📚 Guide by Safety Mom · Allstar Enviro Safety — Safetytraininginfographic — a Safety Mom · Allstar Enviro Safety guide for Canadian oil & gas, construction, and industrial workers. Written and reviewed by Arliss Levine, CRSP, CHSC, Calgary lead safety instructor.
🔗 Related Safety Mom courses & guides: H2S Alive Calgary · Standard First Aid Calgary · Oil Sands Safety Certs · Instructor: Arliss Levine, CRSP, CHSC
Canada Safety Training 101
Safety training is essential in the workplace, but not all employment opportunities are implementing proper safety precautions. According to the Institute for Work & Health, “only one in five Canadians reports receiving safety training in their first year of a new job.”
An additional 75 per cent to 80 per cent of workers do not receive information on how to do their jobs safely, which can increase the likelihood of occupational hazards. Many provinces have health and safety legislation that requires employee safety knowledge and training.
Safety Training Benefits
There are many benefits to taking safety training classes.
Safety/care training creates and promotes safer work habits, and businesses will hire you to train employees in their place of business.
Safety training’s flexibility enables you to hold classes at a location of your choice, and upon course completion, a three-year certificate card is awarded by Allstar Enviro Safety.
All You Need to Know About H2S Alive
H2S Alive is a one-day course for oil industry workers who could/may be exposed to hydrogen sulphide (H2S), aka “sour gas.”
H2S training is required for the petroleum industry, landfills, pulp and paper mills, wastewater treatment, barges, sewer systems, wastewater treatment facilities, and pig farms.
Canadian Oil & Gas Industry Facts & Figures
According to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, “Canada is the third-largest producer of natural gas and the sixth-largest producer of crude oil in the world.”
Employment sectors include: drilling and service rig activities; geophysical aka. “seismic” services; permitting and reclamation; line construction; drilling and data acquisition; petroleum services; well services; oilfield construction and maintenance, and lastly, production and transportation services.
Crude oil accounts for 40 per cent of Canada’s energy demand, in addition to 15 per cent of Canada’s merchandise exports. Canada is ranked number three in the world in crude oil reserves (after Venezuela and Arabia).
Natural gas accounts for approximately 30 per cent of Canada’s energy demand. Canada has enough natural gas resources to meet its demand for the next 100+ years at current levels of 700-1300 trillion cubic ft.
The oil and gas industry currently supports an estimated 550,000 jobs across Canada. Naturally, this figure calls for a high volume of safety-certified practitioners! For more information on safety training programs and/or instructor certifications,
Additional Safety Knowledge
Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Framework
Alberta’s workplace safety system is built on the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the OHS Regulation, and the OHS Code (which contains the detailed technical requirements). The three-legged framework applies to virtually all Alberta workplaces except federally regulated industries (which follow Canada Labour Code Part II). Workers have three fundamental rights: the right to know about hazards, the right to participate in safety decisions, and the right to refuse unsafe work without reprisal.
Employer, Supervisor, and Worker Responsibilities
- Employers must ensure the health and safety of workers, provide instruction and training, maintain equipment, and prepare a health and safety program (mandatory for workplaces with 20+ regular workers).
- Supervisors must take all reasonable steps to protect workers, ensure workers use required equipment and follow procedures, and advise workers of hazards.
- Workers must protect their own health and safety and that of co-workers, use required equipment, cooperate with the OHS system, and report hazards or incidents.
Failure to fulfill these duties can result in administrative penalties, orders, prosecution, and in severe cases criminal charges under the federal Criminal Code (Bill C-45).
Hazard Assessment — The Foundation of Workplace Safety
Every task should begin with a hazard assessment. Formal assessments identify hazards, evaluate risk (probability multiplied by severity), and prescribe controls following the hierarchy: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE. Field Level Hazard Assessments (FLHAs) are completed for each shift or task change. Job Safety Analyses (JSAs) document safe procedures for repetitive or non-routine work.
Safetytraininginfographic — Ongoing Competency
Safety competency is not a one-time event. Workers require initial training before first exposure to a hazard, refresher training when procedures change, and periodic competency verification. Employer records must include worker names, training dates, course content, trainer identification, and assessment results. Alberta OHS inspectors routinely review training records during inspections and incident investigations.
Content reviewed by Arliss Levine, CRSP, CHSC — lead safety instructor at Safety Mom · Allstar Enviro Safety Calgary, an Energy Safety Canada Authorized Training Provider.
