Audits & Municipal Council Information

View Frequently Asked Questions

*NEW* In December 2022, AMHSA communicated with auditors and municipal CAOs about the inclusion of municipal council in interview sampling (when the WCB account being audited for COR includes council). We have received several questions since that time about removal of council from the account being audited by creating a separate WCB account for councillors.

To accomplish this, a written request to have Councillors placed under a separate WCB account is to be submitted by an authorized representative via email or letter to WCB-Alberta Underwriting ([email protected]). Underwriting has been made aware of this unique situation, and will therefore be best suited to provide the correct response. We do not recommend calling the WCB’s general information telephone lines about this specific situation as a unique process is required.

Frequently asked questions about audits and municipal council are available, along with the communications distributed to auditors and CAOs. These FAQs will be kept up-to-date when we receive additional questions or have new information to convey. 

If you have questions about this topic or about the Certificate of Recognition (COR) program, please contact:

Olana Todoruk

AMHSA Director Learning & Assurance

[email protected]

or

Craig Hrynchuk

AMHSA Executive Director

[email protected]


Does the municipality you are auditing have Workers Compensation Board (WCB) coverage that includes municipal elected officials (Councillors)?

As an AMHSA COR Certified Auditor, during your Health and Safety Auditing course, you received Government of Alberta (GoA) Partnerships direction regarding the inclusion of Council members in audit interview sampling if the municipality being audited has WCB coverage that includes municipal elected officials (Councillors).

In response to recent feedback from municipal COR holders about this subject, AMHSA has worked closely with Government of Alberta (GoA) Partnerships on the approval of a custom set of 9 interview questions specific to municipal Councillors which will be implemented for 2023 audits (if Council is included under the municipal WCB account being audited for COR), to support member/auditor clarity.

Communication has been distributed to municipal COR-holder CAOs, explaining the current requirements, the exemption to the end of 2022, and availability of the option to remove council from the WCB account. To view the communication sent to municipal CAO’s, click here (revised 2023-02-26).

The following questions have been approved for use for Council member interviews in 2023:

  • What are some of the key points listed in the Health and Safety Policy?
  • Can you provide some examples of how the three OHS Rights (right to be informed, right to participate, and right to refuse dangerous work) apply to the work you do for this organization?
  • Can you provide some examples of legislation that is applicable to you under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation and Code?
  • What kinds of resources are provided to implement and improve the health and safety system?
  • What are some of the highest hazard tasks associated with the organization’s operations?
  • What type of training have you received in emergency response?
  • What is the process you follow for reporting incidents (including near misses), occupational illnesses or work refusals?
  • How is senior management/management involved in the performance of the health and safety management system (e.g., develop a health and safety plan for the upcoming year, provide resources for health and safety initiatives, etc.).
  • How is senior management/management held accountable for the HSMS? How does the organization communicate the results of health and safety system evaluations to employees?