Significant amendments to Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Code, introduced by Ministerial Order 2024-12 in December 2024, were designed to modernize safety regulations, particularly around workplace violence and harassment, and to enhance protections in high-risk sectors like retail, explosives handling, and the oil, gas, and geothermal industries. These changes took effect on March 31, 2025, so employers must already be in full compliance.
Workplace Violence and Harassment Prevention
Part 27 of the Code was significantly amended to strengthen worker protections while streamlining administrative burdens.
Although Section 389 (which previously defined violence and harassment as hazards under Part 2) was repealed, employers still have a clear responsibility to conduct hazard assessments for violence and harassment under Part 2. These remain hazards that require assessment, elimination, and control.
Employers are now required to have one consolidated violence and harassment prevention plan rather than separate policies. That plan must include hazard identification and control measures, procedures to inform workers about the nature and extent of hazards (including specific and general threats), clear reporting and investigation procedures, and confidentiality provisions that allow disclosure only when necessary for investigation, corrective action, legal compliance, or worker safety.
The plan must be reviewed and updated when an incident indicates a review is necessary, when workplace or worksite changes could affect the potential for violence or harassment, when requested by the Joint Health and Safety Committee or representative, and at least once every three years regardless of incidents. Employers must also train workers whenever the plan is updated.
On reporting, the requirement to provide a copy of an investigation report to the Director, committee, representative, or workers was removed. However, employers must still investigate the circumstances surrounding any injury, illness, incident, or exposure to violence and harassment, prepare a report outlining the circumstances and corrective actions, and make that report readily available and provide it to an officer on demand.
Additional Worker Protections
If a worker seeks treatment due to workplace violence or harassment, they are now explicitly considered "at work" during regular work hours for that post-incident treatment, strengthening protections against loss of pay or benefits.
For high-risk late-night retail environments like gas stations and convenience stores, the Code introduced updated requirements: mandatory prepayment for fuel, and personal emergency transmitters that workers working alone must wear, not simply be provided with.
Industry-Specific Updates
Blasting and Explosives
Employers must retain blaster's reports for at least two years. Perforating guns have updated storage, handling, and transport requirements and must be secured, labeled, and kept separate from detonators until priming. Stemming, explosives removal, and storage requirements now apply to all worksites where explosives are used. RF transmitter safety measures near electric detonators were updated, safety fuse assemblies now have a minimum length of one metre, and misfire procedures allow removal using a jet of water or another method that does not create a hazard to workers.
Oil, Gas, and Geothermal
Part 37 was renamed from "Oil and Gas Wells" to "Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Energy" to reflect its expanded scope. New requirements mandate wind direction indicators and atmospheric monitoring at all oil and gas worksites where harmful substances may exist, not just for well swabbing. Emergency escape equipment must withstand a pull-test load defined by the manufacturer or certified by a professional engineer. Pipe storage shifted from prescriptive trailer design to performance-based measures ensuring tubulars are secured, free of fluids, and safely accessible. Drill stem testing protocols now require hydrogen-sulfide-containing fluids to be displaced with drilling fluid and circulated to an enclosed tank, as flare pits are no longer permitted.
What Employers Should Have Done
With compliance mandated by March 31, 2025, employers should already have reviewed and updated existing policies to align with the consolidated violence and harassment prevention plan, planned for regular reviews (after workplace changes or at least every three years), trained workers on the updated procedures, implemented the new high-risk retail security measures, and ensured strict compliance with the updated blasting and oil, gas, and geothermal protocols.
These amendments underscore a clear shift toward greater employer accountability and proactive risk management in Alberta. If your safety programs are struggling to get fully compliant, TruStar Safety can help you get up to speed.