Are you carrying OHS liability you don't know about?
Prime contractor designation under Alberta law isn't just administrative. It's legal liability exposure - with fines and, in serious cases, personal liability for officers and directors. Plenty of operators are carrying it on multi-contractor sites without realizing it - and without the contract language to manage it.
Under Alberta's OHS Act, construction and oil and gas work sites with two or more employers (including self-employed contractors) must have a prime contractor, who coordinates health and safety for everyone on site. The designation must be in writing. If the person in control of the work site doesn't designate one, that person - often you, the owner or operator - is the prime contractor by default.
Takes about 2 minutes. Based on Alberta OHS Act prime contractor provisions.
For CEOs, VPs, and procurement leads managing contractor worksites in O&G and construction.
Question 1 of 70%
01
Do you have two or more contractors (or other employers) involved in work on the same construction or oil and gas site?
This is the threshold for a required prime contractor under Alberta's OHS Act. On construction and oil and gas sites it applies when two or more employers or self-employed persons are involved - even if they aren't on site at the same time.
02
Does your services MSA explicitly name who holds prime contractor designation on multi-contractor sites?
Under Alberta's OHS Act, where a prime contractor is required, the designation must be in writing. No written designation means the coordinating responsibility defaults to the person in control of the work site.
03
Who controls the safety orientation when contractors arrive at your site?
The prime contractor's core obligation is coordinating safety activities for all employers and workers on site. Running a unified orientation - and requiring all contractors to attend it before starting work - is both evidence of that coordination and protection if something goes wrong.
04
Do you have a written Site Safety Coordination Plan that covers all contractors working on site concurrently?
The prime contractor must ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that a system or process is in place to coordinate health and safety across all employers on site. Without a written plan, there is no documentation that coordination was done - and no defence if it becomes a question in an inspection or incident investigation.
05
When a GC brings a subcontractor to your site, does your company track that sub's OHS documentation and orientation?
The prime contractor's coordination responsibility covers everyone on site - including subcontractors hired by your GCs, not just direct contractors. If a GC's sub is injured on a site where you're the prime contractor, and you have no documentation that they were oriented and tracked, that gap can land on you.
06
In the last 3 years, has your company received an OHS inspection, order, stop-work notice, or compliance notice related to contractor activities on one of your sites?
Past regulatory contact related to contractor activities is a direct signal that an OHS management gap already exists. Regulators note compliance history when determining penalty levels and when assessing whether a company has a pattern of insufficient oversight.
07
If a subcontractor's worker was injured on your site tomorrow, do you know with certainty who your insurer would name as the responsible party?
In a multi-contractor site without clear prime contractor designation and documentation, the site owner or operator can end up carrying the prime contractor duties - and the liability that comes with them - by default. If you're not certain how liability would be allocated, that uncertainty is the problem - not just the answer.
Your results are ready. Where should I send them?
Within 1 business day, I'll email you a breakdown of how prime contractor exposure works, plus the two contract provisions that address most of it.