Lesson 8: Workplace Safety and The Law

Glossary


Workplace Health and Safety Legislation


Every job has safety concerns and risks — some jobs are very dangerous. Since it is impossible to completely eliminate all risks, government legislation and regulations are needed so that these risks are at least minimized. 

In every province of Canada, governments have written acts, regulations, and codes & guidelines to increase safety and decrease injury and fatality incidents in the workplace.

The purposes of these government "acts, regulations, and codes & guidelines" are summarized in the following table:

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 ACTS REGULATIONS
 CODES & GUIDELINES

  • establish legal authority              
  • provide general principles      
  • identify rights
  • state responsibilities
  • set the rules supported by law           
  • establish safety requirements
 
  • provide outlines and details
  • specify testing procedures
  • establish procedures for keeping records
 
e.g, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act

For more information on the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation and Code, click here.

 e.g., WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System

For more information on WHMIS, particularly the new WHMIS 2015, click here.
 e.g., Employment Standards Code

For more information on Employment Standards, Rules and Regulations, click here.

Another legislative body, that is important to know about, is the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB).

  • WCB legislation provides benefits to workers who have been injured on the job.
  • This is paid for by the employer, to provide insurance coverage for the workers. 
  • This coverage can be in the form of medical treatments, lost wages, job re-training or a pension. 
  • For more information on the Workers' Compensation Board, click here.

In general, these acts, regulations, and codes & guidelines determine laws, regulations, and rules for the behaviour of employers and employees in most work situations.