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2015-2017 Notices

  • Content last reviewed: March 2019

Notices: 2018-19 | 2015-17 | 2013-14 | 2011-12 | 2009-10


August 2, 2017

Occupational Exposure Limit (OELs) Updates

Effective January 1, 2018, Regulation 833 and O. Reg. 490/09 are amended by (O. Reg. 287/17) and (O. Reg. 288/17) to reflect the adoption of new or revised occupational exposure limits (OELs) or listings for 21 chemical substances based on recommendations by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). These changes were included in the Ministry’s 2016 consultation “Proposed Changes Affecting the Control of Hazardous Substances under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.” An overview of these changes is given below:

  • Addition of specific listings for 4 substances in regulation: Cyanogen bromide, Ethyl isocyanate, Peracetic acid and Phenyl isocyanate.
  • Revisions to exposure limits or listings for 17 substances currently regulated: Acetone, Atrazine, Barium sulfate, 1-Bromopropane, Ethylidene norbornene, Lithium hydride, Methomyl, Methyl formate, Methyl isocyanate, Naphthalene, Nickel carbonyl, Oxalic Acid, Pentachlorophenol, Pentane, and Trichloroacetic acid, 1,2,3 – Trichloropropane, and Triethylamine.

In addition to the changes noted above, effective January 1, 2018, the Ministry has moved forward with the adoption of proposals that were the subject of earlier consultations. These changes include the adoption of a more protective OEL for the substance beryllium, the adoption of the ACGIH method for addressing exposures to the aliphatic hydrocarbon gases (C1 – C4), and changing the minimum oxygen content in section 138(1) of Regulation 851 – Industrial Establishments from 18% to 19.5% as set out in (O. Reg. 289/17).


April 3, 2017

Amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training Regulation

Amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training Regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act come into effect on April 1, 2017.

The amendments replace the original transition provision and provide an additional six months for completion of working at heights training if the employer has written proof showing that a worker, who completed the training under subsection 26.2(1) of O. Reg. 213/91 before April 1, 2015, is enrolled in an approved working at heights training program that is scheduled to be completed before October 1, 2017.

The proof of enrollment must include the name of the worker, the name of the approved training provider, the date on which the approved training is scheduled to be completed, and the name of the approved training program. The written proof of enrollment must be made available to an inspector upon request.


June 30, 2016

Amendments to the Construction Projects Regulation (O. Reg. 213/91)

Amendments to the Construction Projects Regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to strengthen and clarify existing requirements relating to the use of suspended access equipment have been approved. The amendments are consistent with the changes proposed by the Ministry of Labour in the Summary of Proposal document that was posted on the government’s Regulatory Registry for a 90-day public consultation from March 20 to June 22, 2015. Key amendments include:

  • Introducing a requirement for notifying the Ministry of Labour prior to putting suspended access equipment into service for the first time at a project;
  • Introducing requirements for roof plans and site-specific work plans;
  • Introducing training requirements for workers who may use or inspect suspended access equipment;
  • Enhancing existing design, operational, technical and engineering requirements
  • Strengthening and enhancing existing inspection, testing and maintenance requirements by prescribing more prescriptive provisions for the regulated party; and,
  • Miscellaneous amendments to clarify certain requirements.

Amendments relating to the use of suspended access equipment will come into force on January 1, 2017. For more information on the amendments including the coming into force dates for the miscellaneous amendments, please visit the Source Law section of the e-Laws website.

It is expected that the amendments will be consolidated into the e-Laws version of the official regulation in the near future.


June 30, 2016

Update to Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)

The Ontario government has amended the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and the WHMIS Regulation (R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 860) made under the OHSA to adopt new, international standards that are part of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

The amendments to the OHSA and WHMIS Regulation affect various requirements governing labels and safety data sheets for hazardous workplace chemicals. Also affected are definitions, terminology and provisions that protect confidential business information related to hazardous workplace chemicals. The changes reflect amendments to the federal Hazardous Products Act and new Hazardous Products Regulations, which came into force February 11, 2015.

The new requirements in the OHSA and WHMIS Regulation come into effect July 1, 2016. To give workplace parties time to adjust to the new requirements, there will be a transition period to gradually phase out the old requirements.

  • Employers have until May 31, 2018 to continue to receive and use hazardous products with either the old WHMIS labels and safety data sheets or the new ones.
  • Employers have from June 1, 2018 to November 30, 2018 to bring any hazardous products still in the workplace with the old WHMIS labels and safety data sheets into compliance with the new requirements.
  • By December 1, 2018, the transition to the new WHMIS labels and safety data sheets must be complete.

During the transition, employers must ensure workers are trained on both the old and new labels and safety data sheets for as long as both are present in the workplace.

More Information


June 8, 2016

Amendments to Regulation 854 (Mines and Mining Plants)

Amendments to various provisions of Regulation 854 (Mines and Mining Plants) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) have been approved. The amendments include:

  • New requirements for mines and mining plants to conduct risk assessments and have formal traffic management programs;
  • Strengthening existing requirements regarding water management, including requiring underground mines to have a water management program, and ground control;
  • Enhancing and clarifying requirements regarding conveyors, specifically requirements for guarding and emergency stopping devices/pull cords;
  • Updating training requirements for surface diamond drill operations to reflect changes to the modular training program; and
  • Amendments to several miscellaneous provisions to update terminology and certain industry standards, clarify certain requirements and revoke sections that are no longer necessary.

Most of the amendments will come into force July 1, 2016. New requirements relating to risk assessments, water management, traffic management and ground control will come into force on January 1, 2017 to provide stakeholders with time to comply.

All surface diamond driller signing authorities and mine managers will receive updated Program Guidelines in the mail from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

In addition, Schedule 68 of Regulation 950 under the Provincial Offences Act has also been amended. This is the schedule of offences for Regulation 854 (Mines and Mining Plants) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and allows a Ministry of Labour health and safety inspector to issue a ticket to a specific workplace party where they observe a contravention in a workplace. Learn more about those amendments, which come into effect on October 1, 2016.


May 11, 2016

Ministry of Labour Proposes to Mandate Construction Hazard Awareness Training

The Ministry of Labour is consulting on a proposal to amend the Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training Regulation (O. Reg. 297/13) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The amendments, if approved, would require employers to ensure that workers who perform work to which the Construction Projects Regulation (O. Reg. 213/91) applies complete a construction hazard awareness training program.

For more information on the proposals please visit the Government of Ontario’s Regulatory Registry.


December 17, 2015

New Noise Regulation

Overview

A new Noise Regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) was approved on December 9, 2015:

This regulation (O. Reg. 381/15) replaces the noise protection requirements set out in the regulations for Industrial Establishments, Mines and Mining Plants, and Oil and Gas-Offshore. It extends the noise protection requirements contained in the regulations below to all workplaces under OHSA:

The Farming Operations Regulation has also been amended so the new Noise Regulation will apply to farming operations:

New workplaces covered by this regulation include:

  • construction projects
  • health care facilities
  • schools
  • farming operations
  • fire services
  • police services
  • amusement parks

The Noise Regulation comes into effect on July 1, 2016. It will help protect Ontario's workers from noise-induced hearing loss, a leading cause of occupational disease for Ontario workers.

The new regulation is in keeping with changes proposed by the Ministry of Labour in a Summary of Proposal. A 60-day public consultation was held from October 28 to December 29, 2014.

Details

Key changes include:

  1. New Noise Regulation:
    • prescribing, for workers exposed to noise, a maximum time-weighted exposure limit of 85 decibels over an eight-hour work shift
    • requiring employers to put in place measures to reduce workers’ exposure based on a “hierarchy of controls”, which could include engineering controls, work practices, and the use of personal protective equipment in the form of hearing protection devices and
    • requiring employers who provide a worker with a hearing protection device to provide adequate training and instruction on that device.
  2. Amendments to the regulations for Industrial Establishments, Mines and Mining Plants, and Oil and Gas-Offshore:
    • The noise protection sections in the Industrial Establishments, Mines and Mining Plants, and Oil and Gas-Offshore Regulations were revoked. They are now incorporated into the new Noise Regulation.
  3. Amendments to the Farming Operations Regulation:
    • The Farming Operations Regulation was amended in order to apply the Noise Regulationto farming operations.

For more information, visit the Source Law section of the e-Laws website: Noise Regulation.


November 30, 2015

Amendments to Regulations Pertaining to Health and Safety Protections for Construction Workers

Amendments to three regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) have been approved. The amendments formalize the changes proposed by the Ministry of Labour in the Summary of Proposal document that was posted on the government’s Regulatory Registry for a 60-day public consultation from October 28 to December 29, 2014. Key amendments include:

  1. Construction Projects Regulation (O. Reg. 213/91)
    • New requirements relating to the safe operation of rotary foundation drill rigs ("drill rigs"), including new drill rig operator training requirements;
    • Enhancing and clarifying provisions relating to exposure to carbon monoxide, and other fumes and gases, released from internal combustion engines;
    • Strengthening fall protection measures; and,
    • Correcting errors, omissions and inconsistencies, updating outdated references, and clarifying certain requirements.
  2. Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents Regulation (Regulation 833)
    • Extending the application of the regulation to construction projects; and
    • Enabling the future use of ‘codes of practice’ approved by the Minister of Labour.
  3. Confined Spaces Regulation (O. Reg. 632/05).
    • Consequential amendments were made under this regulation to ensure consistency with changes to Regulation 833.

With respect to the Ministry of Labour’s proposal to introduce noise requirements under the Construction Projects Regulation, please refer to Regulatory Registry Proposal Number 14-MOL005 for updates.

For more information on the amendments and the coming into force dates of the provisions, please visit the Source Law section of the e-Laws website:

It is expected that the amendments will be consolidated into the e-Laws version of the official regulation in the near future.


November 25, 2015

Mines and Mining Plants Regulatory Amendment Proposal

The Ministry is consulting on proposed changes to the Mining Regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, including new or amended requirements for risk assessments, water management and traffic management programs, recording of seismic events, and surface diamond drill training.

This consultation is closed.


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March 20, 2015

Ministry of Labour Proposes to Strengthen Health and Safety Requirements related to Suspended Access Equipment

The Ministry of Labour is proposing to strengthen requirements related to the operation of suspended access equipment set out in the Construction Projects Regulation (O. Reg. 213/91) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The proposal would apply to all buildings and structures where suspended access equipment may be used and where the Regulation applies. The proposal would not apply to activities subject to the Window Cleaning Regulation (Regulation 859).

This consultation is closed.


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