The Price of lives and limbs lost at work : the development of no-fault workers' compensation legislation in British Columbia, 1910 to 1916
Date
1996
Authors
Keelor, John Thomas
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This thesis examines the development of the workers ' compensation system in British Columbia from 1910 to 1916. It focuses on how the shift from a fault-based to a no-faultĀ based method of interpreting accidents obscured the responsibility of employers regarding the cause of accidents. Assumptions about workers' moral culpability and immigrant labour's danger in the workplace by the factory inspector contributed to the belief that accidents were caused by careless workers. A statistical analysis of factory records reveals that working conditions were actually the cause of accidents. The social cost of accidents is evident in court cases and in the Royal Commission on Labour. In 1915 the Committee of Investigation on Compensation Laws, chaired by Avard Pineo, investigated compensation laws in North America and recommended a no-fault system which excluded the participation of insurance companies. Ultimately, the compensation system allowed the state to control the conflict between business and labour.