Legislative Update: A Primer On The Recent Changes To Alberta's Occupational Health And Safety Act

The Protections and Compliance Statute Amendment Act, which received royal assent in December, 2012 has resulted in a number of changes to Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act.  This article highlights two key developments that stem from these amendments: changes relating the designation of a prime contractor, and the introduction of administrative penalties, a new enforcement mechanism under the Act.

Changes in Prime Contractor Obligations

Section 3(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act has been amended and it now requires that every work site have a have a prime contractor if there are two or more employers involved in work at that site.  Under the previous wording of this section, a prime contractor only had to be designated when two or more employers were involved in work at the site at the same time.  The objective of the amendment is to prevent companies from scheduling work in a way that allows them to avoid prime contractor obligations, as