OHS prevention initiative

Overview

Collaboration between employers, workers, government and health and safety professionals helps us know what needs to be done to be safe on the job and ensure preventative measures are in place.

Every year, Albertans are killed or harmed while on the job. There has been an average of 50,000 work-related injuries per year in recent years in Alberta. By taking actions before an event occurs, workplace fatalities, illnesses and injuries can be prevented.

This is the goal of the occupational health and safety (OHS) system – to keep workplaces and workers healthy and safe. This is done through awareness and action.

The OHS prevention initiative focuses on reducing common workplace injuries, protecting at-risk workers and identifying higher-risk work situations. The initiative also coordinates efforts between OHS system partners to achieve better health and safety outcomes.

Prevention initiative resources

Use these OHS resources to help create awareness to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.

• Slips, trips and falls
• Musculoskeletal disorders
• Mental health

Prevention

Prevention initiative background

• Prevention initiative for Alberta’s OHS system – March 2019
• Prevention Initiative annual update – August 2022
• Prevention Initiative annual update – July 2023

Preventing common injuries, illnesses

The OHS prevention initiative focuses on the 3 most common injuries and illnesses that occur in workplaces:

• injuries to bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves (musculoskeletal) due to repetitive use, overexertion and heavy lifting
• injuries from slips, trips and falls
• injuries, illnesses resulting from workplace violence, harassment and mental health issues (psychosocial hazards)

Protecting at-risk workers

The OHS prevention initiative also focuses on workforce types known to be at higher risk of injury and illness:

• small businesses – private sector employers who have less than 20 workers
• vulnerable workers – individuals who have one or more of the following characteristics:
  • young (aged 24 or less)
  • older (aged 55 or more)
  • Indigenous
  • short tenure of work (temporary, seasonal or casual work contracts or arrangements – up to 6 months)
  • have multiple jobs
  • temporary foreign workers and migrants

Initiative partners

The OHS prevention initiative steering committee includes:

• Government of Alberta
• Alberta Association for Safety Partnerships
• Alberta Construction Safety Association
• Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association
• Building Trades of Alberta
• Certifying Partner representative (rotates each year)
• Energy Safety Canada
• Workers’ Compensation Board – Alberta