OHS prevention initiative

Overview

Collaboration between employers, workers, government and health and safety professionals helps us know what needs to be done to be healthy and safe on the job and ensure preventative measures are in place.

Every year, Albertans are killed or harmed while on the job. There has been an average of 50,000 work-related injuries per year in recent years in Alberta. By taking actions before an event occurs, workplace fatalities, illnesses and injuries can be prevented.

This is the goal of the occupational health and safety (OHS) system – to keep workplaces and workers healthy and safe. This is done through awareness and action.

The OHS prevention initiative focuses on preventing common workplace injuries, protecting at-risk workers and identifying higher-risk work situations. The initiative also coordinates efforts between OHS system partners to achieve better health and safety outcomes.

Prevention initiative resources

Use these OHS resources to help create awareness to prevent the 3 most common injuries and illnesses that occur in workplaces.

• Slips, trips and falls
• Musculoskeletal disorders – injuries to bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves due to repetitive motion, overexertion and heavy lifting
• Mental health – injuries, illnesses resulting from workplace violence, harassment and mental health issues (psychosocial hazards)

Prevention

Protecting at-risk workers

The OHS prevention initiative also focuses on workforce types known to be at higher risk of injury and illness:

• small businesses – private sector employers who have less than 20 workers
• workers with vulnerabilities – individuals who have one or more of the following characteristics:
  • young (aged 24 or less)
  • older (aged 55 or more)
  • Indigenous
  • short tenure of work (temporary, seasonal, gig or casual work contracts or arrangements – up to 6 months)
  • have multiple jobs
  • temporary foreign workers and migrants

Prevention initiative background

• Prevention initiative for Alberta’s OHS system – March 2019
• Prevention Initiative annual update – August 2022
• Prevention Initiative annual update – July 2023
• Prevention Initiative annual update – July 2024

Initiative partners

The OHS prevention initiative steering committee includes:

• Government of Alberta
• Alberta Association for Safety Partnerships
• Alberta Construction Safety Association
• Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association
• Building Trades of Alberta
• Certifying Partner representative (rotates each year)
• Energy Safety Canada
• Workers’ Compensation Board – Alberta

Publication

• Occupational prevention data roadmap

Contact

Connect with OHS:

Phone: 780-415-8690 (Edmonton)
Toll free: 1-866-415-8690 
TTY: 780-427-9999 (Edmonton)
TTY: 1-800-232-7215

Ask an Expert

Related

• OHS publications
• Health and safety eNews