Policy & Admin

All employers must put prevention mechanisms in place. For a worker, that means a safer workplace and a say in safety.

A reform that affects every workplace. Quebec has modernized its occupational health and safety regime, and a new Regulation respecting prevention and participation mechanisms now applies. All employers must meet their obligations no later than October 1, 2026, according to the CNESST (in French). In other words, prevention is no longer just for big construction sites: it becomes mandatory everywhere. What every workplace must have. The obligations depend on the size of the establishment. A workplace with 19 workers or fewer must designate a health and safety liaison officer and set up an action plan to identify risks and establish prevention measures. A workplace with 20 workers or more must form a health and safety committee and put in place a fuller prevention program. In both cases, workers take part. What it changes for you. In practice, your employer must identify the hazards of your job and plan measures to reduce them — and there is now, in your workplace, a person or a committee you can raise safety concerns with. You do not have to wait for an accident to happen to report a risk. Your basic rights remain intact. You have the right to know the risks of your job and to receive the necessary training. You also have the right to refuse work that poses a danger to your health or safety, without being penalized for exercising it. Good to know for newcomers. Newcomers…