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.
Social media resources
Download and share these graphics and text on your social media sites to help create awareness of workplace safety.
Social media graphics to use
Mental health – Multiplatform (JPG, 129 KB)
Mental health – Twitter (JPG, 140 KB)
Text to use
Employers, workers and supervisors can protect psychological health and safety in the workplace through personal or organizational strategies like participating in a wellness program or talking with trusted friends. Watch the OHS Psychosocial Hazards video series to learn more:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgou_qQG9_mNfew8D9NuwlzZa4zOJW3YK
Social media graphics to use
Hazard assessment – Multiplatform (JPG,151 KB)
Hazard assessment – Twitter (JPG, 148 KB)
Text to use
Identifying workplace factors that can affect mental health helps ensure that everyone stays healthy and safe. Watch the OHS Psychosocial Hazards video series to learn how to conduct a psychosocial hazard assessment: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgou_qQG9_mNfew8D9NuwlzZa4zOJW3YK
Social media graphics to use
Safe workplaces – Multiplatform (JPG, 153 KB)
Safe workplaces – Twitter (JPG, 155 KB)
Text to use
Poor mental health can affect workers’ concentration and awareness of their surroundings. Watch the Psychosocial Hazards video series to learn about the types of hazards that affect mental health and what your organization can do: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgou_qQG9_mNfew8D9NuwlzZa4zOJW3YK
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:
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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