In late 2020, the Alberta government introduced a number of
important and controversial changes to the Occupational
Health and Safety Act. Those amendments, contained in Bill
47, Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act,
were expected to come into force on September 1, 2021. However, the
Alberta government recently announced that those changes, together
with consequential changes to the Occupational Health and
Safety Code, will now take effect in late 2021. The Alberta
government has not committed to a specific date when the amendments
will become enforceable, but the new date will likely be announced
in the coming weeks.
Undoubtedly, this news will come as welcome relief to those
employers struggling to understand and comply with the new
legislative requirements, a challenge complicated by the pressures
and fluidity of the present pandemic.
