As 2022 fast approaches, we want to help you prepare for new challenges that will soon be present due to the passing of Bill 47 – Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act.
Bill 47, which passed in December of last year, re-vamps the current health and safety legislation. The changes to OHS Act and Code will finalize in late 2021.
With any new change, adjusting can take time, however, it may not be as challenging and cumbersome as we predict it to be.
Bill 47: Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act, 2020 has been established to simplify legislation and introduce big changes to Alberta Occupational Health and Safety as well as the Workers Compensation Act.
The Government of Alberta has stated that the proposed OHS Act will “eliminate duplication and simplify language to make OHS laws easier to understand and follow, resulting in healthier and safer workplaces”.
The proposed Workers Compensation Act will “make workplace safety laws easier to understand, creating a more sustainable workers’ compensation system to support Albertans now and into the future, as well as ensure the system is sustainable, affordable, and fair”.
KEY CHANGES FROM BILL 47
I’m sure most of us have experienced the redundancy and complicatedness of the current legislation. Here’s a sneak peek about what to expect come the new year from Bill 47:
- Definitions of “health and safety” and “self-employed persons”
- Prime contractors obligations: HSC’s and HSR’s will not be required where there is a prime contractor at a multiple employer site
- HSC’s and HSR’s
- Dangerous Work : employers no longer need to pay employees if they exercise their right to refuse dangerous work
- Discriminatory Action Complaints: renamed to Disciplinary Action Complaints along with other changes
- Rules around serious incident reporting: Clarifies definitions and reporting requirements of potentially serious incident
- Stop work order: employers are no longer required to pay workers subject to a stop work order
- Compensation for disability
- Clarifies rules and definitions around dangerous work refusals to make it easier to follow so that serious health and safety concerns can be resolved more quickly
To learn more about the new changes taking place Visit ACSA, and if you need help implementing these changes into your Safety Plan, contact us!
Have a great week!