Occupational health and safety act

The provincial law that sets employer, supervisor and worker duties for workplace safety. Each province has its own act plus detailed regulations.

Also called: OHS Act, OHSA, workplace safety law, health and safety legislation

What occupational health and safety act means

An occupational health and safety (OHS) act is the main law in a province or territory that sets out who is responsible for safety at work and what they must do. It puts general duties on employers, supervisors and workers, gives workers safety rights, and lets inspectors enforce the rules with orders and charges.

Each act is backed by regulations (in Alberta, a code) that hold the detailed rules: first aid, protective equipment, hazardous products, harassment and violence, working alone, committees and much more. When people say 'the OHS rules', they usually mean the act and its regulations together.

There is no single national safety act for most employers. Which law applies depends on where the work is done and, for a small group of industries such as banking, airlines and interprovincial trucking, whether the business is federally regulated.

How it works

The act sets broad duties; the regulations fill in the detail. Most acts say the employer must protect workers' health and safety as far as is reasonably practicable, provide information, training and supervision, and keep equipment in good condition. Supervisors must make sure workers follow the rules. Workers must work safely, use the protective equipment provided and report hazards.

As an employer, read the parts that match your work. A typical small business needs to know the general duties, the rules on harassment and violence, first aid, hazardous products (WHMIS), whether you need a committee or a representative, and any rules for your industry, such as food service, construction or retail. Most provincial safety agencies publish plain-language guides and small business toolkits.

Inspectors enforce the act. They can visit the workplace, ask for documents, interview workers, and write orders to fix problems by a deadline or to stop work. Breaking the act can lead to charges and fines. Your best protection is to know the rules that apply to you and keep records showing you follow them.

Do not confuse the OHS act with your employment standards act. The OHS act is about safety; the employment standards act covers pay, hours, vacation and termination. Workers' compensation is a third law again, covering insurance for workplace injuries.

Occupational health and safety act by province

Each province has its own safety law and regulations, sometimes with a different name and in some provinces combined with other laws.

Where the work is done	The rule
British Columbia	Workplace safety rules sit under the Workers Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, with policies set and enforced by WorkSafeBC.
Alberta	The Occupational Health and Safety Act, with detailed rules in the OHS Code.
Saskatchewan	Part III of The Saskatchewan Employment Act, with The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020.
Manitoba	The Workplace Safety and Health Act, with the Workplace Safety and Health Regulation (M.R. 217/2006).
Ontario	The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations, enforced by Ministry of Labour inspectors.
Quebec	The Act respecting occupational health and safety, administered by CNESST.
New Brunswick	The Occupational Health and Safety Act, with General Regulation 91-191, administered by WorkSafeNB.
Nova Scotia	The Occupational Health and Safety Act, with regulations including the Workplace Health and Safety Regulations, enforced by the province's Safety Branch.

We did not confirm the act names for Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, the territories or federally regulated employers for this page.

Example: Finding the right rules for a new shop

Daniel opens a bicycle repair shop in Saskatoon and hires 3 mechanics. He assumes the rules are in the employment standards guide he used for pay and vacation, but safety is covered elsewhere.

He finds that Saskatchewan's safety rules are in Part III of The Saskatchewan Employment Act and the OHS Regulations, 2020. He reads the general duties, then the sections on harassment and violence policies, first aid and hazardous products. He writes a short safety binder with his harassment policy, violence policy and plan, first aid setup and product list, and goes through it with each mechanic on their first day.

Employment standards by province

Staffkin's free employment standards by province page covers the pay, hours and termination side, so you can keep it separate from your safety rules.

See the rules by province

Free tools and guides for this

Questions about occupational health and safety act

Which OHS act applies to my business?

The one for the province or territory where the work is done. Federally regulated businesses, such as banks and airlines, follow the Canada Labour Code instead.

What is the difference between the OHS act and employment standards?

The OHS act covers safety duties and rights. Employment standards cover pay, hours, vacation, leave and termination.

What happens during a safety inspection?

An inspector may look around, ask for records such as policies and training logs, talk to workers and write orders to fix problems. Keep your safety records current and easy to find.

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.