Hazard management
How to identify workplace hazards and control them, starting with how to complete a job hazard analysis (JHA).
See hazard management guides →Free Safety Guides for Canadian Workplaces
Practical safety guides that explain how workplace safety tasks are done well, with the legal requirements linked along the way. Written for employers, supervisors and safety committees anywhere in Canada.
Prepared by Calgary Safety Consultants, led by John Duplessis, B.Sc., CRSP.
About the guides
Safety Guides That Explain How the Work Is Done
Most safety information tells you what the law requires. Our safety guides go further and explain how the work is actually done well.
That means what a good job hazard analysis looks like, how to run an inspection that finds real problems, and how to investigate an incident so it doesn't happen again. Each guide walks through the judgement calls people face on the job, not just the rules behind them.
The guides are written in plain language for the people who do the work: business owners, supervisors, safety coordinators, workers and joint health and safety committee members. Where the law sets a requirement, the guide mentions it at the point it matters and links to the source, so compliance stays connected to the task instead of sitting in a separate legal briefing.
They're written for workplaces anywhere in Canada. Health and safety law differs between provinces and territories, so each guide points out where requirements differ in ways that change what you need to do.
Each guide sits under a topic page, such as hazard management, so related guides are easy to find. Topic pages also link to the free downloads, online courses and services that relate to them.
Start with the law that applies to you
Find the OHS Legislation for Your Workplace
Before you can meet a requirement, you need to know which law sets it. In Canada, most workplaces fall under the occupational health and safety law of the province or territory where the work is done.
Federally regulated employers, such as banks, airlines, interprovincial trucking and telecommunications companies, fall under Part II of the Canada Labour Code instead, wherever in Canada they operate.
Who enforces the law differs too. In British Columbia, New Brunswick, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, the workers' compensation board also enforces health and safety law. In Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia, a provincial government department does.
Health and safety law also works alongside related laws, such as workers' compensation legislation, the federal Hazardous Products Act that sits behind WHMIS, and the rules for transporting dangerous goods.
Our legislation guide explains how to tell which law applies, how OHS law is built from Acts, regulations and codes, and how to keep up with changes. Its table covers all 14 jurisdictions, with links to each one's Act, main regulations and regulator.
Guide topics
Browse Safety Guides by Topic
Each topic has its own page with its guides and free downloads. New topics open as their first guide is published.
OHS legislation
How to find the health and safety law that applies to your workplace, wherever you are in Canada, with links to every jurisdiction's Act and regulator.
Read the legislation guide →Free downloads
Free checklists, forms and templates for hazard assessments, inspections, incident reports, corrective actions, emergency planning and safety meetings.
Get the free downloads →What's inside
What Every Safety Guide Includes
Every guide follows the same standard, so you know what to expect each time you open one.
A clear introduction
What the task is, why it matters, when it's needed and who's involved, with a short answer at the top for readers in a hurry.
How it's done well
The heart of the guide: how the work is done properly and why, the judgement calls along the way, and what good looks like in practice.
Compliance in context
The legal requirements that apply, mentioned where they connect to the work and linked to the official source, without pages of legal background.
A workplace example
A realistic example that shows the task in action: the situation, what was done and how it turned out.
Common mistakes and the audit view
The mistakes we see most often in real workplaces, and the evidence an auditor expects to find when they review your program.
FAQs and free downloads
At least 12 answers to the questions people actually ask, plus a quick guide and a sample form you can adapt to your workplace.
Getting the most from the guides
How to Use These Safety Guides at Your Workplace
A guide is most useful when it changes what happens on the job. Here's a simple way to put one to work.
- Confirm the law that applies. Use the legislation guide to find your Act, regulations and regulator, and note any differences the guide points out for your province or territory.
- Read the guide with your team. Share it with the supervisors and workers who do the task, and with your joint health and safety committee or representative. They'll spot the gaps faster than anyone.
- Compare it with how you work now. Look for the differences between what the guide describes and what actually happens on site, on every shift.
- Adapt the free downloads. Change the quick guide and sample form to fit your work, hazards, equipment and the words your crew actually uses.
- Train, use and review. Show people how the process works, use it on real jobs, and review it after a few weeks to see what needs adjusting.
Keep a record of what you changed and why. It shows due diligence, it helps new supervisors get up to speed, and it's exactly the kind of evidence an auditor or inspector looks for.
Where our information comes from
Safety Guides Built on Original Sources
Our safety guides go straight to the original sources: the health and safety legislation itself, guidance from government regulators and workers' compensation boards, and published research from universities and research institutes.
Where research or guidance from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand or the European Union adds something useful, we include it and say where it comes from. Canadian legal requirements only ever come from Canadian law, so you'll never mistake a foreign rule for one that applies here.
Every source is listed and linked at the end of each guide, so you can check it yourself, and each guide shows the date it was last reviewed. Calgary Safety Consultants is led by John Duplessis, B.Sc., CRSP, a Canadian Registered Safety Professional with about 30 years in occupational health and safety.
Where a guide touches on COR or SECOR, it points you to the official requirements of the certifying partners and industry safety associations that run those programs across Canada, such as the Alberta Construction Safety Association, the BC Construction Safety Alliance, Energy Safety Canada and the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association in Ontario. Their audit standards are what your program is measured against.
Why we publish them
Why We Publish Free Safety Guides
Most employers want to do the right thing. What gets in the way is time, and information that's scattered across legislation, regulator websites, research papers and generic templates that don't fit the work.
We see the results in audits every year: hazard assessments filled out but never used, inspections that miss the obvious, and investigations that stop at “worker error.” None of that comes from a lack of caring. It comes from never seeing how the work is supposed to be done well.
These safety guides are our answer. They bring the practical knowledge we use with clients into one place, free, for any workplace in Canada. If a guide helps you fix a gap before someone gets hurt, it's done its job.
Free downloads and templates
Free Safety Templates and Downloads
Practical checklists, forms and templates to help you get started. Request any of them free, then adapt them to your work, your hazards and your province or territory.
- Hazard assessment checklist
- Workplace inspection checklist
- Incident report form
- Corrective action tracker
- Emergency response planning template
- Training record template
- Safety meeting or toolbox talk record
When to bring in help
Need Help Putting a Guide Into Practice?
The guides are written so you can act on them yourself. Sometimes, though, it helps to have an experienced safety professional look at your situation, especially when an audit is coming up, an inspector has issued an order, or your program has drifted away from how the work is really done.
Calgary Safety Consultants offers health and safety manual packages, COR and SECOR support, hazard assessments, incident investigation support, online training and ongoing safety support for employers across Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Our online courses and these guides are available to workplaces anywhere in Canada.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Safety Guides
Answers to the questions people ask most about our free safety guides, the legislation they reference and the downloads that come with them.
Are your safety guides really free?
Yes. Every safety guide is free to read and use, with no sign-up needed. Many guides also include free downloads, such as a quick guide and a sample form. We publish the guides because practical, accurate safety information helps workplaces across Canada, and because it's a good way for employers to see how we work.
Who are the safety guides written for?
They're written for the people who make workplace safety happen: business owners and managers, supervisors and lead hands, safety coordinators, joint health and safety committee members and representatives, and workers who want to understand the reasons behind a process. The language is plain, and technical terms are explained the first time they come up.
Do the guides apply in my province or territory?
Yes. The guides are written for workplaces anywhere in Canada. The core of a task, such as how to assess a hazard or investigate an incident, is much the same everywhere, but the legal details differ. Each guide points out where requirements differ in ways that matter, and our legislation guide links you to the law for your jurisdiction.
Are the safety guides legal advice?
No. The guides are general information to help you understand and manage workplace safety. They reference and link to the law, but they aren't legal advice, and they can't account for every workplace. Always confirm the requirements that apply to your own workplace, and speak with a lawyer for legal questions.
How do I know which OHS law applies to my workplace?
Most workplaces fall under the occupational health and safety law of the province or territory where the work is done. Federally regulated employers, such as banks, airlines, interprovincial trucking and telecommunications companies, fall under Part II of the Canada Labour Code instead. Our legislation guide explains how to tell which applies and links to each jurisdiction's law.
What's the difference between an Act, a regulation and a code?
An Act is passed by a legislature and sets out the broad duties of employers, supervisors and workers, along with the regulator's powers. Regulations are made under the Act and set more detailed requirements. Some jurisdictions also have a code with technical rules, such as Alberta's OHS Code. All three are law, and all three can be enforced.
Where does the information in the guides come from?
From original sources: the legislation itself, guidance from government regulators and workers' compensation boards, and published research from universities and research institutes. Where research from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand or the European Union adds something useful, we include it and say where it comes from. Every source is linked at the end of each guide.
How often are the guides reviewed?
Each guide shows the date it was last reviewed. We update guides when the law or official guidance changes, and we review them regularly so the links and requirements stay current. If you spot something that looks out of date, let us know and we'll check it.
Can I use the free downloads at my workplace?
Yes. The downloads are free to use and adapt. Treat them as a starting point: change them to fit your actual work, hazards, equipment and the legislation that applies to you, and involve the people who'll use them. A form that matches how your crew really works is far more useful than a generic one.
Will the guides help us with COR or SECOR?
They can. The guides explain the hazard assessments, inspections, investigations and other program elements that COR and SECOR audits look at, along with the evidence an auditor expects to see. Certification also depends on showing your program is used day to day. We can help you prepare, but no one can guarantee that a company will obtain COR or SECOR.
Do the guides cover federally regulated workplaces?
Yes. Each guide explains the task in a way that applies to any workplace, and where the Canada Labour Code sets different requirements for federally regulated employers, the guide points that out. If you're not sure whether your business is federally regulated, our legislation guide explains how to tell.
What is a CRSP?
CRSP stands for Canadian Registered Safety Professional. It's a certification granted by the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals to safety practitioners who meet its education, experience and examination requirements, and who keep their certification current through ongoing professional development. Calgary Safety Consultants is led by John Duplessis, B.Sc., CRSP.
Can I suggest a topic for a new guide?
Please do. If there's a safety task you'd like explained, send us a note through the contact form below. Suggestions from employers, supervisors and committee members help us decide which guides to write next.
Can I print or share a guide?
Yes. You're welcome to share links to the guides with your team, your committee or your clients, and to print a guide for a safety meeting or toolbox talk. The quick guide download is a shorter version designed for printing and posting where the work happens.
Can Calgary Safety Consultants help us apply a guide?
Yes. We can review how a task is done at your workplace, compare it with good practice and the law, adapt the procedures and forms to fit your work, and train your supervisors. Book a free consultation to talk it through. Our consulting focuses on Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, while the guides and online courses are available Canada-wide.
Talk to a safety consultant
Questions About a Safety Guide?
Have a question about a guide, a topic you'd like us to cover, or a gap you'd like help closing? Complete the form below or book a 30-minute consultation, and we'll help you work out the next practical step.
Contact Us
Need help with a safety manual, COR audit preparation, OHS order, hazard assessment, training, or ongoing safety support? Complete the form below or book a 30-minute consultation. We will review your situation, identify the next practical step, and explain how Calgary Safety Consultants can help.