Employer responsibilities

Overview

Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation requires employers do everything they reasonably can to protect the health and safety of their employees.

This means:

• ensuring your workers have the skills and training needed to do their jobs in a healthy and safe manner
• providing competent supervisors
• preventing violence and harassment in the workplace
• informing your workers of all the health and safety hazards at the job site
• setting up safe work practices and ensuring these practices are followed
• providing safety equipment and training
• properly labelling and storing dangerous chemicals
• investigating serious injuries and incidents
• investigating potentially serious incidents (PSI)
• working with the health and safety committee or representative
• meeting  OHS and Employment Standards Code requirements

Employing youth

Know that they are:

• more likely to get hurt at work
• less likely to ask questions because they want to make a good impression

To help ensure the safety of young workers, employers and supervisors should:

• spend ample time training and supervising young and new workers
• provide emergency procedure and job-specific safety training before any work is assigned
• pair young workers with experienced, safety-conscious workers
• regularly check to ensure that everyone follows the health and safety rules
• instruct them on how to report dangerous work or health concerns, and explain why immediate reporting of hazards or incidents is important
• encourage young workers to ask questions and talk with their supervisors
• lead by example – wear protective equipment and demonstrate safe work habits

Employment Standards

Alberta’s Employment Standards laws spell out the rights and responsibilities of employees and employers for:

• payment of earnings
• hours of work and overtime
• vacations and general holidays
• maternity and parental leaves
• termination of employment

The rules apply to employees of all ages with some restrictions for young workers for their protection.

Resources

• OHS Act, Regulation and Code
• Occupational Health and Safety – Employer’s Guide
• Employees Under Age 18
• Are Students and Volunteers Workers?
• Adolescent work permits
• Work site health and safety committees and representatives
• Harassment and violence in the workplace

Contact

Connect with OHS:

Phone: 780-415-8690 (Edmonton)
Toll free: 1-866-415-8690 
TTY: 780-427-9999 (Edmonton)
TTY: 1-800-232-7215

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