Workers have the Right to Be Free from Reprisal for using your Health and Safety rights.
You cannot be punished for using your workplace health and safety rights.
Alberta’s new OHS Legislation is now in effect. Information from the Alberta Government on some of the changes can be found HERE.
Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act grants workers “the ability to work without being subject to disciplinary action for exercising a right or fulfilling a duty imposed by this Act, the regulations or the OHS code.” [s.2(d)(iv)]
This means you cannot be disciplined for using your health and safety rights, including the Right to Refuse Dangerous Work. If you believe you have been subjected to disciplinary action for using your health and safety rights, you can file a Disciplinary Action Complaint with an OHS Officer within 180 days. Unionized workers must use the grievance procedure outlined in their collective bargaining agreement.
Disciplinary Action is covered in the Alberta OHS Act under sections 18 and 19. For more information on how Disciplinary Action Complaints work, you can contact the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Contact Centre:
Phone: 780-415-8690 (Edmonton)
Toll free: 1-866-415-8690
TTY: 780-427-9999 (Edmonton)
TTY: 1-800-232-7215