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The OHS Acts & Regulations of Each Jurisdiction

There are 2 principal components of OHS law:

Statutes, aka, “OHS Acts”, are pieces of legislation that establish the jurisdiction’s OHS system by:

  • Listing the Act’s purposes;
  • Setting out the broad duties and rights of different individuals and entities covered by the Act;
  • Designating (or creating) the government agencies responsible for overseeing and enforcing the Act;
  • Giving those agencies the power to adopt regulations implementing the Act; and
  • Listing the enforcement mechanisms and penalties for violations.

 

OHS Regulations are created by the government agency that administers the OHS Act to supply the crucial implementation details and specific things that must be done to comply. OHS regulations may be contained in a single general regulation and/or separate regulations covering:

  • Specific industries such as mining or construction;
  • Specific hazards or operations like WHMIS or confined spaces; and/or
  • Administrative aspects of the law such as workplace JHSCs, administrative penalties and exclusions from coverage.

 

Here’s a rundown of the OHS Acts and Regs. of each jurisdiction:

OHS Acts & Regulations by Jurisdiction

Jurisd. (& Authorizing

Statute)

General OHS Reg. Industry-Specific Hazard/Operation-Specific Other
FED

(Canada Labour Code, Part II)

Can. OHS Regs. *Aviation

*Coal Mining

*Maritime

*Oil & Gas

 

NONE

*JHSCs

*Exemption for Ontario Hydro Facilities

*Exemption for Sask. Uranium Mines

AB

(OHS Act)

OHS Code NONE NONE *OHS Reg.

*Admin. Penalties

*Exemption for Farms & Ranches

BC

(Workers’ Comp. Act, Part 3)

OHS Reg. NONE NONE NONE
MB

(WSH Act)

Workplace Safety & Health Reg. Mines NONE Administrative Penalties
NB

(OHS Act)

General Reg. Underground Mines *WHMIS

*Working Alone

*First Aid

*Asbestos

*Admin. Reg.

*Training & Designated Trades

NL

(OHS Act)

OHS Regs. NONE *WHMIS

*Asbestos Abatement

*Asbestos Exposure

*First Aid

NONE
NS

(OHS Act)

*Occupational Safety General Regs.

*Workplace Health & Safety Regs.

*Underground Mining

*Occupational Diving

*WHMIS

*First Aid

*Blasting

*Workplace Violence

Disclosure of Information
ON

(OHS Act)

NONE *Construction Projects

*Diving Operations

*Farming Operations

*Health Care & Residential Facilities

*Industrial Establishments

*Mines & Mining Plants

*Oil & Gas – Offshore

*Teachers

*Univ. Academics & Teaching Assistants

*Window Cleaning

(1)

*WHMIS

*Asbestos

*Confined Spaces

*Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents

*Designated Substances

*Firefighters’ Protective Equip.

*Needle Safety

*Noise

*Roll-Over Protective Structures

*X-ray Safety

*Critical Injury Reporting

*JHSC Exemptions

*OHS Awareness Training

*Offices of Worker & Employer Advisers

 

PEI

(OHS Act)

OHS Act General Regs. NONE *WHMIS

*Fall Protection

*Scaffolding

NONE
QC

(OHS Act)

OHS Reg. *Construction

*Forest Development Work

*Foundry Works

*Indust. & Commercial Establishments

*Mines

*WHMIS (Haz. Prods. Info. Reg.)

*Building Code

*Concrete Pump & Building Masts

*Quality of Work Environment

*JHSCs

*Re-assignment of Pregnant or Breastfeeding Workers

*Occ. Health Services

*Prevention Programs

*Pulmonary Exams for Mine Workers

SK

(Sask. Employment Act, Part III)

OHS Regs. *Mines

*Prime Contractor Regs

WHMIS NONE
NWT

(Safety Act)

OHS Regs. Oil & Gas NONE NONE
NU

(Safety Act)

OHS Regs. NONE NONE NONE
YK

(OHS Act)

*OHS Regs.

*Occ. Health Regs.

Commercial Diving *WHMIS

*First Aid

*Radiation

Labs Designated for Testing Hoisting Ropes

Note:

(1) In Ontario, the First Aid Regulations are adopted under the workers’ comp statute rather than the OHS Act