Compliance Corner

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Have a compliance question? You’re not alone.

Compliance Corner is where WorkSafeNB’s Chief Compliance Officer, Eric Brideau, answers common questions we hear from New Brunswick workplaces. Each month, we feature a real-world scenario, explain how the legislation applies, and link to more detailed guidance when needed.

Clear answers. Practical examples. Straight from the source.

Have a compliance question? You’re not alone.

Compliance Corner is where WorkSafeNB’s Chief Compliance Officer, Eric Brideau, answers common questions we hear from New Brunswick workplaces. Each month, we feature a real-world scenario, explain how the legislation applies, and link to more detailed guidance when needed.

Clear answers. Practical examples. Straight from the source.

Have a compliance question you’d like answered?

Submit it here and it may be featured in a future Compliance Corner.

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  • Share We’re building new stairs in one of our facilities and want to ensure we meet WorkSafeNB requirements. We’ve heard different strength requirements mentioned under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and the National Building Code (NBC). Which standard applies, and what load do our stairways actually need to support? - Jack Jones, ABC Company on Facebook Share We’re building new stairs in one of our facilities and want to ensure we meet WorkSafeNB requirements. We’ve heard different strength requirements mentioned under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and the National Building Code (NBC). Which standard applies, and what load do our stairways actually need to support? - Jack Jones, ABC Company on Twitter Share We’re building new stairs in one of our facilities and want to ensure we meet WorkSafeNB requirements. We’ve heard different strength requirements mentioned under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and the National Building Code (NBC). Which standard applies, and what load do our stairways actually need to support? - Jack Jones, ABC Company on Linkedin Email We’re building new stairs in one of our facilities and want to ensure we meet WorkSafeNB requirements. We’ve heard different strength requirements mentioned under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and the National Building Code (NBC). Which standard applies, and what load do our stairways actually need to support? - Jack Jones, ABC Company link

    We’re building new stairs in one of our facilities and want to ensure we meet WorkSafeNB requirements. We’ve heard different strength requirements mentioned under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and the National Building Code (NBC). Which standard applies, and what load do our stairways actually need to support? - Jack Jones, ABC Company

    23 days ago

    Answer From the Chief Compliance Officer:

    This is a common and important question, and it comes up often when employers are designing or modifying stairways.

    Under the OHS Act, stairways must be strong enough to sustain a live load of 4.8 kPa.

    However, the NBC provides more detailed design criteria, with different load requirements depending on how the stairs are used. For example, stairs serving a single dwelling unit or a house with a secondary suite are designed to a lower load than stairs serving other occupancies.

    Because stairway strength depends on how the stairs are constructed and used, it’s important to look beyond the load number alone. The full interpretation explains how the regulatory requirement aligns with the NBC and includes illustrations that show what compliant wooden stair construction looks like.

    Read the full legal interpretation 👉

Page last updated: 29 Jan 2026, 02:32 PM