Driving for Work and Alberta OHS: What Employers Should Know

Recent reporting on a fatal collision on Anthony Henday has drawn public attention. While investigations continue and details remain limited, I’m not writing to comment on this specific incident. I’m writing because, in my work with Alberta employers, I’ve seen how quickly a “traffic accident” can become a workplace safety issue — and how Alberta OHS may view driving connected to work very differently than leadership expects.

Why roadway incidents matter to employers

Driving for work is one of the most common — and most underestimated — safety exposures I encounter. It doesn’t resemble a traditional hazard. There’s no equipment, no confined space, no visible worksite. Yet vehicle-related incidents remain one of the leading causes of serious injury and fatality.

In practice, the risk is rarely ignored. It’s assumed to be covered. Workers move between sites. Supervisors pick up materials. Employees use personal vehicles. Schedules extend. Weather shifts. Expectations remain.

After a serious incident, I often hear: “We didn’t think of that as work.” Once something has gone wrong, that assumption carries little weight.

How Alberta OHS views driving for work

Alberta’s OHS framework is built on the Internal Responsibility System: responsibility follows control. Employers are expected to identify hazards, assess risk, and implement reasonable controls where work activities could expose workers — or others — to harm.

In my experience, driving for work frequently falls within that responsibility.

OHS does not expect employers to prevent every collision. It does expect that driving has been considered as a work-related hazard where applicable — including scheduling pressures, fatigue, supervision, and expectations placed on workers.

When incidents are reviewed, I’ve seen scrutiny extend well beyond the driver’s actions to planning decisions and how foreseeable risks were addressed beforehand.

Common gaps I see

The gaps around driving-related risk are rarely intentional. They typically show up in otherwise solid programs:

• No clear definition of when “driving for work” applies
• Hazard assessments that stop at the job-site boundary
• Limited consideration of fatigue or travel time
• Personal vehicles treated as outside the safety system

I’ve had conversations with owners confident their program was sound — until they tried to explain how driving risks were actually identified and managed.

If you’re unsure how your organization would describe its approach today, that uncertainty is usually a useful signal.

Before something goes wrong

Roadway incidents are a reminder that safety systems are often tested in places we didn’t expect. For Alberta employers, driving for work is one of those areas.

When employers ask what draws OHS scrutiny, it’s rarely a lack of intent. More often, it’s uncertainty about how risks were addressed before something happened.

If you want an informed view on how your safety program would likely be interpreted under Alberta OHS, we’re available to review it with you.

Not sure if your driving-for-work policy covers what Alberta OHS actually requires? We can walk through it with you.