Bill 59, An Act to modernize the occupational health and safety regime
Under Bill 59, amendments were made to:
- Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases
- Act respecting occupational health and safety
As a result, organizations are now faced with new obligations to ensure the safety of their employees.
All organizations that do not already have a workplace health and safety prevention and participation program must have an interim plan in place by April 6, 2022. Specific requirements depend on your organization's priority group as well as the number of employees in your establishment.
The goal of the interim prevention and participation plan is to prepare workplaces for the implementation of a prevention program which will ensure the safety and physical and psychological integrity of workers. The program must have preventive measures in place to minimize chemical, biological, physical, ergonomic, and psychosocial risks.
It is important to note that section 51 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act now stipulates that employers have an obligation to protect employees who work from home. Since many organizations have transitioned to a telework or hybrid work environment it is important that potential safety hazards be identified for these individuals as well.