The Canadian Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (awcbc), comprising workers’ compensation boards (wcbs) from each province and territory, annually publishes data on workplace fatalities across the country.1 According to the awcbc, from 2000 to 2016 there were 16,216 worker deaths, with a high of 1,098 fatalities in 2005 and a low of 852 in 2015. The average annual death toll during this period is 954. Approximately two-thirds of these fatalities are occupational disease related (e.g. cancer or systemic disease), most notably deaths from asbestos exposure, including asbestosis, pleural plaques, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. The remaining deaths stem from acute incidents causing fatal injuries, including transportation collisions, falls at construction sites, and being struck or crushed by machinery.