(Transcribed from Video at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfJpRJg2P6hIvx7JAQsRAxQ)
Basically, companies that have offices in other provinces, as long as you have a WCB account in the province that you’re operating in, which I believe is mandatory, you fall under the province’s jurisdictions if somebody is injured.
If you don’t have a WCB account in the province that you’re operating in, I don’t believe that you’re able to do the work until you can get WCB in that province. Multi-provincial companies are often governed federally, such as banks, trucking companies, companies that deal in national defense, all these companies, telecommunications companies, all these companies are governed federally and are subject to the Canada Labor Code, section two of it.
Section one deals with employment issues like hours worked, overtime; section two deals with health and safety. They attempt to harmonize federal regulations with provincial, it’s much smoother than having a company that operates provincially in three or four different provinces, they’re subject to provincial laws and provincial OH and S regulations. So you probably want to subscribe to a service like Carswell where they have legislation from the various provinces that you can access. You want to also stay in contact with Occupational Health and Safety in each province so you are aware of the laws, because unlike the States we do not have a central OH and S entity that governs inter-provincial jurisdictions.
It’s a patchwork. Every province you’re in, you’re subject to their OH and S laws. There is not one central overriding agency like in the U.S., unfortunately. So it’s quite complex, and I suggest that you contact safety professionals in each province and deal with them.
Barb Semeniuk is a veteran Safety Auditor and Worker Advocate. Her experience and diligence save companies dollars, and make workers safer while on the job.