Orders issued by safety codes officers
A safety codes officer issues an order when permitted work is found to violate legislated safety rules or when the SCO otherwise determines that the work could result in damage to a person or property.
An order will cite the relevant rules, include directions on how to comply, and provide a time frame in which the compliance must take place.
Contest an order
An order must be formally contested if you do not wish to comply.
Contesting an order, in the form of a request for review or a Notice of Appeal, has three possible outcomes:
- The order is confirmed: The appellant must comply with the order as written.
- The order is revoked: The order is withdrawn, and the appellant does not need to comply.
- The order is varied: The appellant must comply with this varied order, if they have not already.
Submit a request for review
A written request for review must be directed to:
Administrator (specify discipline)
500, 10405 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5J 3N4
Fax: 780.424.5134/1.888.424.5134
Email: appeals@safetycodes.ab.ca
Requests must be received within 14 days after the day you were served with the order. For example, if you were served with the order on May 1, then the window opens on May 2, and you will have until May 16 to request a review.
Your request must include a copy of the order.
The Administrator will communicate the outcome of the review directly to you. The Administrator may revoke or vary the original order. The Administrator will do so if the order is found to
- Be improper, impractical, or unreasonable;
- Contain incorrect references or typographical errors;
- Be incorrect or satisfy concerns about safety.
Appeal an order
Appeals of orders issued by safety codes officers must be filed within 35 days of the order being issued. There is a $500 fee associated with this appeal.
Note that filing an appeal will not automatically stay your order. If you do not file a stay of order, you will still be expected to comply within the established time frame. For more information, please refer to the following document: Information on Stays.
More information about our Appeals program, including how to file and what to expect, can be found under Council Information.
You may wish to request a review and file an appeal at the same time. If the Administrator chooses to revoke the order, the appeal will not proceed. If the Administrator varies the order, you may continue to a hearing if you choose.