J06 Written Procedures and Committee Consultation

Law. Workers Compensation Act, ss. 21(2)(g), 22(2)(a) and 36(f)-(g) (Workers Compensation Act [BC], 2019); Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, ss. 3.3(c), 3.16, 5.5, 8.6 and 31.5 (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation [BC], 2026).

What must be covered.

• General. The program includes “appropriate written instructions, available for reference by all workers, to supplement this Occupational Health and Safety Regulation” (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation [BC], 2026, s. 3.3(c)). Workers must carry out their work “in accordance with established safe work procedures” (Workers Compensation Act [BC], 2019, s. 22(2)(a)).
• Five mandatory fire-service procedures. Written procedures must be established and followed to manage and track firefighters at an emergency incident; manage exposure to bloodborne pathogens; manage stress arising from an emergency incident likely to cause adverse health effects; provide effective traffic control at emergency incidents; and operate firefighting vehicles in emergency and non-emergency travel (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation [BC], 2026, s. 31.5(1)).
• Conditional procedures, “where applicable”. Fires in buildings of seven storeys or more; firefighting over water and underground; hazardous substances incidents; rescue from high angles, confined spaces, trenches, excavations and water; disaster planning and response; electrical emergencies (s. 31.5(2)).
• Consultation. The employer must consult and co-operate with the committee or representative (Workers Compensation Act [BC], 2019, s. 21(2)(g)). The committee advises on the programs and policies the regulations require and monitors their effectiveness, and advises on proposed changes to equipment or work processes (s. 36(f)-(g)). Specific Parts name the committee in writing or reviewing documents, for example the first aid assessment (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation [BC], 2026, s. 3.16), the WHMIS program, reviewed at least annually (s. 5.5), and the PPE program review (s. 8.6).

Fire-service nuance.

• A procedure library that treats critical incident stress or traffic control as optional fails s. 31.5(1) in British Columbia; see J28 Psychological Health and Safety and J31 Roadway Incident Scenes.
• Each conditional procedure applies if the department offers that service; the declared service level under the provincial training standard is the practical test (interpretation); see J34 Fire Services Legislation and Firefighter Certification.

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (Act current to 2026-10-13; regulation to 2026-10-20). Section numbers, thresholds and amounts re-checked against the same consolidations on 2026-10-24.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Act, ss. 3(4), 13(6) and 55(6)-(7) (Occupational Health and Safety Act [AB], 2020); Occupational Health and Safety Code, ss. 2.2, 7 and 9 (Occupational Health and Safety Code [AB], 2025).

What must be covered.

• General. There is no general duty to write safe work procedures, but where the Act, regulations or Code require a person to develop procedures, “the person shall ensure that they are in writing”, with a current paper or electronic copy readily available to workers, the committee and the representative at the work site (Occupational Health and Safety Act [AB], 2020, s. 55(7)); the same applies to required reports and plans (s. 55(6)). Required plans are prepared by a competent person the employer designates (Occupational Health and Safety Code [AB], 2025, s. 2.2). Hazard assessments and their controls are written and dated (ss. 7, 9). Employers keep information on hazards, controls, work practices and procedures readily available to the committee, workers and any prime contractor (Occupational Health and Safety Act [AB], 2020, s. 3(4)).
• Consultation. No general duty to consult the committee on procedures. The committee participates in the employer’s hazard assessment and makes recommendations (s. 13(6)(b)-(c)), and affected workers must be involved in the assessment and in choosing the controls (Occupational Health and Safety Code [AB], 2025, s. 8(1)).

Fire-service nuance.

• Alberta’s official guidance for firefighting expects written policies on functions, minimum staffing per function, initial response, minimum training, an incident management system and a personnel accountability system (Government of Alberta, 2019); with no fire part in the Code, those procedures are the department’s main defence; see J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations.

Status. Verified against the official consolidations (Act to 2025-06-11; Code to 2025-03-31) on 2026-10-23; the s. 2.2 plan-author rule was confirmed against the Code on 2026-10-24. Section numbers, thresholds and amounts re-checked against the same consolidations on 2026-10-24.

Law. The Saskatchewan Employment Act, s. 3-8(b) (The Saskatchewan Employment Act [SK], 2013, s. 3-8); The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020, ss. 3-2, 3-8, 3-25 and 32-3 (The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 [SK], 2021).

What must be covered.

• General. No general written-procedure duty. Workers must use the safe work procedures and protective equipment required (The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 [SK], 2021, s. 3-2), and training covers the procedures, plans, policies and programs the employer must develop (s. 3-8(2)(e)).
• Fire-service plan. “An employer, in consultation with the committee, shall develop a written plan that establishes the procedures to be followed by firefighters in response to an emergency incident” (s. 32-3(1)). It includes the standard firefighting functions, the minimum number of firefighters for each “based on written standard operating procedures”, the vehicles and firefighters for the initial response and the total complement by incident type, a typical operation (alarm time, response time, arrival sequence and who initiates the safety procedures), an incident management system and a personnel accountability system (s. 32-3(2)); it is implemented and kept readily available to firefighters (s. 32-3(3)).
• Consultation. Beyond the Part 32 plan, many plans and policies are developed “in consultation with the committee”, including the harassment policy (s. 3-25(1)); the employer must consult and co-operate with the committee in a timely manner (The Saskatchewan Employment Act [SK], 2013, s. 3-8(b)).

Fire-service nuance.

• Part 32 applies to full-time and part-time firefighters; a department relying on unpaid volunteers should still write the plan, because the plan is the standard it will be judged against (interpretation); see J11 Volunteer Firefighters.

Status. Verified against the King’s Printer consolidations (Act to 2025-12-31; regulations to 2021-04-01) on 2026-10-23. Section numbers, thresholds and amounts re-checked against the same consolidations on 2026-10-24.

Law. The Workplace Safety and Health Act, s. 7.4(6) (The Workplace Safety and Health Act [MB], 2026, s. 7.4(6)); Workplace Safety and Health Regulation, ss. 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.2 and 42.2 (Workplace Safety and Health Regulation [MB], 2026).

What must be covered.

• General. Where a risk remains after design and engineering controls, the employer controls it “by implementing safe work procedures that reduce the remaining risk as much as reasonably practicable” (Workplace Safety and Health Regulation [MB], 2026, s. 2.1(2)(b)). An employer required to implement safe work procedures must develop them for the work done at the workplace, train workers so they can apply them, and ensure workers comply (s. 2.1.1).
• Fire-service procedures. Written standard operating procedures for firefighting, including the number and type of apparatus and firefighters for initial response, for subsequent dispatch and for each identified procedure, for every emergency type the department serves, and a personnel accountability system, kept available at every station (s. 42.2(2)-(3)); see J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations.
• Consultation. “In developing and implementing the safe work procedures required under section 2.1 and any other Part of this regulation, an employer must consult with” the committee, the representative or, where there is neither, the workers (s. 2.2). The program is designed with the committee or representative (The Workplace Safety and Health Act [MB], 2026, s. 7.4(6)).

Fire-service nuance.

• Manitoba’s s. 2.2 is one of the broadest consultation duties in Canada: every safe work procedure, not only the program, goes through the committee.
• The resourcing table in Part 42 doubles as the department’s incident-type assessment; see J04 Hazard Assessment and Workplace Inspections.

Status. Verified against the official consolidations (to 2026-10-20) on 2026-10-23. Section numbers, thresholds and amounts re-checked against the same consolidations on 2026-10-24.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Act, ss. 9(18), 11, 26(1)(k), 27(2)(b), 32.0.2, 32.0.6 and 42 (Occupational Health and Safety Act [ON], 1990); Confined Spaces, O. Reg. 632/05, ss. 5 and 8 (Confined Spaces [ON], 2026, ss. 5, 8).

What must be covered.

• General. No general written-procedure duty. Written instructions are required “where so prescribed”, from the employer and the supervisor (Occupational Health and Safety Act [ON], 1990, ss. 26(1)(k), 27(2)(b)). Written programs are required for workplace violence and harassment (ss. 32.0.2, 32.0.6) and under specific regulations, such as the confined space program (Confined Spaces [ON], 2026, s. 5).
• Consultation. The committee may recommend “the establishment, maintenance and monitoring of programs, measures and procedures” (Occupational Health and Safety Act [ON], 1990, s. 9(18)(c)). The employer must consult the committee or representative on proposed industrial hygiene testing strategies (s. 11); develop the harassment program in consultation with them (s. 32.0.6(1)); develop and implement WHMIS instruction and training in consultation with them and review it with them at least annually (s. 42(2)-(3)); and develop and maintain the confined space program, and its training, in consultation with them (Confined Spaces [ON], 2026, ss. 5(3), 8(3)-(4)).

Fire-service nuance.

• The Section 21 guidance notes are not law, but inspectors use them, through the general duties, as the measure of a reasonable procedure library; see J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations.
• The confined space firefighter exemption covers emergency work only; training entries need the program and the consultation; see J17 Confined Space.

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (Act and regulation to the e-Laws currency date). Section numbers, thresholds and amounts re-checked against the same consolidations on 2026-10-24.

Law. Act respecting occupational health and safety, ss. 51(3), 59, 60, 78 and 90(9) (Act respecting occupational health and safety [QC], 2026); Regulation respecting prevention and participation mechanisms in an establishment, s. 6 (Regulation respecting prevention and participation mechanisms in an establishment [QC], 2026, s. 6).

What must be covered.

• General. No general written-procedure duty. The employer must ensure that “the organization of the work and the working procedures and techniques do not adversely affect the safety or health of the worker” (Act respecting occupational health and safety [QC], 2026, s. 51(3)). The prevention program sets out measures following the hierarchy of controls (s. 59(2)), which includes “administrative risk controls such as worker training and the use of safe work methods and procedures” (Regulation respecting prevention and participation mechanisms in an establishment [QC], 2026, s. 6(5)).
• Consultation. The committee determines the training and information programs, selects individual protective equipment, takes cognizance of the prevention program, co-operates in preparing, updating and following it up, and makes recommendations; it participates in identifying and analyzing risks (Act respecting occupational health and safety [QC], 2026, s. 78(3)-(6)). The employer sends the program and every update to the committee (s. 60). The representative co-operates in preparing and implementing the program through written recommendations (s. 90(9)).

Fire-service nuance.

• The Ministère de la Sécurité publique’s reference guides for fire services are the usual source for operational procedures; they are guidance, not OHS law (Ministère de la Sécurité publique, 2026); see J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations.

Status. Verified against the LégisQuébec consolidations (Act to 2026-08-12; regulation to 2026-07-01) on 2026-10-23. Section numbers, thresholds and amounts re-checked against the same consolidations on 2026-10-24.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Act, ss. 8.1, 8.2(4)(d), 9(3) and 15(a) (Occupational Health and Safety Act [NB], 1983).

What must be covered.

• General. At 20 or more employees, the program includes “the preparation of written work procedures and codes of practice for the implementation of health and safety work practices, required by this Act, the regulations or by any order”, and “the identification of the types of work for which the work procedures are required” (s. 8.1(1)(b)-(c)), with records of work procedures (s. 8.1(1)(f)). New employees are oriented to “the health and safety procedures and codes of practice related to the new employee’s job tasks” (s. 8.2(4)(d)).
• Consultation. The program is established and implemented in consultation with the committee or representative, and reviewed at least once a year in consultation with them (s. 8.1(1)-(2)). The monthly inspection program is developed with the committee (s. 9(3)). The committee may recommend policies on health and safety practices (s. 15(a)).

Fire-service nuance.

• General Regulation 91-191 requires written codes of practice in several Parts that reach fire departments, such as respiratory protection (General Regulation: Occupational Health and Safety Act [NB], 2026, s. 45) and hearing conservation; see J14 Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air and J23 Noise and Hearing Conservation.

Status. Verified against the official consolidation (to 2024-06-07) on 2026-10-23. Section numbers, thresholds and amounts re-checked against the same consolidations on 2026-10-24.

Law. Workplace Health and Safety Regulations, ss. 1.7 to 1.9, 1.15 and 1.16 (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations [NS], 2025); Occupational Safety General Regulations, ss. 7, 7A and 7B (Occupational Safety General Regulations [NS], 2025, ss. 7-7B); Occupational Health and Safety Act, ss. 13(2)(a), 28(2)(b) and 31(f) (Occupational Health and Safety Act [NS], 1996).

What must be covered.

• Adequate and implemented. “An employer must ensure that any written policy, procedure, plan or code of practice is adequate and implemented”; each person with a function under it is trained in it generally and in their own part; everyone must comply, including undergoing the training (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations [NS], 2025, s. 1.7).
• Available, reviewed, updated. All policies, procedures, plans and codes of practice must be “made available at the applicable work area at all times”, “reviewed with any affected persons, including any person planning work, before work is undertaken”, and “updated whenever conditions affecting work change”; before work starts, the necessary information, instruction, training, supervision, facilities and equipment are provided (s. 1.8).
• Program element. At 20 or more employees, the program provides for “the preparation of written work procedures required to implement safe and healthy work practices” and identifies the types of work that need them (Occupational Health and Safety Act [NS], 1996, s. 28(2)(b)).
• Consultation. “An employer establishing or reviewing a written policy, procedure, plan or code of practice for the purpose of the Act or these regulations must do so in consultation with the committee or representative, if any” (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations [NS], 2025, s. 1.9). The employer consults and co-operates with the committee generally (Occupational Health and Safety Act [NS], 1996, s. 13(2)(a)), and the committee advises on the policy and program (s. 31(f)).
• Records. Written procedures, plans and codes of practice are kept for 2 years after they are replaced or cancelled (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations [NS], 2025, s. 1.15(2)).
• The general regulations. The Occupational Safety General Regulations carry the same rules for the work they govern (Occupational Safety General Regulations [NS], 2025, ss. 7-7B): procedures adequate, implemented, trained and complied with (s. 7), available, reviewed before work and updated (s. 7A), and developed with the committee (s. 7B).

Fire-service nuance.

• The Division enforces fireground safety mainly through these written-procedure rules and the general duty; the absence of a written procedure for identified hazardous work is itself a contravention.
• An emergency services agency does not need a site-specific written fall protection or rope access plan when responding to an emergency if it has established, trains to and follows a fall protection safe-work procedure and a rope access code of practice (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations [NS], 2025, s. 1.16); see J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access.
• Record the committee consultation on each document’s approval page; it is the evidence an officer asks for.

Status. Partly verified: the Act and Workplace Health and Safety Regulations were read on 2026-10-23 in a reproduction of the official consolidation (to 2025-09-01 and NS Reg 163/2025) because the Legislature’s site could not be reached. Sections 7 to 7B of the general regulations were read on 2026-10-22; whether they remain in force alongside the matching Workplace Health and Safety Regulations sections 1.7 to 1.9 was not confirmed.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Act, ss. 16(1)(f), 23, 24 and 25(7)(e) (Occupational Health and Safety Act [PE], 1988).

What must be covered.

• General. At 20 or more workers, the program provides for “the preparation of written work procedures for the implementation of occupational health and safety work practices, required by this Act, the regulations or by order of an officer”, and identifies the types of work that need them (s. 23(3)(b)). Workers must comply with any policy or program the employer establishes under the Act (s. 16(1)(f)).
• Consultation. The program and the policy are established and reviewed at least annually in consultation with the committee or representative (ss. 23(1), 24(1)); the committee advises the employer on the policy and program (s. 25(7)(e)).

Fire-service nuance.

• With no fire-specific rules, the program’s written-procedure element is where the department’s operating procedures sit legally; see J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations.

Status. Verified against the official consolidation (to 2023-08-01) on 2026-10-23. Section numbers, thresholds and amounts re-checked against the same consolidations on 2026-10-24.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Act, s. 5(f) (Occupational Health and Safety Act [NL], 1990, s. 5(f)); Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012, ss. 12(1)(c)-(e), 14(3)-(4), 15 and 17(2) (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012 [NL], 2026).

What must be covered.

• General. At 20 or more workers, the program includes “procedures to identify the need for, and for the preparation of written safe work procedures”, “written work procedures appropriate to the hazards and work activity in the workplace”, and an orientation and training plan for those procedures, including emergency response (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012 [NL], 2026, s. 12(1)(c)-(e)). The employer ensures safe work procedures are followed and that work procedures promote safe interaction of workers with their environment (s. 14(3)-(4)); workers follow the safe work procedure they were instructed in (s. 17(2)).
• Working alone. A written procedure for checking on a worker alone or in isolation, developed in consultation with the worker and the committee, representative or designate, and reviewed at least annually (s. 15(4)-(8)).
• Consultation. The employer consults and co-operates with the committee, representative or designate “on all matters respecting occupational health and safety at the workplace” (Occupational Health and Safety Act [NL], 1990, s. 5(f)).

Fire-service nuance.

• The OHS regulations require training for firefighting duties by a qualified instructor to NFPA standards, with retraining at least annually (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012 [NL], 2026, s. 41(2)-(3)); procedures and training plans should match; see J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations.

Status. Verified against the official consolidations (Act through SNL 2023, c 15; regulations to NLR 48/26) on 2026-10-23. Section numbers, thresholds and amounts re-checked against the same consolidations on 2026-10-24.

Law. Workplace Health and Safety Regulations, ss. 1.03.01(3), 1.04, 1.04.01, 1.06, 1.06.01 and 11.04 (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations [YT], 2022); Workers’ Safety and Compensation Act, s. 44(2) (Workers’ Safety and Compensation Act [YT], 2021, s. 44(2)).

What must be covered.

• General, every employer. “Written policy statements and procedures for the prevention of injury” at each workplace, implemented and reviewed at least once every three years (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations [YT], 2022, s. 1.04.01); safe work procedures are one of the required controls (s. 1.04(c)). Workers operate equipment and processes only when trained in “the related safe work procedure” (s. 1.06), and all workers are trained in the employer’s prevention policies and procedures (s. 1.06.01(1)(b)).
• Five mandatory fire-service procedures. Written procedures, or a documented training plan, to manage and track firefighters at an incident; manage bloodborne pathogens; manage incident stress; arrange or provide effective traffic control at incidents; and operate firefighting vehicles in emergency and non-emergency travel (s. 11.04(2)).
• Conditional procedures. Written procedures for buildings of four storeys or more; firefighting over water or underground; hazardous substances; high-angle, confined-space, trench, excavation and water rescue; and electrical emergencies (s. 11.04(3)).
• Consultation. Hazard assessments are made in consultation with the committee or representative, or the workers (s. 1.03.01(3)); the health and safety management system is developed in consultation with the committee, representative or workers (Workers’ Safety and Compensation Act [YT], 2021, s. 44(2)).

Fire-service nuance.

• Yukon’s four-storey trigger for the high-rise procedure is lower than British Columbia’s seven storeys.
• Part 11 lets a documented training plan stand in for some written procedures; a written procedure is still the stronger record (interpretation).

Status. Partly verified: the regulations were read in the board’s official rendering on 2026-10-23; the Act in the consolidation captured 2024-12-25 (later amendments not checked).

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, ss. 21(2)(h), 21(3) and 478 (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [NT], 2024); WSCC firefighter code of practice, s. 7 (WSCC, 2017).

What must be covered.

• Fire-service plan. A “standard operating procedure” is “an operational directive prepared by an employer that establishes a standard course of action for firefighters to follow in respect of emergency incidents” (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [NT], 2024, s. 478(1)). The employer, “in consultation with the Committee or representative or, if there is no Committee or representative available, the firefighters, shall develop a written plan that establishes procedures to be followed by firefighters in fighting fires” (s. 478(2)), covering standard functions, minimum firefighters per function based on written SOPs, the vehicles and firefighters for the initial response by incident type, and the incident management and personnel accountability systems (s. 478(3)).
• Code of practice. A department must develop policies, SOPs and SOGs for fire suppression, rescue, extrication and other emergencies; the service level is set in writing by bylaw or policy; SOPs “must be reviewed at minimum once a year” (WSCC, 2017).
• Program. At 20 or more workers, the program includes a training plan for safe work practices and procedures and is implemented and updated in consultation with the committee or representative and the workers (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [NT], 2024, s. 21(2)(h), (3)).

Fire-service nuance.

• The Chief Safety Officer may exempt a volunteer fire department from Part 32 for up to a year at the Fire Marshal’s request (s. 477); the code of practice still applies; see J11 Volunteer Firefighters.

Status. Verified against the Justice consolidation of the regulations (to 2024-09-26), read through the laws.opennwt.ca mirror, and the WSCC firefighter code on 2026-10-23. Section numbers, thresholds and amounts re-checked against the same consolidations on 2026-10-24.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, ss. 21 and 478 (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [NU], 2021); WSCC firefighter code of practice (WSCC, 2017).

What must be covered.

• Plan and consultation. The same as the Northwest Territories: the written s. 478 plan developed in consultation with the committee, representative or firefighters, and the program training plan (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [NU], 2021, ss. 21, 478).
• Code of practice. The WSCC firefighter code, including the annual SOP review, is in effect in Nunavut from 2017-12-21 (WSCC, 2017).

Fire-service nuance.

• Part 32 in Nunavut still refers to the “Fire Prevention Act”, although the statute is now the Fire Safety Act; the code refers to the current name.

Status. Partly verified: the regulations (official consolidation to 2021-09-28) were checked against the Northwest Territories text; the Safety Act consolidation read is current only to 2016-06-19.

Law. Canada Labour Code, ss. 125(1)(z.03), (z.05), (z.06), (z.13), (z.19), 126(1)(b) and 135(7)(i) (Canada Labour Code [CA], 1985); Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, ss. 19.1 and 19.5 (Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [CA], 2026).

What must be covered.

• General. Employees must “follow prescribed procedures with respect to the health and safety of employees” (Canada Labour Code [CA], 1985, s. 126(1)(b)). The hazard prevention program’s preventive measures include “administrative procedures, such as the management of hazard exposure and recovery periods and the management of work patterns and methods” (Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [CA], 2026, s. 19.5(1)(d)); specific Parts require written procedures for particular hazards.
• Consultation. The employer develops, implements and monitors the hazard prevention program in consultation with, and with the participation of, the policy committee or the work place committee or representative (Canada Labour Code [CA], 1985, s. 125(1)(z.03); Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [CA], 2026, s. 19.1(1)). It consults the policy committee, or the work place committee or representative, to plan the implementation of changes that might affect health and safety, “including work processes and procedures”, and consults the work place committee or representative on implementing them (Canada Labour Code [CA], 1985, s. 125(1)(z.05)-(z.06)); the work place committee participates in implementing those changes (s. 135(7)(i)). The PPE program is developed in consultation with the committee “except in emergencies” (s. 125(1)(z.13)), and programs developed with the policy committee are implemented and monitored with the work place committee (s. 125(1)(z.19)).

Fire-service nuance.

• Airport fire services also follow the airport’s aviation safety management system and Transport Canada’s standard for aircraft firefighting (Transport Canada, 2026); see J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations.

Status. Verified against the Justice Laws consolidations (current to 2026-09-30) on 2026-10-23. Section numbers, thresholds and amounts re-checked against the same consolidations on 2026-10-24.