Complete Resolution

Effective January 1, 2005, the Board of Directors has approved amendments to miscellaneous sections of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation ("OHSR") to resolve certain implementation and compliance issues. These amendments relate to the 10 topics set out below.

1. Chemical and Biological Substances (Section 5.75): adding a provision to allow employers to keep pace with advancing technology by using alternative measures to control emissions from mobile equipment, provided that such measures are acceptable to the Workers' Compensation Board ("WCB").
2. Substance Specific Requirements (Section 6.126): adding a provision to allow employers to use alternative measures to control reserve gas when the prescribed methods (i.e., a remote manual shut down system or an automatic alarm shut down system) are not practical and when such measures are acceptable to the WCB.
3. Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment (Section 8.11): deleting a requirement that safety headgear be manufactured with a four point chin strap attachment to recognize (a) general industry practice of using two point chin strap safety headgear, and (b) that there is no evidence that additional chin strap points will significantly reduce injuries.
4. Confined Spaces (Section 9.1): revising the definition of "confined space" to provide the WCB with the discretion to exclude certain low-hazard areas, such as elevators, which were never meant to be captured by this term.
5. Rigging (Section 15.6): revising the design factors for a rigging assembly to reflect current standards for polypropylene rope slings and chain fittings.
6. Mobile Equipment (Sections 16.17 and 16.18): changing two requirements in respect of mobile equipment (i.e., alternate means of escape from a cab and operating controls) to bring them in line with current industry standards.
7. Transportation of Workers (Sections 17.16 to 17.26): changing several requirements in respect of marine craft to reduce overlap with federal regulations, keep up with improving technology, and establish more objective measures of a vessel operator's qualifications.
8. Electrical Safety (Section 19.42): deleting the requirement for the approval or certification of electrofishing equipment because neither appropriate testing nor an approval agency exists.
9. Blasting Operations (Section 21.84): revising the requirements regarding a misfired or unfired seismic blasting charge to address circumstances in which the existing requirements (i.e., that the charge be at least 20 feet deep) are not practicable while maintaining the provision's intent to prevent the risk of injury to workers and others at the site.
10. Oil and Gas (Section 23.89): deleting a prohibition on installing pressure relief devices on gas sample containers to eliminate a conflict with federal requirements in Canada and the United States.