TORONTO — Efforts to align Canada’s patchwork of occupational health and safety (OHS) standards are moving forward, as federal, provincial, and territorial deputy ministers met behind closed doors on October 22 to discuss the ongoing national harmonization process.
According to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the meeting was “productive” and focused on progress toward harmonizing OHS requirements across jurisdictions.
“This operational meeting aimed to take stock of the progress made across jurisdictions, to discuss priorities and topics of mutual interest, and to advance cooperatively,” the department stated.
The groundwork laid this fall will guide the agenda for the next Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) Ministers meeting, scheduled for spring 2026.
Regulatory Alignment Seen as the First Step
While ESDC emphasized cooperation and progress, several safety experts are voicing frustration about the pace and focus of the process.
Kevin Brown, CEO of Cobalt Safety Consulting, believes that harmonization efforts must begin with regulatory alignment, not with training programs.
“You can’t harmonize training standards until you harmonize the regulatory law underneath it,” Brown said. “You just can’t build a bridge on shaky foundations.”
Brown, who has provided recommendations to both federal and provincial officials, argued that aligning existing safety laws—rather than introducing new ones—is the real challenge.
“It’s a bigger lift, and it’s the harder one,” he added. “But hard is what we need to be doing when it comes to getting the systems aligned.”
Complexity and Confusion for Employers
Industry professionals agree that regulatory inconsistency remains a major obstacle.
Dave Turner, president of Health and Safety Professionals of Canada, questioned why the government appears to be prioritizing certification over regulation.
“I’m not sure where they got the idea that certification was the first step,” Turner said. “There’s a National Fire Code and Building Code — we need something similar for OHS Regulations.”
Similarly, Wayne Pardy, a veteran auditor and author on HSEQ compliance, described the current system as a logistical nightmare for national employers.
“When I was with one of them, the safety schizophrenia that resulted from meeting both CLC Part II requirements and provincial variations was a cluster,” Pardy wrote.
“Try developing a regulatory matrix that meets all those conflicting standards. Come on, Canada — we can do better.”
From Dialogue to Action
Despite the slow progress, many experts still see value in continued dialogue. Brown noted that while discussions are ongoing, they must soon translate into tangible outcomes.
“If we’re really serious about harmonizing, we need to get to a National Council for Safety Harmonization,” he emphasized.
The next FPT Ministers meeting in spring 2026 will be a crucial test of whether Canada can move beyond conversation to concrete action, especially around the foundational issue of regulatory alignment.