Adopted in September 2021, Bill 59 kicked off the first real reform of Quebec legislation on occupational health and safety in forty years. The new Act to Modernize the occupational health and safety regime thus affects the Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety as well as the Act respecting industrial accident and occupational diseases.
The provisions introduced by the reform will be rolled out gradually over the next few years. They are essentially along a path marked with known deadlines up to 2023 inclusively, but sometimes remain at the complete discretion of the government. These new provisions result in numerous changes to the legal requirements regarding the prevention and compensation of occupational injuries.
Prepared by BLG's Labour and Employment Group, this article offers a practical summary of the provisions that will come into force at each stage of the reform. The first part focuses on the changes announced in terms of prevention, while the second looks at the repercussions in terms of compensation. This summary is intended for employers wishing to learn more about the reform and looking to comply with it as soon as possible, with full knowledge of the facts.
