On March 30, 2021, the Alberta Government launched an online survey to gather the province's opinion on the proposed changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Code (the "Code"). This survey is one of the Provincial Government's first steps in their three-year plan of reviewing the Code. The purpose of the review plan is to "improve health and safety outcomes while enabling innovation, competitiveness, and streamlining requirements".
The Province's three-year plan to review and update the Code is in conjunction with the recently introduced and passed as Schedule 2 of Bill 47, Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act, which introduces a new Occupational Health and Safety Act (the "Act"). The new Act is expected come into effect on September 1, 2021.
There will be many ramifications of this new legislation, which will directly affect employers and their obligations under both the Act and the Code. Therefore, participation in the survey is highly recommended, as Alberta employers and workplaces will ultimately be responsible for implementing and following any changes made to the Code in response to this survey.
The plan to review is expected to be complete in 2023, and the survey is open until May 10, 2021. The survey can be found here.
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