The 5 Safety Assumptions That Keep Costing Alberta Businesses

As a Safety Advisor, most of the safety problems I see don’t start with negligence. They start with reasonable assumptions — the kind that make sense day to day — until the business is forced to test them under pressure.

When I walk onto a worksite, I’m not looking for a perfect safety program. I’m looking for whether the system will hold up when it’s tested — during an inspection, after a close call, or when a key person isn’t available. Over time, five assumptions keep showing up — and those assumptions have real consequences.

When Assumptions Turn Into Consequences

Recent Alberta enforcement and court decisions show how quickly untested assumptions turn into outcomes businesses didn’t plan for:

• $168,000 fines per company (Calgary construction) Two firms were fined after a worker suffered life-altering injuries involving an unsecured ladder and an unprotected opening — gaps traced back to hazard identification and site coordination failures.
• Over $550,000 in penalties after a fatal explosion (north of Edmonton) Two companies pleaded guilty to OHS violations following a 2022 explosion that killed two workers, with penalties directed toward safety training and prevention initiatives.
• Sentencing after serious injury from overhead power lines (central Alberta) Multiple companies were penalized after equipment contacted energized lines, highlighting failures in shared hazard management and documented controls.

OHS investigations focused less on what business owners believed was in place, and more on what could actually be demonstrated — written hazard assessments, emergency response plan, competent supervision, and evidence that risks were identified and controlled as conditions changed.

When a serious incident occurred, safety compliance was not sufficient at the time of the event. To protect your company, due diligence must be demonstrated prior to the event.

1. “We’re not high-risk — so hazard assessments aren’t really necessary”

I hear this most often in warehouses, shops, and routine operations.

No major chemicals. No extreme heights. Just everyday work.

Then I walk the floor and see forklift traffic crossing pedestrian paths, repetitive lifting, pinch points, stacked materials, and seasonal slip hazards. Normal work is where assumptions hide best. When hazard assessments aren’t written, dated, and kept current — especially when work changes — the cost of an incident usually shows up later, when proof is requested and it isn’t there.

All about the documentation: A hazard assessment that reflects today’s work, with a clear revision date and controls people can actually point to.

2. “We haven’t had an incident — so we must be doing it right”

A clean record builds confidence — but it isn’t the full picture. I’ve stopped treating “no incidents” as proof. What matters more is whether close calls are noticed and acted on before they repeat. Not every near miss is reportable but ignoring them is how patterns form that lead to serious incidents that could otherwise be prevented.

Required Evidence: Many companies may have close calls without proper documentation, a clear process includes reporting leading indicators and taking action on necessary changes.

3. “Everyone knows how to do this — we’ve done it for years”

Experience matters — until proof is required.

I’ve seen capable crews and good supervisors pulled into difficult situations when something goes wrong and there’s no record of training, what was reviewed, or expected.

Verbal knowledge works — until it doesn’t.

Documentation required: Clear expectations and a practical way to show who was trained on what — and when (as well as signatures and dates to prove it)

4. “Our subcontractors handle their own safety”

This assumption usually comes from trust. The problem shows up in the overlap — shared spaces, changing conditions, and handoffs between trades. That’s where gaps appear, often without anyone realizing it until something goes wrong.

What holds up: Communication around who coordinates safety and how shared hazards are identified and managed.

5. “We’ll fix the paperwork if we get inspected”

This pattern shows up often. No one was avoiding safety — they just didn’t expect to need everything at once. Building proof under pressure takes more time than maintaining it steadily, and that time usually comes straight out of operations.

What holds up: Records need to be current and available, they can not be produced after an incident has already occurred. Documentation is far better than relying on someone’s memory.

Systems Insight: Why These Assumptions Become Costly

Some assumptions fail immediately. Others sit quietly for years without obvious problems.

The most costly ones are exposed when conditions change and the system relies on memory, availability, or goodwill instead of structure.

There is real issues that don’t speak loudly until finally a serious event occurs.

What I’ve Learned Over Time

Business owners understand that safety takes effort.

Being a business owner myself, I understand the pressures that a company has in order to get the job done. Focusing on safety daily has huge time saving benefits.

The goal isn’t to do less safety. The goal is to have safety be incorporated naturally in day to day business operations. Being prepared instead of reacting is imperative to business success.

Our team is here to engage with your company and educate your people at all levels. Have peace of mind knowing that our experienced team of Safety advisors will improve your operations creating a safe work place where everyone gets to go home at the end of the day. Click here to reach out to one of our advisors.

If you're not sure your safety system would hold up under an OHS inspection, it's worth finding out before an officer does.

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