CALGARY — For the second year in a row, Alberta’s average WCB premium rate is decreasing by a considerable percentage.

The Alberta Motor Transport Association reports the general rate will fall back to $1.57 per $100 of insurable earnings in 2006 from $1.83 the year before.

General Trucking average rate in 2006 is $5.20, down from $6.17 in 2005 (-15.72%); Specialized Trucking (50701)average rate in 2006 is $4.65, down from $5.64 in 2005 (-17.55%); and Garbage Collection (57901) average rate in 2006 is $3.38, down from $4.13 in 2005 (-18.16%).

Guy Kerr, president and CEO of WCB Alberta says the Board will mail individual premium notices to employers. According to the AMTA, Kerr announced recently some positive trends affecting WCB-Alberta in 2005, including:

A decrease in average claim duration of 14 percent to 34.4 days; A reduction of the lost time claim rate to 2.4 per 100 workers; and the restoration of WCB’s required funding levels — an achievement that reduced the 2006 premium rate by 23 cents.

Board results were supported by positive investment returns and an increase in employer insurable earnings reflecting strong economic activity in the province, says Kerr.

However, Kerr cautioned stakeholders to stay focused on reducing injuries. He pointed to Alberta’s disabling injury rate at the forecast of 4.2 disabling injuries per 100 workers.

The disabling injury rate counts time loss and no time loss claims where an injury is serious enough to warrant a change in job duties or modified work.