Construction & Civil · Alberta
We help Alberta general contractors and civil crews show up COR-ready, fall-protection-tight, and trench-safe — so the prime never has a reason to question your safety stack.
Is this you?
What brings most construction & civil companies to us
I need COR certification or audit prep
Contract bid requires it, or you want the WCB rebate and the credibility that comes with it.
See COR servicesI have an OHS order or compliance issue
Stop-work order, compliance order, or an OHS officer visit — we respond same day.
Get same-day helpSomething else? Tell us what's going on and we'll point you in the right direction.
Quick Answer
Construction and civil work in Alberta lives or dies on three things: a COR-grade safety program the prime can audit on demand, fall protection that holds up at 3 m and above, and trenching that survives an OHS Code Part 32 inspection. We build the program, train the supervisors, and walk the work — so your bid stack and your site walk-down both pass.
Legislation
Plain-language read on the Alberta OHS Code parts and sector standards that drive the most fines and incidents in construction & civil.
OHS Code Part 32 — Excavation & Trenching
Any excavation 1.5 m or deeper that a worker enters needs a sloping, shoring, or shielding plan. Most fines we see come from spoil piles too close to the edge and missing daily inspections.
OHS Code Part 9 — Fall Protection
Fall protection is required at 3 m or any height where a fall could hurt the worker. Anchor points, written fall protection plans, and rescue procedures are the three things auditors ask about first.
CSA Z259 series — Personal Fall Arrest Systems
If you're using harnesses, lanyards, and SRLs, the gear has to meet CSA Z259 and you have to be able to show the inspection records — not just the gear.
OHS Code Part 6 — Cranes, Hoists, Lifting Devices
Critical lifts, ground conditions, and rigger competency records are what an OHS officer pulls first. Pre-shift inspection logs that don't match the work being done are a top citation.
Alberta OHS Act — Prime Contractor Obligations
On a multi-employer worksite, the prime contractor coordinates safety across all employers on site. If you're the prime, your name is on the line — even if the trade made the call.
Your Safety Stack
The same shape on every Safety Ahead engagement — different content per trade. Law on the outside, build in the middle, operate on the inside.
Layer 1 — what the law requires
What the OHS Code & CSA require
Layer 2 — what we build for you
What we build for you
Layer 3 — how we make it real
How we make it real on site
Construction & Civil · Alberta
Tell us what's driving the conversation. We'll come back with a realistic plan.
Common Patterns
Patterns drawn from publicly reported Alberta workplace safety data and from the kinds of issues we walk into on engagement. For each one — the gap that drives it, and what we'd build instead.
Trench collapse with a worker inside the cut
Where the gap usually is
No daily inspection record, spoil pile within 0.6 m of the edge, no sloping or shoring plan.
What we'd build instead
Daily inspection log signed by a competent worker, spoil setback enforced at the edge, written excavation plan that matches the soil class.
Fall from height during framing or roofing
Where the gap usually is
Anchor point not engineered for the load, harness inspection records missing, no rescue plan if a worker is suspended.
What we'd build instead
Engineered anchor points, monthly harness inspection logs, written rescue procedure that the crew has actually walked through.
Struck-by from a swinging load or moving equipment
Where the gap usually is
Ground spotter not assigned, blind spot not surveyed before the lift, radio discipline broken between operator and signal person.
What we'd build instead
Pre-lift plan, dedicated signaller, exclusion zones marked and respected, equipment inspection records up to date.
Stop-work order for missing prime contractor coordination
Where the gap usually is
No prime contractor designation in writing, multiple subs working overhead of one another, no shared site-specific orientation.
What we'd build instead
Prime contractor designated in writing, daily coordination meeting documented, site-specific orientation tracked for every worker on site.
Benchmark
Day in the life
What an actual day looks like when construction & civil work is on the calendar.
Boots on a deep-foundation site in north Edmonton — meeting the supervisor before crews arrive.
Sit in on the morning toolbox talk — review today's excavation depth and shoring plan.
Walk the trench with the competent worker — confirm the daily inspection record matches what's in the cut.
Coach a foreman on writing an FLHA that actually identifies the day's hazards instead of recycling yesterday's.
Phone call with the GC's PM — pre-bid safety package for a $4M civil tender due Friday.
Mock-up of a COR audit interview with two supervisors so the language is right when the auditor asks.
Update the training matrix — three new hires this week need fall protection refreshers booked.
Email recap to the owner: today's findings, what's fixed, what's open, what's next.
First 30 Days
The first four weeks set the rhythm. Here's what each one does.
Week 1
Site & program audit
Walk every active site, inventory the current program, identify the 5 highest-risk gaps before the next OHS visit.
Week 2
Fix the bid-stoppers
Close the gaps that would cost you the next bid — fall protection plans, excavation procedures, training matrix.
Week 3
Train supervisors
FLHA, hazard assessment, prime contractor coordination — supervisors leave able to lead the conversation, not just attend it.
Week 4
Bid-ready handoff
Safety package ready for the next tender, COR action plan agreed, monthly cadence locked in for ongoing oversight.
Week 1
Site & program audit
Walk every active site, inventory the current program, identify the 5 highest-risk gaps before the next OHS visit.
Week 2
Fix the bid-stoppers
Close the gaps that would cost you the next bid — fall protection plans, excavation procedures, training matrix.
Week 3
Train supervisors
FLHA, hazard assessment, prime contractor coordination — supervisors leave able to lead the conversation, not just attend it.
Week 4
Bid-ready handoff
Safety package ready for the next tender, COR action plan agreed, monthly cadence locked in for ongoing oversight.
Valard Construction
Construction & Civil · Heavy-civil contractor
“I have found Allan to be very knowledgeable, professional and extremely passionate for occupational health and safety.”
Shilo Neveu, EVP Health, Safety & Environment
2021
Direct answers about safety consulting for Alberta construction & civil firms.
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Tell us where you're at — bid on the line, audit on the calendar, or a near miss that won't quit. We'll come back with a realistic plan.
