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Proposal to Adopt New or Revised Occupational Exposure Limits or Listings for Hazardous Chemical Substances under the Occupational Health and Safety Act

Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) restrict the amount and duration of worker exposure to hazardous workplace substances such as asbestos, benzene and lead.

Consultation on the annual revised limits recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) is the foundation of the Ministry of Labour (MOL)’s OEL update process. Through this process, the MOL has successfully updated OELs for over 200 hazardous substances since 2004.

Proposed OEL Changes

The table posted on the MOL’s website contains new or revised OELs or listings proposed for 9 substances resulting from changes recommended in 2012 by the ACGIH. Stakeholders wanting to learn about the ACGIH, their “Notice of Intended Changes (NIC)” and opportunities to comment can visit www.acgih.org/TLV/NIC.htm

Important changes proposed based on the 2012 recommendations of the ACGIH include the following:

  • Addition of 5 substances to regulation: Allyl bromide, Carbonyl sulfide, Diacetyl, o-Phthalodinitrile, and Piperazine and its salts;
  • Revisions to exposure limits or listings for 3 substances currently regulated;
  • Withdrawal of the listing and specific exposure limit for one substance, Piperazine dihydrochloride. Consistent with ACGIH, this substance will be regulated under the new listing added for Piperazine and its salts.

In addition to the changes noted above, the MOL is also proposing to withdraw the listings for certain substances listed in the Ontario Table in Regulation 833 that were previously withdrawn by the ACGIH on the basis that there was not sufficient data to support the determination of a separate OEL. Exposures to these substances will continue to be regulated by the OELs for Particles (Insoluble or Poorly Soluble) Not Otherwise Specified (PNOS).

Additional Matters for Consideration and Comment

Where an OEL for a hazardous substance has not been recommended and is not under consideration by the ACGIH at this time, stakeholders are invited during this consultation period to nominate the substance for development of an OEL. The submission should include a proposed limit and supporting documentation.

How to participate

Stakeholder input is an essential part of the OEL updating process. Stakeholders are invited to submit comments on any or all of the proposed changes. Specific concerns should contain a clear description of the rationale and supporting documentation.

The 60 day consultation period ends March 11, 2013. Submissions may be mailed, faxed, or sent electronically to the following addresses:

Mail: OEL Update Project
Ontario Ministry of Labour
12th Floor, 400 University Avenue
Toronto, ON M7A 1T7
Facsimile: (416) 326-7650
E-mail: oelupdateproject@ontario.ca

Notice to Consultation Participants

Submissions and comments provided to the Ministry of Labour are part of a public consultation process to solicit views on proposed revisions to Regulation 833. This process may involve the Ministry publishing or posting to the internet your submissions, comments, or summaries of them. In addition, the Ministry may also disclose your submissions, comments, or summaries of them, to other parties during and after the consultation period.

Therefore, you should not include the names of other parties (such as the names of employers or other employees) or any other information by which other parties could be identified in your submission.

Further, if you, as an individual, do not want your identity to be made public, you should not include your name or any other information by which you could be identified in the main body of the submission. If you do decide to identify yourself in the body of the submission this information may be released with published material or made available to the public. However, your name and contact information provided outside of the body of the submission, such as found in a cover letter, will not be disclosed by the Ministry unless required by law. An individual who provides a submission or comments and indicates an affiliation with an organization will be considered a representative of that organization and his or her identity may be disclosed.

Personal information collected during this consultation is under the authority of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and is in compliance with section 38 (2) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

If you have any questions regarding privacy matters, you may contact the Ministry's Freedom of Information and Privacy Office at 416-326-7786.

 

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