Prevention Initiative for Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety System: 2019-20 Annual Update Dec 2020
In 2019, Alberta Labour and Immigration identified and validated through stakeholder engagements three priority areas that occur in all industries in Alberta. These are:
• musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) due to repetitive use, overexertion and heavy lifting;
• slips, trips and falls; and
• psychosocial hazards (i.e., workplace violence, harassment, and mental health).
These priority areas were identified by reviewing several data sources – including, cost and total number of claims made to the Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) (Appendix 1).
In addition, Alberta Labour and Immigration identified priority workforces that are known to be at higher risk of disease and injury. These are:
• small businesses – private sector employers who have less than 20 workers; and
• vulnerable workers – individuals who have one or more of the following characteristics: are young (aged 24 or less), are older (aged 55 or more), are Indigenous, have a short tenure (employed in temporary, seasonal or casual work contracts/arrangements – up to six months) of work, are seasonal
