News

From Workers’ Compensation Alberta: “The widespread impact of COVID-19 and the resulting business disruption have caused unprecedented challenges for employers. Alberta employers have asked WCB for cost relief to reduce the direct financial impact of COVID-19 claims and extended periods of disability for other claims due to treatment delays.”

The EPS Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit (CVIU), as it is currently known has been in existence for 25 years.

All eligible employers whose business have been affected by COVID-19 were eligible for a subsidy of up to 75% of employee wages for up to 24 weeks, retroactive from March 15, 2020, to August 29, 2020.

A ministerial order took effect May 3rd, 2020 which temporarily amends the OHS Code during the COVID-19 epidemic. The changes list specific respirator standards, approved for use in other countries, that employers can utilize without requiring approval. 

The Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code requires employers to develop and utilize a respiratory protective equipment code of practice (COP) whenever respirators are used at the work site.  

Alberta’s Certificate of Recognition (COR) program saw multiple accommodations made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most significant was the move to “documentation only” audits and the resulting one-year COR employers would receive when certifying using this method. This limitation on their certificate meant employers would need to hire an external auditor to complete their audit next year as well, instead of enjoying two years of maintenance audits that could be completed by an internal auditor. AMTA is pleased to report that this situation has now changed.