Hazard Management Guides for Canadian Workplaces

Hazard management is the ongoing process of identifying what could harm people at work, assessing how likely and how serious that harm could be, putting controls in place and checking that the controls keep working. It runs as a cycle, so inspections, incidents, worker concerns and changes to the work all feed back into the hazard assessments and the controls.

A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm, such as a moving forklift, a chemical, a heavy load or an aggressive client. Risk combines how likely it is that the hazard will cause harm with how serious that harm could be. Two jobs can share the same hazard and carry very different levels of risk, depending on exposure and the controls in place.

Yes, although each jurisdiction frames it differently. Some set a specific hazard assessment rule, as Alberta and Yukon do, others build hazard identification into a required health and safety program, and every jurisdiction's general duties expect employers to control the hazards in their work. Federally regulated employers need a hazard prevention program. Check the legislation for your own province or territory.

The employer carries the main legal duty, but everyone has a part. Supervisors make sure controls are used on the job, workers identify and report hazards and follow the controls, and the joint health and safety committee or representative helps find problems and recommend fixes. A safety advisor or consultant can help design the process and keep it consistent.

A job hazard analysis (JHA) is a formal, written assessment of one job or position, covering every task it involves, prepared in advance and reviewed on a schedule. A field-level hazard assessment (FLHA) is a short check at the start of a shift or task that confirms the day's conditions against what the JHA assumed. Anything new an FLHA finds should go back into the JHA.

Review a hazard assessment whenever the work changes, such as new equipment, materials, methods or locations, after an incident or near miss, and whenever controls aren't working. Set a scheduled review date as well. Alberta's OHS Code, for example, requires hazard assessments to be repeated at reasonably practicable intervals and when a work process is introduced or changes.

It's the order for choosing controls, from most to least effective: eliminate the hazard, substitute something less hazardous, isolate people from it with engineering controls, use administrative controls such as procedures, training and scheduling, and finally use personal protective equipment. Most hazards need a combination of controls, and the higher ones depend less on people getting it right every time.

PPE only works when it's the right equipment, it fits, it's in good condition and it's worn correctly every time. It does nothing to remove the hazard itself, so a single lapse leaves the worker exposed. That's why PPE sits at the bottom of the hierarchy of controls and is used alongside controls that remove or reduce the hazard.

In most cases, yes. The duty to identify and control hazards applies from the first worker, even where some program requirements only start at a set number of workers. In Alberta, every employer must prepare a written hazard assessment, whatever its size. Even where the law doesn't spell it out, a written record is the simplest way to show due diligence.

Yes. Workplace violence and harassment, working alone, fatigue and work-related stress can cause serious harm and belong in your hazard assessments alongside physical hazards. Many jurisdictions require employers to address harassment and violence, and Quebec now requires prevention programs to identify and analyze psychosocial risks. Treat them with the same assess, control and review approach.

Involve them at every stage. Workers who do the job know the shortcuts, awkward reaches and non-routine tasks that never make it into a manual, so include them in hazard assessments, inspections and reviews. Record their names on the assessment, act on what they report and explain the controls. Alberta, for example, requires employers to involve affected workers in hazard assessment and control.

A template is a good starting point, but the content has to come from your own work. A downloaded form with someone else's hazards will miss what's specific to your equipment, sites and crews. Use a consistent template so assessments look the same across the business, then fill it in with the people who do each job.

Hazard assessment is one of the most closely examined elements in COR and SECOR audits, which look for an inventory of jobs and tasks, assessed risks, effective controls, worker involvement and regular review. A sound hazard management process produces those records. We help employers prepare, but we don't issue certificates. CORs and SECORs are issued through the applicable certifying partner.

Yes. We facilitate JHA sessions with your workers, build job inventories and risk methods, review existing hazard assessments, write safe work procedures and train supervisors to keep the process going. Our consulting focuses on Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, while our guides, free downloads and online training are available anywhere in Canada. Book a free consultation to talk it through.