Canadian Safety Resources and Regulations: CanOSH and CCOHS

Many of our posts deal directly or indirectly with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) the U.S. agency within the Department of Labor which is responsible for occupational health and safety. But for companies that operate broadly in North America, OSHA may not be your only concern, and OSHA resources may not apply to every employee.

If you operate in Canada, for example, your employees will be more familiar with CanOSH and CCOHS, which provide health and safety resources and regulation in Canadian provinces.

What is CanOSH? Here’s what you need to know.

What Is CanOSH?

CanOSH is an occupational safety and health resource which provides Canadian citizens a gateway to understanding current regulation and available services.

The name might make Americans think of a Canadian OSHA, but that’s not CanOSH’s role. CanOSH is not a regulator, but rather a collection of resources. In fact, it’s Canada’s most extensive gateway to occupational health and safety services and information.

Basically, CanOSH serves as a library of resources available through the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) and other Canadian governmental agencies at the provincial and federal levels.

CanOSH and CCOHS

CCOHS is the Canadian equivalent of OSHA, providing legislation and enforcement as well as resources for employers who need to stay compliant. But if CCOHS is a resource for employers, CanOSH is a resource for employees and everyone else.

The idea behind CanOSH is to provide an easily accessible method of understanding workplace safety and health responsibilities across the country. CanOSH allows Canadians to easily search jurisdictions to find applicable information and compare how various regulations apply across different provinces.

The goal was to reduce the amount of time Canadians spend trying to find reliable occupational safety and health information. It’s also a useful tool for businesses that operate across several provinces, as they can easily see what regulations apply where and thus use a detailed map of their regulatory responsibilities across provincial lines.

Other Resources

CanOSH also acts as a resource board across the whole country. Think of it as a library for several Canadian organizations to share their information in one place.

Under CanOSH’s Resources tab, for example, you can find a collection of resources to narrow down on specific safety information, with links to the relevant websites. CCOHS, for example, has a link to their collection of health and safety guides.

You can also find a broad array of training resources across multiple provinces and agencies, including courses, webinars, workshops, and certifications.

Understanding Your Health and Safety Responsibilities

What is CanOSH? In short, it’s a resource designed to strengthen Canadian health and safety teams from the inside out by offering easy access to all the information they need in one location. It’s the perfect educational resource for workers and safety professionals alike.

And if you need more tips to stay on top of your safety obligations, whether you’re in Canada or the United States, make sure to check out our compliance software so you’ll always know where you stand.