

The WCB says those numbers are a reminder of the importance of proper safety measures and the toll workplace deaths have on families and loved ones.

“Every life lost is a devastating tragedy for families, workplaces and communities, and my deepest condolences go to those who are grieving,” says Nolan Young, minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration.

“These are not numbers on a page. They are parents, partners, friends and coworkers, and we must honour them by learning from every incident. We are committed to working with employers, workers, safety leaders and our partners to strengthen prevention, enforce safety standards, and do better, so that every person who heads to work in Nova Scotia can come home safely at the end of the day.”

Karen Adams, CEO of the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia, says no one should lose their life because of their job.

“Every fatality is someone who should have come home safely, and each death leaves friends and family forever impacted,” says Adams. “Prevention saves lives and WCB is deeply committed to helping create safer workplaces in Nova Scotia to stop tragedies like these from happening. Our thoughts are with the loved ones grieving these deaths.”

While the number of deaths increased, the board says Nova Scotia’s injury rate remains at an all-time low of 1.21 per 100 covered workers.

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