Occupational
Health & Safety
A Safer Workplace Starts With EasyHR
Select your province and company size to discover the minimum legal standards.
What are my safety responsibilities?
Each Canadian province has specific requirements when it comes to health and safety.
Some industries are required to have specific protocols in place, but even "low risk" businesses like retail stores, have a fair deal of work to do.
Correct as of August 18th 2021
Ontario - Occupational Health and Safety Act
1 Employee and Above
- Post the prevention starts here health and safety poster for all employees to see
- Post the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Workplace Safety Insurance Board poster
- Obtain current SDS data sheets
- Purchase first aid kit and relevant contents
- Basic occupational health and safety awareness training
- A worker trained in CPR if your workplace is covered by WSIB
- WHIMS training for works who are likely to be exposed
- Violence and Harassment information and training for employees & violence prevention policy (recommended)
- Violence and Harassment Training
- JHSC (if dealing with hazardous materials and not a construction project)
N.B. Provide all materials in English and the language best understood by your workforce.
Ontario - Occupational Health and Safety Act
6 employees and above
- Post the health and safety at work poster for all employees to see
- Post the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Workplace Safety Insurance Board poster
- Obtain current SDS data sheets
- Purchase first aid kit and contents
- Basic occupational health and safety awareness training
- A worker trained in CPR if your workplace is covered by WSIB
- WHIMS training for works who are likely to be exposed
- Violence and Harassment information for employees + preventing violence policy (recommended)
specific for 6+ employees:
- Workers must select a Health and Safety rep who is not a manager
- Risk assessment of workplace violence
- A written health and safety policy and program to back it up posted in a communal area
- A workplace violence and harassment policy and program posted in a communal area with processes to control health hazards (may be outlined in your OHS program)
- All employees and supervisors to complete basic OHS awareness training and keep a record First aid training if you workplace is registered with the WSIB for 6+ employees
N.B. All policies must be updated at least once per year
Ontario - Occupational Health and Safety Act
20 Employees and Above
- Post the health and safety at work poster for all employees to see
- Post the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Workplace Safety Insurance Board poster
- Obtain current SDS data sheets
- Purchase first aid kit and contents
- Basic occupational health and safety awareness training
- A worker trained in CPR if your workplace is covered by WSIB
- WHIMS training for works who are likely to be exposed
- Violence and Harassment information for employees + preventing violence policy (recommended)
specific for 6+ employees:
- Workers must select a Health and Safety rep who is not a manager
- Risk assessment of workplace violence
- A written health and safety policy and program posted in a communal area
- A workplace violence and harassment policy and program posted in a communal area with processes to control health hazards (may be outlined in your OHS program)
- All employees and supervisors to complete basic OHS awareness training and
keep a record First aid training if you workplace is registered with the WSIB for 6+ employees
Specific for 20+ employees:
- Must have a Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) with at least one employee and one manager
-- The committee must meet at least once every three months and record minutes of the meeting. --
- Emergency response information, if you have an employee with a disability
- Post the names and work locations of your JHSC members
- Post No-smoking No-Vaping signs at each entrance, exit and washrooms
Your Joint Health and Safety Committee members must complete the Parts 1 and 2 of mandatory training: Basic Certification and Workplace-Specific Hazard Training and a refresher training is required every three (3) years to maintain certification and retain proof of the course completion.
Ontario - Occupational Health and Safety Act
50 Employees and Above
- Post the health and safety at work poster for all employees to see
- Post the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Workplace Safety Insurance Board poster
- Obtain current SDS data sheets
- Purchase first aid kit and contents
- Basic occupational health and safety awareness training
- A worker trained in CPR if your workplace is covered by WSIB
- WHIMS training for works who are likely to be exposed
- Violence and Harassment information for employees + preventing violence policy (recommended)
Specific for 6+ employees:
- Workers must select a Health and Safety rep who is not a manager
- Risk assessment of workplace violence
- A written health and safety policy and program posted in a communal area
- A workplace violence and harassment policy and program posted in a communal area with processes to control health hazards (may be outlined in your OHS program)
- All employees and supervisors to complete basic OHS awareness training and
keep a record First aid training if you workplace is registered with the WSIB for 6+ employees
Specific for 20+ employees:
- Must have a Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) with at least one employee and one manager
- Emergency response information, if you have an employee with a disability
- Post the names and work locations of your JHSC members
- Post No-smoking No-Vaping signs at each entrance, exit and washrooms
Your Joint Health and Safety Committee members must complete the Parts 1 and 2 of mandatory training: Basic Certification and Workplace-Specific Hazard Training and a refresher training is required every three (3) years to maintain certification and retain proof of the course completion.
Specific for 50+ employees:
- You Must have a Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) with at least four employees (half must be non-manager employees)
British Columbia - Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
All Workplaces
- "Notice to workers" board
- Initiate and maintain a "less formal" program
- Regular monthly meetings on health and safety
- Maintain a record of the meetings and topics discussed
- regular inspections made on buildings, structures, grounds, excavations, tools, equipment, machinery and work methods and practices, at intervals that will prevent the development of unsafe working conditions.
- A special inspection must be made when required by malfunction or accident.
- An inspection required by section 3.5 and a major inspection required by section 3.7 must, where feasible, include the participation of members of the joint committee or the worker health and safety representative, as applicable, but
- (a) if there is no committee or worker health and safety representative the employer must designate an employer representative and the union must designate a worker representative, or
- (b) if there is no union the employer must invite the workers to designate one of their number.
- Appropriate first aid resources given the number of workers on shift (flesh this out), the risk of injury and the surface travel time to a hospital.
- Written first aid policies posted in a public place.
- First aid records retained for at least 3 years.
- Complete OHS orientation and records of the orientation for all young and new workers.
- Written safe work procedures that are understood and followed by workers.
British Columbia - Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
All Workplaces
- "Notice to workers" board
- Initiate and maintain a "less formal" program
- Regular monthly meetings on health and safety
- Maintain a record of the meetings and topics discussed
- regular inspections made on buildings, structures, grounds, excavations, tools, equipment, machinery and work methods and practices, at intervals that will prevent the development of unsafe working conditions.
- A special inspection must be made when required by malfunction or accident.
- An inspection required by section 3.5 and a major inspection required by section 3.7 must, where feasible, include the participation of members of the joint committee or the worker health and safety representative, as applicable, but
- (a) if there is no committee or worker health and safety representative the employer must designate an employer representative and the union must designate a worker representative, or
- (b) if there is no union the employer must invite the workers to designate one of their number.
- Appropriate first aid resources given the number of workers on shift (flesh this out), the risk of injury and the surface travel time to a hospital.
- Written first aid policies posted in a public place.
- First aid records retained for at least 3 years.
- Complete OHS orientation and records of the orientation for all young and new workers.
- Written safe work procedures that are understood and followed by workers.
British Columbia - Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
All Workplaces
- "Notice to workers" board
- Initiate and maintain a "less formal" program
- Regular monthly meetings on health and safety
- Maintain a record of the meetings and topics discussed
- regular inspections made on buildings, structures, grounds, excavations, tools, equipment, machinery and work methods and practices, at intervals that will prevent the development of unsafe working conditions.
- A special inspection must be made when required by malfunction or accident.
- An inspection required by section 3.5 and a major inspection required by section 3.7 must, where feasible, include the participation of members of the joint committee or the worker health and safety representative, as applicable, but
- (a) if there is no committee or worker health and safety representative the employer must designate an employer representative and the union must designate a worker representative, or
- (b) if there is no union the employer must invite the workers to designate one of their number.
- Appropriate first aid resources given the number of workers on shift (flesh this out), the risk of injury and the surface travel time to a hospital.
- Written first aid policies posted in a public place.
- First aid records retained for at least 3 years.
- Complete OHS orientation and records of the orientation for all young and new workers.
- Written safe work procedures that are understood and followed by workers.
--
(a) a statement of the employer's aims and the responsibilities of the employer, supervisors and workers,
(b) provision for the regular inspection of premises, equipment, work methods and work practices, at appropriate intervals, to ensure that prompt action is undertaken to correct any hazardous conditions found,
(c) appropriate written instructions, available for reference by all workers, to supplement this Occupational Health and Safety Regulation,
(d) provision for holding periodic management meetings for the purpose of reviewing health and safety activities and incident trends, and for the determination of necessary courses of action,
(e) provision for the prompt investigation of incidents to determine the action necessary to prevent their recurrence,
(f) the maintenance of records and statistics, including reports of inspections and incident investigations, with provision for making this information available to the joint committee or worker health and safety representative, as applicable and, upon request, to an officer, the union representing the workers at the workplace or, if there is no union, the workers at the workplace, and
(g) provision by the employer for the instruction and supervision of workers in the safe performance of their work.
- Appropriate first aid resources given the number of workers on shift (flesh this out), the risk of injury and the surface travel time to a hospital.
British Columbia - Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
All Workplaces
- "Notice to workers" board
- Initiate and maintain a "less formal" program
- Regular monthly meetings on health and safety
- Maintain a record of the meetings and topics discussed
- regular inspections made on buildings, structures, grounds, excavations, tools, equipment, machinery and work methods and practices, at intervals that will prevent the development of unsafe working conditions.
- A special inspection must be made when required by malfunction or accident.
- An inspection required by section 3.5 and a major inspection required by section 3.7 must, where feasible, include the participation of members of the joint committee or the worker health and safety representative, as applicable, but
- (a) if there is no committee or worker health and safety representative the employer must designate an employer representative and the union must designate a worker representative, or
- (b) if there is no union the employer must invite the workers to designate one of their number.
- Appropriate first aid resources given the number of workers on shift (flesh this out), the risk of injury and the surface travel time to a hospital.
- Written first aid policies posted in a public place.
- First aid records retained for at least 3 years.
- Complete OHS orientation and records of the orientation for all young and new workers.
- Written safe work procedures that are understood and followed by workers.
--
(a) a statement of the employer's aims and the responsibilities of the employer, supervisors and workers,
(b) provision for the regular inspection of premises, equipment, work methods and work practices, at appropriate intervals, to ensure that prompt action is undertaken to correct any hazardous conditions found,
(c) appropriate written instructions, available for reference by all workers, to supplement this Occupational Health and Safety Regulation,
(d) provision for holding periodic management meetings for the purpose of reviewing health and safety activities and incident trends, and for the determination of necessary courses of action,
(e) provision for the prompt investigation of incidents to determine the action necessary to prevent their recurrence,
(f) the maintenance of records and statistics, including reports of inspections and incident investigations, with provision for making this information available to the joint committee or worker health and safety representative, as applicable and, upon request, to an officer, the union representing the workers at the workplace or, if there is no union, the workers at the workplace, and
(g) provision by the employer for the instruction and supervision of workers in the safe performance of their work.
- Appropriate first aid resources given the number of workers on shift (flesh this out), the risk of injury and the surface travel time to a hospital.
Alberta - OHS Act, Regulation and Code
All Workplaces
- Workplace harassment and violence prevention plan
- First Aid plan
- Publicly accessible health and safety legislation
- Health and Safety program recommended for all workplaces by Alberta gov
Alberta - OHS Act, Regulation and Code
All Workplaces
- Workplace harassment and violence prevention plan
- First Aid plan
- Publicly accessible health and safety legislation
- Health and Safety program recommended for all workplaces by Alberta gov
--
All Workplaces
- HS Representative appointed
Alberta - OHS Act, Regulation and Code
All Workplaces
- Workplace harassment and violence prevention plan
- First Aid plan
- Publicly accessible health and safety legislation
- Health and Safety program recommended for all workplaces by Alberta gov
--
All Workplaces
- HS Representative appointed
--
- Health and Safety Committee established with at least 4 members (at least half represent the workers). The committee must have it's first meeting within 10 days of being established and then at least once per quarter.
- HSC Terms of reference created
- Minutes of each HSC meeting, posted (can be electronically) in a communal area within 7 days of the meeting. Retained for 2 years.
- HSC training to be completed
- Must have Health and Safety program in place:
1.Health and safety policy
- Statement of responsibilities
- Dated and signed Hazard assessment and control (results of the assessment and what you have done to correct this)
- Emergency response plan
- Work site inspections
- Procedures when others are working on site
- Orientation and training for workers and supervisors
- Investigating incidents, injuries and refusals to work
- Worker participation
- Reviewing and revising the program
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"My staff have not received any legally required training. What do I do?"
"I have over 5 employees and don’t have any health & safety policies. Where do I start?"
"What do we do about the constantly changing Covid-19 regulations?"
"My industry is high risk, how do I best protect my staff?"
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