We examine and discuss important topics and developments in health and safety to share our insight and experience with you!
A fatal collision on Anthony Henday is a reminder that driving for work remains one of the most underestimated workplace hazards. Here’s how Alberta OHS typically interprets employer responsibility for driving-related risk — and what gaps business owners should address before something goes wrong.
We didn’t have an injury. Nothing felt urgent. Then the OHS order arrived. This story isn’t about unsafe work — it’s about what gets exposed when your safety system is examined and clarity matters more than you expect.
As a Safety Advisor, most of the safety problems I see don’t start with negligence. They start with reasonable assumptions — the kind that make sense day to day — until the business is forced to test them under pressure.
When I heard about the Hong Kong fire, where ignored safety rules and poor oversight led to tragedy, it made me stop and think about my own situation. I’d already been feeling overwhelmed trying to put together a safety program, especially after realizing how unprepared we were for our upcoming COR audit. Then I remembered the story my friend told me about working for a company that treated safety like an afterthought—right up until it cost them their contract after a fatal incident. Seeing the Hong Kong fire in the news was the final push. It was a reminder that when safety gets ignored, whether it’s a massive building overseas or a small business here at home, the consequences are real. That’s when I knew I needed proper support, not just a checklist, to make sure my business never ended up in the same situation.
Many new Alberta business owners don’t realize what safety documentation, hazard assessments, training records, and supervisor responsibilities they legally need until a commercial client asks for COR. In this short first-person story, I explain how a friend’s landscaping company lost a major contract because their safety program wasn’t ready — and how that became an eye-opener for my own construction business. If you want to grow, bid on larger work, and stay compliant with OHS without surprises, this guide shows what you need before you need it.
Preparing for a COR Audit can be stressful, especially an External COR Audit. Proactive planning can alleviate a lot of that stress when you take some steps in advance to help ensure a smooth audit. At Safety Ahead, we have had lots of experience over the years in assisting companies with both Internal and External COR Audits, so we understand how important it is to be well-prepared. We also know how easy it is to overlook small details during the planning stages. To help you stay on track and organized and avoid common mistakes like missing documentation and a lack of staff involvement - we have developed a list of effective tips to help you ensure that your company’s Audit is a successful one!
Several years ago, I was working on a commercial building project in South Common. It was a high-visibility site—surrounded by traffic and clearly visible from all directions. I had a strong sense that our site might draw the attention of Alberta OHS.
Imagine your worksite screeching to a halt when an OHS officer slaps you with a Stop Work Order. A supervisor’s tale of a near-miss with faulty equipment unveils the critical world of Alberta OHS regulations. Discover what Stop Work Orders, Compliance Orders, and more mean, why they’re issued, and how to bounce back fast.
Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Officers have the authority to issue orders to employers and worksite parties that require specific actions that will result in compliance with Alberta OHS legislation.
Traffic Safety Amendment Act to take effect March 1st, 2023. Motorists will be required to slow down to 60 km/h or the posted speed limit, whichever is lower, when passing any emergency vehicle, tow truck, road crew and snowplow operations that is stopped with their lights flashing. This will affect all lanes traveling in the same direction on multi-land roads and both directions of travel on single lane roadways.
Currently, the law only required drivers in the lane directly adjacent to the roadside to slow down to 60km/h.
Learn more about how it will affect Alberta drivers in the full article below