What Should a Supervisor Do When a Worker Seems Impaired? An Alberta Guide

When a worker seems impaired, a supervisor's first job is safety: stop the worker from doing safety-sensitive work, get them somewhere safe, write down what you saw and follow your company policy. Here is how that fits with Alberta OHS law, cannabis, the duty to accommodate and a good drug and alcohol policy.

Short answer: if a worker seems impaired, take them off safety-sensitive work right away, make sure they are safe and do not drive, write down what you observed, and follow your company's fit-for-work policy. You are not there to diagnose anyone or decide why they are impaired. Your job is to control the hazard and hand the matter to the process your employer has set up.

In Alberta, that job comes straight from the OHS Act. Supervisors must take all reasonably practicable precautions to protect the workers they supervise, and report unsafe acts and conditions to the employer. An impaired worker at a saw, a forklift or a wheel is exactly that kind of hazard.

Key facts about impairment at work in Alberta

• The Alberta government describes impairment as any physical or psychological condition that affects a worker's ability to do assigned work safely and creates a risk to them or others. Drugs and alcohol are one cause. Fatigue, illness and some medications are others.
• Under the OHS Act (section 4), supervisors must take all reasonably practicable precautions to protect their workers and must report unsafe acts and conditions to the employer.
• Under the OHS Act (section 5), workers must take reasonable care for their own safety and the safety of others, and cooperate with their supervisor and employer.
• The Alberta OHS Code has no single impairment section. Impairment is a hazard, so it belongs in the employer's hazard assessment and controls (Part 2 of the Code).
• Alberta guidance says workers do not have to disclose the cause of their impairment.
• Drug and alcohol dependence may be a disability under the Alberta Human Rights Act, which brings a duty to accommodate to the point of undue hardship.
• Recreational cannabis has been legal in Canada since 2018. Legal does not mean allowed at work. Your policy sets the expectations.
• Other provinces have their own OHS and human rights laws. The principles are similar, but check the rules where you work.

What should a supervisor do when a worker seems impaired?

Act on what you see, not on a guess about the cause. The steps below work for most companies, but your written policy comes first. If it sets out a different order or names who to call, follow it.

1. Stop the work. Remove the worker from any safety-sensitive task straight away, such as operating equipment, driving, working at heights or working near energized equipment.
2. Keep everyone safe. Move the worker to a quiet, safe place. Do not leave them alone if they seem unwell. If anyone is in medical distress, get medical help or call 911 and follow your emergency response plan.
3. Do not let them drive. Arrange a safe ride home or wherever your policy says. Never send a worker you believe is impaired out in a vehicle.
4. Get a second person. Most policies ask for another supervisor or manager to join you, as a witness and a second set of eyes.
5. Talk privately and respectfully. Tell the worker what you observed and that you are concerned for their safety. Do not accuse, diagnose or ask them to explain their medical history.
6. Write it down. Record the date, time, place, what you saw, heard and smelled, what the worker said, and who was there. Stick to facts.
7. Report and hand off. Report to your employer as your policy requires. HR, management or an occupational health provider takes the next steps, not the supervisor alone.

What signs of impairment should a supervisor look for?

Look for a change from the worker's normal behaviour, and for signs that together point to a safety problem. One sign on its own rarely tells you much. A pattern does.

• Physical signs: unsteady walking, slurred speech, red or glassy eyes, the smell of alcohol or cannabis, poor coordination, drowsiness.
• Behaviour: unusual mood swings, confusion, being argumentative, or being withdrawn when that is not like them.
• Work performance: near misses, mistakes on routine tasks, ignoring procedures, poor judgement around equipment.
• Attendance: repeated late starts, long breaks or disappearing from the work area.

Write these down as observations, such as 'stumbled twice on the stairs' or 'smelled of alcohol at 7:15 a.m.', not conclusions such as 'drunk'. Your notes may be read later by HR, a manager or a lawyer, so plain facts protect everyone, including you.

What does Alberta OHS law say about impairment?

Alberta handles impairment through the general duties in the OHS Act and the hazard assessment rules in the OHS Code, rather than one stand-alone impairment rule. The Act puts duties on everyone at the work site, and impairment touches all of them.

• Employers must identify and assess hazards and control them. Under Part 2 of the OHS Code, that means a formal hazard assessment (FHA) and controls for the hazards found. Impairment in safety-sensitive work is one of those hazards.
• Supervisors must take all reasonably practicable precautions to protect their workers, tell them about known hazards, and report unsafe acts and conditions to the employer.
• Workers must take reasonable care for themselves and others, cooperate with their supervisor and employer, and report unsafe acts and conditions. Alberta guidance says workers must not work when there is a risk of impairment.

Alberta's impairment guidance also says supervisors should be educated and trained to recognise impairment. That is a practical expectation a COR auditor may ask about when they look at your fit-for-work program and supervisor training records.

Can workers use cannabis before work in Alberta?

Recreational cannabis is legal for adults, but no worker may come to work impaired, whatever the substance. Being legal is not the same as being allowed at work, just as with alcohol.

Alberta's guidance tells employers to make the expectations on recreational cannabis clear in their workplace policy. A good policy covers use before and during shifts, use on breaks and at company events, and what happens when a worker is unsure whether they are fit. Medical cannabis is handled differently: a worker with a prescription may need accommodation, so treat it like any other medication that can affect safety and follow the accommodation process.

For supervisors the practical point is simple. You respond to cannabis impairment the same way you respond to alcohol or any other cause: remove the worker from safety-sensitive work, document, and follow the policy.

Does an employer have to accommodate a worker with an addiction?

Often, yes. The Alberta Human Rights Commission says drug dependence, alcoholism and other addictions may be a physical or mental disability, and employers have a duty to accommodate a disability to the point of undue hardship.

That duty does not mean an impaired worker stays on the tools. Safety on the day comes first. It does mean the employer cannot simply fire a worker whose problem may be a dependency without looking at accommodation. The Commission also notes the duty can be triggered by a positive test result caused by a dependency or a prescription medication.

For a supervisor, the key points are these. Treat the worker with respect. Keep what you know private and share it only with the people your policy names. Do not make promises or threats about the worker's job. Pass the matter to HR or management, who handle accommodation with proper advice. This is a nuanced area of law, and this guide is not legal advice.

Testing is its own subject. Reasonable-cause and post-incident testing are separate policy topics, and Alberta's guidance advises employers to get legal advice on human rights, privacy, employment and OHS law before starting any testing program.

What should a workplace drug and alcohol policy contain?

A good policy tells everyone what is expected, what happens when there is a concern, and how the company supports people who need help. Alberta publishes an impairment policy template on open.alberta.ca that is a useful starting point.

• Purpose and scope: who the policy covers, including contractors and visitors if they apply.
• The fit-for-work standard: that workers must be fit for work and must not work when there is a risk of impairment from any cause.
• Safety-sensitive positions: which jobs they are, based on your formal hazard assessment (FHA).
• Rules on alcohol, cannabis, illegal drugs and medications, including use on breaks and at company events.
• Disclosure and reporting: how a worker reports their own concern, how co-workers report one, and protection from reprisal.
• The supervisor's steps when impairment is suspected, including removal from work, documentation, transport and who to call.
• Testing, if you use it, and the legal advice behind it.
• Accommodation and support, such as an employee assistance program and return-to-work steps.
• Privacy: who sees what information and how records are stored.
• Consequences of breaking the policy, applied consistently.
• Training: worker awareness training and supervisor training, with records kept.

Health and safety committees and representatives can help write and review the policy. Involving workers helps them trust it and follow it.

How should supervisors be trained on drugs and alcohol?

Supervisors need two things: knowledge of the subject and a clear picture of their own company's policy. Online training gives the first. Your policy walk-through and practice scenarios give the second.

Our Drug and Alcohol Abuse for Managers and Supervisors course covers how substance abuse affects a workplace, which substances are commonly abused, recognising on-the-job substance abuse, handling situations, and building a drug- and alcohol-free workplace with education and testing. Be aware that the course material is written with a North American, largely US, lens, including its section on the law. Canadian employers use it alongside their own policy and Canadian law, which is why a short session on your own policy and Alberta rules should follow it.

For workers, the Alcohol and Drug Awareness - Fit for Work course covers each worker's own responsibility to be fit for work. Many companies assign the worker course to the whole crew and the supervisor course to anyone who leads people. A pass on either course is the knowledge part. The employer still decides how supervisors apply the policy on the job.

Related training and guides

• Drug and Alcohol Abuse for Managers and Supervisors (course)
• Alcohol and Drug Awareness - Fit for Work (worker course)
• Supervisor's Role (course)
• Due Diligence for Supervisors (course)
• What is a formal hazard assessment?
• Online safety training for your team
• Talk to our safety experts