COVID-19 Updates: Taking steps to return to normal.
- Public health restrictions: Alberta entered Step 2 on March 1.
- Book your vaccine: Albertans 5+ can get it now. Get third dose when eligible.
COVID-19 Updates: Taking steps to return to normal.
Employers are required to have a committee or representative to allow meaningful participation in health and safety.
Changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and revised regulations take effect on December 1, 2021. Read more about the changes to OHS laws.
Joint health and safety committees (HSC) and representatives (HS representatives) bring employers and workers together to discuss and address health and safety related concerns in the workplace.
They allow workers to participate in occupational health and safety and support the 3 basic rights of workers:
An employer must:
Unpaid volunteers are not included in the count of regularly employed workers, for the purposes of determining if an HSC or HS representative is required. Volunteers are workers with the same rights and protections under OHS legislation. Although they don’t count as regularly employed, volunteers can still serve as an HSC member or an HS representative.
For multi-employer work sites with no prime contractor, a site-based HSC or HS representative must be established if the worker number thresholds are met.
For multi-employer work sites with a prime contractor, a site-based HSC or HS representative is not required. Instead, prime contractors will be required to coordinate health and safety issues between workers and employers. Prime contractors must also designate a person to ensure cooperation between employers and workers occurs.
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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