Health and safety representative

A worker chosen by co-workers to raise safety concerns and work with the employer on hazards, usually in workplaces too small to need a full committee.

Also called: safety rep, worker health and safety representative, OHS representative

What health and safety representative means

A health and safety representative is a worker who is chosen by the other workers to speak for them on safety. The representative inspects the workplace, passes on concerns, takes part in looking at incidents and makes recommendations to you. Think of it as a one-person version of a joint health and safety committee.

Representatives are usually required in mid-sized workplaces that are below the size where a full committee is needed. The exact headcount differs by province. In some provinces a representative is also required on certain types of work, regardless of size.

Once you have a representative, other rules expect you to involve them. Ontario and Alberta, for example, expect you to consult the committee or representative on your harassment program or plan, and Saskatchewan expects the same when you develop your harassment policy.

How it works

The workers choose the representative, not you. If there is a union, it usually chooses. The representative should be someone who does the work and is not a manager. Post the person's name and how to reach them where staff can see it.

Give the representative what they need to do the job: time during paid hours to inspect the workplace, access to injury and incident records the law allows them to see, information about hazards, and a chance to take part when you investigate a serious incident. Treat their recommendations seriously and reply to them, saying what you will do and when.

Do not punish a representative for raising concerns or doing their duties. Safety laws protect workers who act on safety, and cutting the representative's shifts after a complaint will look like a reprisal.

Common mistakes in small businesses: never holding the selection, quietly choosing the owner's most loyal employee, failing to replace the representative when they leave, and treating them as the person responsible for safety. You, the employer, remain responsible for safety. The representative helps you see problems; they do not take on your duties.

Health and safety representative by province

Most provinces require a representative in workplaces above a small size but below the committee threshold, and the numbers differ.

We are still confirming each province's worker thresholds for a representative. Check with your provincial safety regulator to see whether you need one.

Find your provincial or territorial office under official sources.

Example: Choosing a rep at a bike shop

Hannah owns a bike shop with 11 staff across sales and the service bench. When she checks her province's rules, she finds that at her size she needs a health and safety representative rather than a full committee.

She asks the staff to choose someone. They pick Omar, a senior mechanic. Hannah posts his name by the time clock, gives him an hour a month of paid time to walk through the shop, and shares the incident log with him. After his first inspection he recommends a better guard on the wheel truing station and a clear path to the back exit. Hannah fixes both and tells him in writing what she did.

Onboarding checklists in Staffkin

Add 'meet the health and safety representative' to your Staffkin onboarding checklist so new hires know who to go to with a concern.

Start free

Free tools and guides for this

Onboarding checklist template

Questions about health and safety representative

Who picks the health and safety representative?

The workers, or their union if there is one. The employer does not choose the worker representative.

Is the representative responsible if someone gets hurt?

No. The employer remains responsible for safety. The representative raises concerns and makes recommendations.

Do I need a representative if I already have a committee?

Usually not. A representative is generally required where a workplace is too small for a committee; check your province's rule.

Official sources

General information for Canadian employers, not legal advice. Rules differ by province and territory and change over time, so check with your provincial employment standards office (or the federal Labour Program if you are federally regulated) before you rely on it. See employment standards by province.

Checked against official sources on 4 November 2026.