OHS in Nova Scotia

In Nova Scotia (NS), Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is legislated through the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration. 

A worker is defined as anyone that is regularly employed full time, part time or seasonal (expected to last 3 months or more). 
 
Nova Scotia has implemented the Internal Responsibility System (IRS). Under the IRS, all workplace parties (employers, contractors, employees, self-employed, owners, suppliers, etc.) must share responsibility for making the workplace safer and healthier. 

Employer's duties regarding Health & Safety

• Provide a safe workplace
• Ensure training on how to do the work safely
• Ensure equipment is safe, with all guards in place
• Inform employees on what could harm them and the safety measures to take
• Offer clear direction on who employees talk to if something isn’t safe
• Based on OHS requirements, have a Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (a JOHSC) or safety representatives in place
• Work together with the JOHSC, safety reps and with provincial OHS officers
• Create an occupational health and safety policy and/or program as required by the Act
• Follow the OHS Act and regulations 

Employer responsibilities are laid out in detail in the Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations. 

Worker's Duties 

• Doing everything possible to protect the safety of themselves and others at the workplace
• Reporting anything that might be dangerous to a supervisor
• Co-operating with their employer and fellow employees to protect their health and safety
• Using safety devices, equipment and clothing required by the employer and safety law
• Talking to and working with the JOHSC, safety reps and with provincial OHS officers
• Following the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and Regulations

Worker's Rights

• Know about workplace hazards
• Participate and assist in identifying and resolving OHS issues
• Refuse unsafe work 

OHS Policy
OHS Program
Committees & Representatives
Posters, Signage, Printables
Violence, Harassment & Bullying
Young Workers
Orientation & Training
Working Alone
Accessibility
First Aid
Emergencies, Hazards & Communicable Disease
GHS (WHMIS)
Return to Work

OHS POLICY 

A general OHS policy is required by all businesses with at least 5 employees. The policy must be written and easily accessible. 

A sample policy is available on the government website. CFIB members can also access a template Health and Safety Policy in the Member Portal.    

OHS PROGRAMS 

An OHS program is required when there are regularly 20 or more employees employed within the province.  

A program will have the following: 

• a clear set of responsibilities and lines of accountability for health and safety assigned to an individual(s) within the organization
• a process to ensure participation of employees in the program
• a system to identify, assess and control hazards
• a schedule to ensure that ongoing training is done for all staff
• a method of establishing standards
• periodic audit and assessment of the program. 

An Occupational Health and Safety Program must include: 

• A way to ensure employees are trained on how to protect themselves when dealing with health and safety issues and that supervision of employees by the employer is maintained.
• A way by which safe work procedures are written / generated to make sure that healthy and safe work practices are used. An evaluation / analysis of work practices is required to determine those procedures.
• A joint occupational health and safety committee (JOHSC) in a workplace with 20 or more regularly employed employees. The committee must maintain records. The JOHSC must have access to the employer or a representative who can fix a health and safety problem.
• A representative in a workplace with 5-19 regularly employed employees, picked by the employees who will do the same job as the JOHSC.
• A system of identifying hazards:
  • evaluating / inspecting the work areas for possible hazards on a regular schedule
  • a reporting method with someone given the job of ensuring that the problem(s) is/are fixed
  • a clear idea of what, when and how the employer will report to the JOHSC or representative about workplace hazards.
• A monitoring, follow-up and control system for hazards that may be identified in the workplace.
• A system to keep all records concerning health and safety, and any inspection reports or orders written by the Department of Labour and Advanced Education, or tests performed on the workplace. This documentation must be made available on request to an employee and/or to a Department of Labour and Advanced Education Occupational Health & Safety Officer. It is the responsibility of the employer to maintain all records related to occupational health and safety at the workplace.
• A method of tracking the program to monitor how it is used by the employer and employees and its effectiveness in the workplace. 

COMMITTEES & REPRESENTATIVES 

Health and Safety Representative 
In Nova Scotia, a Worker Health and Safety (WHS) Representative is required when you hire the 5th employee.   

Each workplace needs to:  

• Post the name of the representative in a prominent location 
• Ensure the representative is not connected with management 
• Is chosen by the workers or union  

The representative is responsible for:   

• Making sure health and safety hazards are identified, and complaints dealt with promptly
• Participating in regular inspections and investigating incidents
• Making recommendations to the employer to address health and safety issues
• Encouraging workers to report hazards and concerns to their supervisor 

More information about representatives is available here.  
 
Health and Safety Committee 
In Nova Scotia, you are required to establish a Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) when you have 20 or more employees in one workplace.  

To determine the number of workers at your workplace, count anyone doing work for pay including full time, part-time and seasonal workers that have worked, or are expected to work, for at least 3 months.  

Each work location is considered a separate workplace. If you have more than one location with more than 20 workers, each work site will be required to have a committee.  

The committee needs to:  

• Have the number of members that were agreed to by the workers and their employers 
• Have at least half of the members elected by the workers and union 
• Have the other half selected by the employer  

The JOHSC is required to:  

• Establish a health and safety program     
• Meet at least once per month during work hours 
• Post the minutes from the meetings 
• Post the names of the JOHSC members in a prominent place  
• Participate in regular inspections and investigation of incidents. 
• Make recommendations to the employer for improvements on health and safety issues. 
• Encourage workers to first report hazards and concerns to their supervisor.  

Specific training is not required for committee members. 

More information about JOHSC and H&S Representatives can be found in Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee/Health and Safety Representative: A practical guide and here.  

POSTERS, SIGNAGE, PRINTABLES 

Employers are required by law to post certain items in the workplace. The list of items that have to be posted includes, but is not limited to:  

• Name of Health and Safety representative and means of contacting them (where applicable).  
• Current copy of the OHS Act
• Current copy of the regulations
• Current number for reporting OHS concerns to Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration.
• Copy of company Health and Safety Policy (where applicable).  
• Copy of shared first aid responsibilities.  
• Location of first aid supplies and names and contact numbers of first aid attendants.  
• Copy of workplace violence prevention policy (where applicable).  

The following documents don’t need to be posted but the employer should make them available at the workplace:   

• Emergency numbers (fire, poison control etc.).  
• Fire Response Plan/Procedure.  
• List of chemical substances used in the workplace.  
• Any regulations relevant in the workplace. 

No smoking/No Vaping posters: There is no requirement to have these posters; however, if your workplace has a Designated Smoking Room, then a sign must be placed near the entrance to the room. The sign must be at least 21cm wide by 30cm tall and be unobstructed by other signs or promotions. 

VIOLENCE, HARASSMENT & BULLYING 

In Nova Scotia, businesses in high-risk sectors must follow the Nova Scotia Violence in the Workplace Regulations.  

All businesses are required to have:  

• A Workplace Violence Prevention Statement
• A Violence Risk Assessment. If any risks are determined from completing the assessment, you will need to document reasonable measures to minimize and (if possible) eliminate the risks. 
• Adopt a Code of Practice on Violence in the Workplace that establishes and documents procedures for prevention and reporting. The province has established sample codes of practice specifically for retail gas, taxis, convenience, and small retail stores.  
• Ensure employees have information on the nature and extent of the risks and the factors that may increase or decrease the risk. 
• Train employees to know and be aware of: 
  • the rights and responsibilities of employees under the Act 
  • the workplace violence prevention statement
  • the measures taken by the employer to minimize or eliminate the risk of violence 
  • how to recognize a situation in which there is a potential for violence and how to respond appropriately
  • how to respond to an incident of violence, including how to obtain assistance
  • how to report, document and investigate incidents of violence 

Employers are required to consult with health and safety representatives or committees when establishing, reviewing, or revising a workplace violence prevention plan.  

A Workplace Prevention Plan and Prevention Policy. You must make a copy of the workplace violence prevention plan (all pieces from above) available for examination at the workplace by any employer, contractor, constructor, supplier, employee, owner, or self-employed person in that workplace. This can be kept with your Occupational Health and Safety materials.  

As of September 1, 2025, employers in Nova Scotia will be required to have a Harassment Prevention Policy in place. CFIB members can access a template in the Member Portal. 

YOUNG WORKERS 

There is no specific training required for young workers, but the Workers’ Compensation Board of NS (WCBNS) does offer tools and resources to help you talk to young workers about health and safety in the workplace.   

ORIENTATION & TRAINING 

There is no specific health and safety training required by all workers in Nova Scotia. Training is based on a worker’s role and is determined by the workplace.  

Employers must take every reasonable precaution to ensure the health and safety of people at or near the workplace. One of the main employer responsibilities under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act is to ensure training on how to do the work safely.  

 Occupational Health and Safety courses for Nova Scotians are available through the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). Courses are sponsored by the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration, Safety Branch. Nova Scotians can take up to 5 courses each year for free. You don’t need to take all 5 at once. You can register for courses on the CCOHS Nova Scotia OHS Training site. If you’re already registered, you can log in to CCOHS to take or review courses.  

Additional courses including WHMIS are available through SkillsonlineNS, which includes hundreds of free online courses.  

Health and Safety Committee Members
Specific training is not required for committee members; however, Section 13(1)(c) of the Act, requires the employer to "...provide information, instruction, training ....as necessary to the health and safety of the employees".   

WORKING ALONE

An employee is considered to be working alone when they cannot be seen or heard by another employee, they will be alone for some time, or if help is not readily available.  

A working alone policy is not required in Nova Scotia; however, it would be best practice to have one. 

A working alone hazard assessment and a violence prevention assessment must be done, and the employer must do all due diligence to remove, or at least minimize, any hazards before the worker begins work. 

Any workers who work alone must hold a valid emergency first aid certificate. 

An information on how to do a violence prevention assessment can be found on the government website.  

ACCESSIBILITY

NS does not currently have accessibility legislation for private enterprises.

FIRST AID 

First aid requirements are typically made up of 3 parts:  

• First aid kits and supplies 
• First aid trained providers 
• Other employer responsibilities  

First Aid Kits  
Nova Scotia requires workplaces to follow the CSA Z1220-17 standard for first aid kits. CSA Z1220-17 “First aid kits for the workplace” sets out the type, size (including a contents list) and number of first aid kits required, based on various factors of the workplace. The number of kits you need will be based on the number of employees you have, your industry (risk), and the distance from a medical facility.  

There are 3 types of kits:  

• Personal first aid kits are for workers who work alone, in isolation, or who do not otherwise have readily available access to a workplace first aid kit. 
• Basic first aid kits are more common and are suitable for most workplaces with a low-moderate risk work environment. 
• Intermediate first aid kits are suitable for workplaces with a higher risk work environment.  

First aid providers  
The number of first aid trained providers depends on the number of workers during the shift, the type of work you do and the travel time to emergency services. First aiders are certified at three levels: basic, intermediate, or advanced. A chart to determine the number can be found on page 11 of the Workplace First Aid Guide for Employers and First Aiders.  

Employers must pay the cost of first aiders’ training and regular wages and benefits while they are taking the training.  

Other employer responsibilities - All businesses need to
Post signage in a visible place in the workplace indicating:  

• the location of first aid kits in the workplace. 
• the name and phone number of the workplace first aider(s) in the workplace. 
• Provide safe and timely emergency transportation for the ill or injured.  

Employers must keep detailed records of every injury in the workplace and keep these records confidential. A record must include the following:  

• the name of the injured person  
• the date and time of the injury  
• the location and nature of the injuries on the person’s body  
• the time when first aid was administered  
• the first aid treatment provided  
• the name of the person who provided first aid and the workplace first aid certificate they hold  
• the name of the person the injury was reported to  

Records must be maintained for five years 

EMERGENCIES, HAZARDS & COMMUNICABLE DISEASE 

There is no legal requirement to have an Emergency Response Plan, a Business Continuity Plan, a Communicable Disease Prevention Plan, or an Evacuation Plan, but having them is definitely a best practice. 

Planning for different scenarios and making decisions now will put you a step ahead should disaster occur.  

Here are five things you can do to get prepared: 

• Assign responsibility for someone to manage the crisis
• Identify threats to your business
• Reduce the risks identified (where possible)
• Prepare an Emergency Response Plan
• Practice & test your plan (at least once a year) 

Ask yourself: 

• What are the potential natural disasters that could prevent you from operating as normal?
• How will you communicate with your employees if there is an emergency?
• Are your records, documents, and employee files backed up?
• Have you assigned managers/key personnel to assist with an evacuation?
• Have you taken into consideration any employees with a disability? 

For more information, see our web post Emergency Preparedness: the five things you need to do.  

GHS (WHMIS) 

WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) and GHS (Globally Harmonized System) are world-wide systems providing information on hazardous materials used in the workplace. Employees need to know how to work safely, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to implement costly training programs.

You can find information on our website and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety website.  

RETURN TO WORK  

Return to work is a standardized process for when an injured employee is ready to reintegrate back into the workplace. 

All workplaces must have a Return-to-Work program. As an employer, you have a duty to inform all employees of the return-to-work program and their rights to accommodation. 

CFIB members can access a full Return-to-Work package in the Member Portal.