How to refuse unsafe work in BC and Ontario

You have the right to say no to work you believe is dangerous. This right is part of the law in both BC and Ontario. Your employer can't punish you for using this right.

This guide explains how a work refusal works, step by step. We checked these facts on October 12, 2026. Follow the links for the latest details. If you work for a federally regulated employer, such as a bank, an airline, or Canada Post, the federal Canada Labour Code applies instead (federally regulated industries).

In an emergency, call 911 first.

When can you refuse?

In BC, you must not do work if you have reasonable cause to believe it would create an "undue hazard" to anyone's health and safety (OHS Regulation, section 3.12).

In Ontario, you can refuse if you have reason to believe that a machine, equipment, or tool is likely to endanger you or another worker, or that the physical condition of the workplace is likely to endanger you. You can also refuse if workplace violence is likely to endanger you (OHSA guide, Part V).

For example, you might refuse to use a slicer with a missing guard, or to climb a broken ladder. Disliking a task is not enough. You need a real safety reason.

In Ontario, the refusal process is not for harassment (workplace harassment law). Our guide to bullying and harassment at work explains what to do instead.

How to refuse in BC

From WorkSafeBC:

1. Stop and report. Stop the work right away. Tell your supervisor or employer what is unsafe.
2. Your employer checks. Your supervisor or employer must investigate right away. They either fix the problem or tell you that they think the work is safe.
3. A second check, with a witness. If you still believe the work is unsafe, your employer must investigate again with you there. A worker representative must also be there. This can be a worker member of the joint health and safety committee or a worker chosen by your union. If there is no committee or union, it can be another available worker you choose.
4. Call WorkSafeBC. If the problem is still not solved, you and your employer must both contact WorkSafeBC. A prevention officer will investigate and can order changes.

While this happens, your employer can give you a different task for a while, with no loss in pay. Your employer can't ask another worker to do the refused job unless the problem is solved, or they first tell that worker and a worker representative in writing about your refusal, the reported danger, why they think the job is safe, and that worker's own right to refuse (sections 3.12.1 and 3.13).

How to refuse in Ontario

From the OHSA guide, Part V:

1. Report right away. Tell your supervisor or employer that you are refusing, and explain why.
2. Stay nearby and safe. Wait in a safe place as near as reasonably possible to your workstation.
3. Your employer investigates. They must investigate with you and a worker representative. This can be a joint health and safety committee member, a health and safety representative, or a worker chosen by the workers or the union. If the problem is fixed, you go back to work. The Ministry's view is that you are at work during this stage and should be paid.
4. Call the Ministry. If you still have reasonable grounds to believe the work is unsafe, you or your employer must call Ontario's Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. An inspector investigates and gives everyone a written decision.

While you wait for the inspector, your employer can give you other reasonable work during your normal hours. If your employer asks someone else to do the refused work, that worker must first be told about your refusal and why, with a worker representative present.

Some jobs have a limited right to refuse in certain situations. These include police officers, firefighters, correctional workers, and some health care workers.

You are protected from punishment

BC. Your employer can't fire, suspend, lay off, demote, discipline, or intimidate you, cut your pay, or change your hours because you raised a safety concern. This is called a "prohibited action" (WorkSafeBC).

• You must file a complaint with WorkSafeBC, online or on its forms, within one year of the prohibited action. A phone call is not enough (the process).
• Questions before you file? Call WorkSafeBC's Prohibited Action Complaints Team at 604-232-1864, or toll-free in BC at 1-888-967-5377, extension 1864.
• The Workers' Advisers Office gives free advice once you have a complaint number. It is independent from WorkSafeBC.

Ontario. Your employer can't fire or threaten to fire you, suspend or discipline you, intimidate you, or penalize you with a transfer or fewer hours for using your safety rights (reprisals).

• You can file a complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Call 416-326-7500 or 1-877-339-3335 (toll-free) for the forms.
• If you were fired, you can ask a Ministry inspector to refer your case to the Board.
• If you have a union, you can also ask it to file a grievance.
• At the Board, it is up to the employer to show it did not punish you for using your rights (OHSA guide, Part VI).
• Free help for workers without a union: the Office of the Worker Adviser, 1-855-659-7744 (toll-free) or 416-212-5335. Low-income workers without a union can also call the Workers' Health and Safety Legal Clinic, 1-877-832-6090 or 416-971-8832.

The pages we checked don't list a deadline for Ontario reprisal complaints, so act quickly and ask for advice early.

Safety training when you start

BC. If you are under 25, you are a "young worker." You are a "new worker" if you are new to the workplace, or if the hazards at your job have changed. Before you start work, your employer must give you health and safety orientation and training for your workplace (section 3.23). It must include:

• Your supervisor's name and how to reach them
• Your rights, including how to report unsafe conditions and refuse unsafe work
• The hazards you may face, including robbery, assault, or confrontation
• Working alone, violence in the workplace, and protective equipment
• Where first aid is, and how to report injuries
• Emergency procedures
• A demonstration of how to do your tasks
• WHMIS information about hazardous products, if it applies to your workplace

If you ask for more training, your employer must provide it. Your employer must also keep records of your training.

Ontario. All employers must make sure workers complete basic health and safety awareness training (awareness training). The Ministry's free program, Worker Health and Safety Awareness Training in Four Steps, meets this rule. It comes as a printable workbook or an online module. The online module takes 45 to 60 minutes and gives you a "Proof of Completion" certificate. Employers should give this training in your first few days, before you face workplace hazards.

Who to call

In Ontario, call the Contact Centre if you or a coworker are in immediate danger. It answers 24 hours a day. Don't use the online form for urgent problems (filing a complaint).

Keep notes. Write down the date and time, what was unsafe, who you told, and what they said. Notes help if there is a dispute later.

Next steps

• Know your other rights: Your rights at work in BC and Your rights at work in Ontario
• Starting soon? Read Your first week at a new job
• Learn about WHMIS training
• Find entry-level jobs in Metro Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area