Alberta employers navigating COVID-19 had to balance OHS obligations, public health orders, and operational continuity simultaneously. Here is what the OHS Act required — and what good employers did beyond the minimum.
With COVID-19 spreading across the globe, some companies have been changing their working situations to allow their employees to work from home, but some companies are unable to do that and their employees still need to go into the office. This blog will give you some tips for whether you are either working from home or if you are back working in the office.
It’s very important to be diligent about practicing good hygiene practices at home as well as in the work environment as many of us have families and friends that we would like to protect from viral infection
Ensure to disinfect all highly touched surfaces frequently. These surfaces include doorknobs, handrails, toilet handles, keypads, light switches, cabinet handles, faucet handles, tables, countertops, computer keyboards/mouse, electronics, etc.
The intent of the working alone practice is to promote workers awareness and facilitate worker safety when they are working alone. The Supervisor will ensure that there are safety plans in place for those that work alone and that these plans adhere to the OHS Legislation and the company policy.
Considerations when working alone:
The procedure for checking a worker's well-being must include the time interval between checks and the procedure to follow in case the worker cannot be contacted, including provisions for emergency rescue.
In addition to checks at regular intervals, a check at the end of the work shift must be done. The procedure for checking a worker's well-being, including time intervals between the checks, must be developed in consultation with the Joint Health and Safety Committee or the worker health and safety representative, as applicable and with the worker assigned to or who do work alone or in isolation.
It is very important to control the spread of viral infections in an office setting as there are many people that come and go from these types of locations. If good preventative measures are taken regularly to prevent the spread of viruses, it contributes to a healthy and safe workplace for all employees. Employers must conduct hazard assessments to determine appropriate PPE for cleaning and disinfecting tasks and provide necessary PPE accordingly.
Surfaces frequently touched with hands are the most likely to be contaminated with the COVID-19 virus, these areas will need to be disinfected regularly. These surfaces include:
Sanitize your work area daily using alcohol-based cleansing wipes or a bleach and water mix.
Employers should maintain general emergency response plans and update them as necessary to address workplace hazards, but there is no legal requirement for a specific pandemic emergency response plan under Alberta OHS law as of 2026. Ensure that employees that are showing symptoms of illness are sent home. Employers should implement appropriate controls to minimize close contact between workers based on hazard assessments and current public health guidance.
Employers must assess workplace hazards and implement appropriate controls, including PPE such as masks, based on current public health guidance and OHS hazard assessments. Municipal mask bylaws may vary and change over time and are not part of Alberta OHS legislation.
It is important during this time to limit the amount of in person meetings and other functions (ex. Training) to avoid the potential spread of the virus. This can be done by conducting meetings via conference call or video call whenever possible. Meetings can also be held outdoors to be able to keep 2 meters (6.5 feet) apart and reducing the amount of people involved in the in-person meetings and functions.
For assistance in developing a Viral Pandemic Preparedness Program, Pandemic Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Emergency Response Plan or if you have any further questions, please call our office at 780-473-4772!
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Written by
Safety Ahead Team
Alberta-based safety consultants with decades of field experience — COR auditors, OHS advisors, and WCB specialists working with employers across the province.
About Safety AheadWe help Alberta employers build seasonal safety plans and emergency response procedures that actually get followed in the field — not just filed in a binder.
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