The document outlines the key responsibilities of employers and workers under Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) legislation. For employers, key responsibilities include conducting hazard assessments, implementing control measures, ensuring worker training and competence, and monitoring workplace health and safety. Workers are responsible for taking reasonable care for their own safety and cooperating with employers on health and safety matters. Both employers and workers must comply with the requirements set out in the OH&S Act, Regulation, and Code.

1. Occupational Health & Safety
Employer/Worker
Responsibilities

2. A summary of Occupational
Health & Safety responsibilities
for workers in Alberta

3. Occupational Health & Safety
legislation in Alberta:
OH&S Legislation in Alberta is divided into 3 categories: the ACT, REGULATION
and CODE:
The Act is passed by the Legislature and outlines the authority of the government to
regulate workplaces. The OH&S Act is a law that helps protect your health and safety
while at work.
The Regulation is a separate document which addresses the requirements related to
government policy and administration matters.
The Code specifies all the technical standards and safety rules that employers and
workers have to comply with to fulfill their obligations. The Code contains the most
details regarding Alberta Workplace Safety requirements.
Most of the Health & Safety specific requirements that employers and employees are
interested in can be found in the OH&S Code section. General safety rules, noise, confined
spaces, chemical hazards, etc.

4.  The Act, Regulation and Code combine to set out the legal
requirements that employers and workers must meet to
protect their own safety and the safety of others who could
be affected by what they do. There are also responsibilities
outlined for contractors and suppliers.
 These requirements are legal duties; if an employer or
worker fails to meet the legal requirements that apply to
them they are in violation of the law and may be subject to
penalties.
Occupational Health & Safety legislation in
Alberta

5. EMPLOYER Key Responsibilities:
 From the OH&S Act:
 Every employer shall ensure, as far as reasonably practicable:
 the health and safety of workers engaged in the work of that
employer,
 the health and safety of those workers not engaged in the work
of that employer but present at the work site at which that work
is being carried out; and
 that the workers engaged in the work of that employer are
aware of their responsibilities and duties under this Act, the
Regulations and the adopted Code.

6. EMPLOYER Key Responsibilities:
In other words, employers have a responsibility to see that safety
is maintained in the workplace, and
to make sure that workers are trained and have the required skills
to do their job tasks safely.
They are to make sure that their workers know
their duties and responsibilities towards keeping
the workplace safe
and to make workers aware of the hazards they
are exposed to at the workplace.

7. Employer Key Responsibilities:
More specific responsibilities for the employer are detailed throughout the legislation and include
these important duties.
An Employer is responsible for:
 Preparing hazard assessments for any job tasks performed by their workers
for which there may be a potential for harm to a worker.
 Providing adequate control measures to reduce the level of risk to an
acceptable level.
 Ensuring employees are competent and adequately trained to perform
their jobs.
 Educating workers to the hazards they may be exposed to at the worksite.
 Monitoring the workplace to ensure that workers are protected from
dangerous exposures including performing health monitoring in certain
situations.
 Ensuring equipment used at the work site is in safe operating condition.

8. Employer Key Responsibilities:
Ensuring employees are competent and adequately trained to perform
their jobs.
An Employer is responsible for:
Note: Until the employer has deemed a worker trained and
competent to perform a job task, the worker must remain under the
direct supervision of another worker who has been deemed
competent.
Direct supervision means personally and visually supervising the
other worker.

9. WORKER Key Responsibilities:
Every worker shall, while engaged in an occupation:
 Take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of the
worker and of other workers present while the worker is
working; and
 Co-operate with the worker’s employer for the purposes of
protecting the health and safety of:
- the worker,
- other workers engaged in the work of the employer; and
- other workers not engaged in the work of that employer but
present at the work site at which that work is being carried
out.

10. WORKER Key Responsibilities:
In other words, each worker must take reasonable care
to work safely on their own and with other workers
present and to cooperate with their employer when it
comes to workplace health and safety.

11. WORKER Key Responsibilities:
Other more specific worker responsibilities for workers taken out
of the legislation include the following.
A worker is responsible for:
 Following the site safety rules and using the safety control
measures,
 Wearing Personal Protective Equipment when required,
 Attending safety meetings,
 Participating and applying training given by the employer,
 Following safe work procedures outlined by employer; and
 Letting the employer know about hazards in the worksite.

12. WORKER Key Responsibilities:
Worker’s right to refuse unsafe work
A worker has a right to refuse to perform work if they feel
there exists an imminent danger.
An imminent danger is defined as a danger that is not usual
for that occupation or any dangerous condition that a worker
would not normally work under.
This is not only a right but a responsibility as well. If you are
in a situation of imminent danger you must stop.
If you are unsure about the safety of a job, ASK. Your
employer is responsible for looking into your concern. If your
concern is not addressed, please contact your EH&S Advisor
for follow-up.

13. Where to find more information:
 Spark has placed a copy of the OH&S Act, Reg.
& Code, in the WorkHub app or in a green
binder kept in the Safety Nook.
 The OH&S act, reg. & Code can be viewed
online at www.whs.gov.ab.ca

14. Safety Policy
 Spark is committed to the prevention of all accidents on
and off the job and the protection of the health and well-
being of all employees, volunteers, suppliers, contractors
and customers.
 Spark will maintain the highest standards for occupational
health and safety in the design and operation of our
equipment and will comply with all laws and regulations
applicable to the Corporation’s business and its employees.

15. Safety Policy
 Spark will provide training for employees to ensure
that the policies and procedures are understood and
can be effectively implemented.
 Management will develop appropriate standards and
procedures, will train employees to work to those
standards and will monitor all performance for
continuous improvement opportunities.
 Every supervisor and manager is responsible for
providing a safe and healthy work environment and
will inform employees, volunteers, contractors and
visitors of all known hazards.
 All employees, volunteers, contractors are
responsible for working safely at all times.