December 2022

OHS eNews

New and updated OHS resources

Visit the OHS Resource Portal for bulletins, infographics and recorded webinars supporting workplace health and safety in Alberta.

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Updated

 

Changes to the Certificate of Recognition (COR) program for 2023

There are two notable upcoming changes to the COR program, both of which will come into effect on January 1, 2023.

Full three-technique audits restored

Effective January 1, 2023, the use of audit techniques (documentation, observation and interview) as specified in each approved audit instrument must again be followed. As part of this change:

  • The use of on-site data gathering will not be restricted.
  • Documentation may be reviewed remotely and/or on-site.
  • Interviews may be conducted remotely and/or on-site.
  • Observations must be conducted.

For three-year certification, a minimum of 12 months of health and safety system documentation is required. Employers with less than 12 months of documentation may be eligible for a one-year certificate.

The remaining temporary audit measures, which were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, will end on December 31, 2022.

Partnerships in Injury Reduction will continue to monitor any future situations declared as public health emergencies, and will respond should measures be implemented that would affect COR auditing.

New COR audit instruments for 2023

Starting January 1, 2023, all Certifying Partners will implement new audit instruments designed to improve the audit process and make the revisions necessitated by the current Occupational Health and Safety Act. The improvements include the following:

  • The audit questions for joint health and safety committee/health and safety representative have been updated and simplified.
  • The number of audit questions on violence and harassment has been reduced to align with legislation.
  • For Small Employer COR holders, the audit content has been modernized and aligned with the regular COR instrument.
  • The audit process for owner/operators has been simplified, and the number of audit questions has been reduced by about one-third.

Please contact your Certifying Partner for more details. Contact information for Certifying Partners is available at alberta.ca/find-certifying-partner.aspx.

 

Upcoming Employment Standards live webinars

Employment Standards webinars (including live Q&As) are scheduled for the following topics:

  • Employment Standards in Alberta – Vacation Pay and General Holiday Pay: Thursday, December 8, 2022 at 1:30 p.m.
  • Employment Standards in Alberta – Averaging Arrangements: Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
  • Overview of Employment Standards in Alberta: Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.

For more information, or to register for one of the sessions, please visit alberta.ca/employment-standards-webinars.aspx.

 

OHS: Beyond the numbers

Each month, “OHS: Beyond the numbers” showcases data and information to help start health and safety conversations in your workplace.

Work-related motor vehicle incidents account for six per cent of all potentially serious incidents reported to Alberta OHS. With the onset of winter weather, workers who drive a vehicle as part of their jobs can be at increased risk on the roads. 

The infographic above shows some of the seasonal differences in relation to motor vehicle incidents. For example, in late fall and winter, motor vehicle incidents occur mostly in the morning; during the rest of the year, most such incidents occur in the afternoon. Of particular note, there are more potentially serious incidents related to motor vehicles in late fall and winter (especially in January and February), across multiple industries. Regardless of the time of year, nearly half of motor vehicle incidents involve collisions between vehicles.

Winter brings more challenging road conditions, and a motor vehicle incident can have devastating results. Employers and workers need to ensure safe driving is given the same importance as other workplace safety practices. To learn more, see Driving safety on the OHS Resource Portal. 

 

WCB-Alberta's Worksight newsletter

Worksight is a monthly digital newsletter from the Workers’ Compensation Board Alberta. It provides Alberta employers with timely information about workers' compensation topics and support available for injured workers and employers. Stay informed with workers’ compensation business updates and insights—read the latest issue and subscribe today! 

 

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Copyright 2022 Government of Alberta

This material is solely for the user’s information and convenience and, while thought to be accurate and functional, it is provided without warranty of any kind. Neither the Crown, nor its agents, employees, or contractors, will be liable to you for any damages, direct or indirect, arising out of your use of the information contained in this material. If in doubt with respect to any information contained within this material, or for confirmation of legal requirements, please refer to the current edition of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation, and Code or other applicable legislation. Further, if there is any inconsistency or conflict between any of the information contained in this material and the applicable legislative requirement, the legislative requirement shall prevail. This material is current to December 2022. The law is constantly changing with new legislation, amendments to existing legislation, and decisions from the courts. It is important that you keep yourself informed of the current law. This material, including copyright and marks under the Trademarks Act (Canada), is owned by the Government of Alberta and protected by law. This publication is issued under the Open Government Licence – Alberta. For details on the terms of this licence and commercial or non-commercial use of any materials in this publication, visit open.alberta.ca/licence. Note that the terms of this licence do not apply to any licensed third-party materials that may be included in this publication.