More than 99% of Alberta employers are performing well and complying with Workplace Health and Safety legislation. However, there are certain high-risk industries and employers who have demonstrated poor health and safety performance. Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) will target these employers for inspection, in order to improve their health and safety performance. The focus of targeted inspections is on helping those employers who can benefit the most from special assistance in meeting their obligations to provide safe and healthy worksites. Targeted employers and industries are selected based on a review of past injury statistics. The targeted industries are chosen based on inherent risks and hazards of particular types of work that have a high potential for injury. The focus is on random inspection of mobile employers, who because of the nature of their work do not usually work at the same site (e.g. drilling or construction). All employers and workers present at a site may be included in an inspection. Targeted employers are selected based on the frequency or severity of workplace injury incidents (e.g., a high number of lost-time claim injuries or a high lost-time claim rate). Targeted inspection activities include inspections of worksites and education for employers, workers, contractors and prime contractors regarding their responsibility to ensure safe and healthy worksites, and opportunities to improve their own health and safety programs and practices. Voluntary Compliance Orders are written when the employer can choose which method they wish to use to rectify a hazard that is not an immediate threat to life or health. Other orders such as Compliance Orders or Stop Work Orders are used when an immediate threat is present. In all cases employers must ensure compliance with the law. Alberta Human Resources and Employment, through the Partnerships in Health and Safety Program, conducts follow-up visits to targeted employers to assist them in developing health and safety management programs for their work sites. WHS targeted inspections continue to evolve each year by taking into consideration performance outcomes and on-going input from vested groups. In recent years those employers targeted for inspections have reduced their lost-time claim rates. This success is a clear demonstration that this process is effective in helping to achieve a higher level of safety at work, and that with commitment and focus even the most hazardous work tasks can be performed in a safe and healthy manner. | 
