On Dec. 13, 2019, the assistant deputy minister of
the Department of Labour and Immigration issued
a Director’s Order loosening the requirements for
joint worksite health and safety committees and
health and safety representatives in Alberta (the Order). The
Order came into effect on Jan.31, 2020.
Prior to the Order becoming effective, and since June 1,
2018, employers were required by another Director’s Order
to have a joint worksite health and safety committee or a
health and safety representative at each and every worksite
in Alberta, provided they met the applicable threshold of
workers and length of work.
Now, pursuant to the Order, employers no longer need to
have committees or representatives at each and every worksite.
Instead, employers’ obligations return to those precisely
set out in Sections 16 and 17 of the Occupational Health and
Safety Act (the Act), namely:
• Employers are required to have a joint worksite health and
safety committee if they employ 20 or more workers and
work is expected to last 90 days or longer; and
• Employers are required to have a health and safety representative
if they employ five or more workers and work is
expected to last 90 days or longer.
In addition, the Order lessens the amount of training
required by committee co-chairs and representatives, reducing
the requirement from the completion of two mandatory
courses to a single six- to eight-hour course that is provided
by a designated training agency.
YUTTANA590623/123RF
LEGAL
Health and Safety Changes
Alberta government loosens requirements for joint worksite health
and safety committees and health and safety representatives
By Sheena Owens and David Price, Stikeman Elliott LLP
PILING CANADA 79
/9120
/9120
/profile_yuttana590623
