LOCAL RULES: N.S. REG. 44/1999

Nova Scotia workplace safety inspection report requirements

Your Nova Scotia workplace safety inspection report has one rule to meet. ReportDraft puts it on your checklist and checks your draft before you sign.

  • The committee or representative told of this inspection report
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In Nova Scotia, the Occupational Health and Safety Act builds regular workplace inspections into every larger employer's written program and gives the joint committee or health and safety representative a right to know about every inspection report. Here is each rule with a link to the official consolidation, and what a Nova Scotia inspection report should record.

Last reviewed October 13, 2026 against the official sources listed below.

Workplace safety inspectionNOVA SCOTIA / SAMPLE

Sample notes, 134 words

Workplace: Northgate Fabrication
1840 Industrial Pkwy
Date: 10/06/2026, 9:30am
Inspected by: Priya Shah (safety committee worker member)
Accompanied by: Tom Reilly, shop supervisor
...
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73%of your draft is ready from these notes

We sorted 12 items into 7 sections and flagged 1 to fix first.

  • Fix soonMachinery, tools and powered equipment

    Guard missing on the bench grinder in maintenance, grinder tagged out

  • Fix soonHazardous products

    Weld shop SDS binder missing the two new cutting fluids

1 Nova Scotia rule on your checklist, including the committee or representative told of this inspection report.

Still to add

  • RecommendedNotes for ladders, heights and material handling
  • RecommendedNotes for first aid, postings and records

Filled in for you

Workplace or business nameNorthgate Fabrication
Workplace address1840 Industrial Pkwy
Areas or departments inspectedweld shop, warehouse, break room
Inspection dateOct 6, 2026
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What Nova Scotia requires

  • An employer notifies the joint occupational health and safety committee or the representative, if any, of reports of workplace health or safety inspections done by or for the employer or an officer, makes them available to the committee or representative on request, and makes them available to any employee on requestOccupational Health and Safety Act, S.N.S. 1996, c. 7, s. 35 (1), (2)
  • An employer regularly employing twenty or more employees (or required by the regulations) has a written occupational health and safety program, made in consultation with the committee or representative, including a hazard identification system with procedures and schedules for regular inspections and for reporting and correcting hazards, prompt follow-up of identified hazards, and records of inspection and investigation reports made available to those entitled to themOccupational Health and Safety Act, s. 28 (1), (2) (e), (f), (h)
  • Where twenty or more persons are regularly employed, the employer maintains a joint occupational health and safety committee, at least half of whose members are non-management employees chosen by the employees they represent or designated by their union; it meets at least once a month unless its rules or the regulations set another frequencyOccupational Health and Safety Act, ss. 29 (1), 30 (2) to (4)
  • The committee's functions include identifying hazards with the employer, auditing compliance with health and safety requirements, dealing promptly with complaints, taking part in inspections, inquiries and investigations, advising on protective equipment and programs, and keeping records and minutes of its meetingsOccupational Health and Safety Act, s. 31
  • Where no committee is required and five or more persons are employed, the employer has the employees select at least one health and safety representative from among employees not connected with managementOccupational Health and Safety Act, s. 33 (1)
  • Where a defect is identified that affects the safe operation of a machine, it is not operated until repaired, and capacities and other limits in the manufacturer's or engineer's specifications are never exceededOccupational Safety General Regulations, N.S. Reg. 44/1999, s. 84 (2), (3)

Inspections and their reports

Employers with twenty or more employees have a written occupational health and safety program that includes procedures and schedules for regular inspections, a way for hazards to be reported and corrected with someone accountable, prompt follow-up, and records of inspection reports.

Whatever the size, the employer tells the committee or representative about inspection reports and gives them the reports on request; any employee can ask to see them too. Machines found with a defect that affects safe operation stay out of use until repaired.

Committees and representatives

Workplaces with twenty or more regular employees have a joint committee, at least half of it non-management employees chosen by their co-workers or named by their union, meeting at least monthly unless its rules set another frequency. It identifies hazards with the employer, audits compliance, takes part in inspections and investigations and keeps minutes. Workplaces with five to nineteen employees have a health and safety representative selected by the employees.

Common mistakes

  • Not telling the committee or representative that an inspection report exists.
  • A program with no schedule for regular inspections.
  • No one named as responsible for correcting each hazard.
  • Committee meetings skipped for months without a rule allowing it.
  • A machine with a known defect left in use.

Sources

Last reviewed October 13, 2026. Next review due January 13, 2027. This page explains published rules to help you write your report. It is not legal advice; the official text linked above governs.