Alberta OHS — Common Questions

Yes. Under Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act, every employer with one or more workers must have a health and safety program. There is no minimum employee threshold — if you have even one worker (including part-time or contract), you are legally required to have an OHS program in place. This applies to all industries operating in Alberta. Create your OHS program in 15 minutes →

One. Alberta's OHS Act applies from the very first worker you hire — whether full-time, part-time, or contract. There is no exemption for small teams. Even a sole proprietor who hires one person must have a health and safety program. Some businesses mistakenly believe the threshold is 5 or 20 employees, but that's not the case under Alberta legislation.

Penalties are steep. Alberta OHS officers can issue compliance orders requiring you to create a program within a set deadline. If you fail to comply, fines for individuals can reach up to $500,000, and corporations can face fines up to $1,000,000 per offence. In cases involving serious injury or death, employers can face criminal charges. Beyond fines, you may lose eligibility for government contracts and COR certification. Read the full breakdown of penalties →

It varies widely. Hiring a safety consultant typically costs $1,000 to $5,000+ for a custom OHS program. Generic Word templates run $200 to $500 and still require significant customization. SafeForm offers a third option: an AI-generated, industry-specific OHS program for $29 CAD — one-time payment, no subscription. You answer questions about your business and receive 7 Alberta-compliant documents in about 15 minutes. Get started for $29 →

Yes, you can write your own OHS program. Alberta's legislation doesn't require it to be written by a certified professional. However, your program must meet all legal requirements under the OHS Act, Regulation, and Code — including a written OHS policy, hazard assessments, safe work procedures, emergency response plan, WHMIS program (if applicable), incident reporting procedures, and worker orientation documentation. Most small business owners find this takes 40–80 hours of research and writing to do properly.

Alberta OHS compliance requires several core documents: (1) A written OHS Policy signed by senior management, (2) Hazard assessments identifying workplace risks and controls, (3) Safe work procedures for high-risk tasks, (4) An Emergency Response Plan covering fire, medical, and evacuation procedures, (5) WHMIS documentation if your workplace uses hazardous chemicals, (6) Incident and near-miss reporting forms, and (7) Worker orientation and training records. Additional documents may be required depending on your industry. See the full list of required documents →

Alberta requires hazard assessments to be reviewed and updated whenever conditions change at your workplace — such as new equipment, new processes, a workplace incident, or changes in legislation. At minimum, most safety professionals recommend a formal annual review. You must also repeat hazard assessments when starting a new work activity or when an existing assessment no longer reflects current conditions. Keep dated records of all reviews.

COR (Certificate of Recognition) is a voluntary program administered by Alberta's Partnerships in Health and Safety. It certifies that an employer's health and safety management system has been evaluated by a certified auditor and meets provincial standards. COR is required to bid on most government and oil & gas contracts in Alberta. Employers with COR certification can receive WCB premium rebates of up to 20%. A smaller version called SECOR (Small Employer Certificate of Recognition) is available for companies with 1–9 employees.

If you are a sole proprietor with no employees working entirely from home, you are generally not required to have an OHS program. However, the moment you hire any worker — even one part-time employee who comes to your home office — the OHS Act applies and you need a program. If your home-based business has workers visiting client sites, those off-site work locations must also be covered by your OHS program.

It depends on your approach. Writing one from scratch typically takes 40 to 80+ hours of research and writing. Hiring a consultant can take 2 to 6 weeks depending on their availability. Using SafeForm, you can generate a complete, Alberta-compliant OHS program in about 15 minutes — answer questions about your business and download your 7-document package immediately.

Under Alberta's OHS Act, fines are serious. For a first offence, individuals face fines up to $500,000 and/or 6 months imprisonment. Corporations face fines up to $1,000,000 per offence. For subsequent offences, penalties double. Administrative penalties (tickets) can also be issued on-site for up to $10,000 per violation. In cases where non-compliance leads to a worker fatality, charges can be laid under the Criminal Code of Canada. Beyond fines, non-compliance can result in stop-work orders that shut down your operations entirely. Read more about compliance requirements →

No, Alberta does not legally require your OHS program to be reviewed or approved by a safety professional. However, your program must meet all requirements under the OHS Act, Regulation, and Code. If you are pursuing COR or SECOR certification, your program will need to pass an audit by a certified auditor. For most small businesses, having a program that covers all required components and is reviewed annually is sufficient. SafeForm generates programs that address all mandatory Alberta OHS requirements →