REGULATORY NEWS FOR WEEK OF JUNE 30, 2020

• Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement comes into force July 1, 2020

Implementation of the new trade agreement that replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement begins on July 1, 2020. There is no transition period. No pre-approved or government formatted declaration or certificates are required. Canadian importers are obliged to ensure that they have adequate proof of origin to claim the tariff benefits of CUSMA.

• Canada publishes new regulations to prevent harassment in federally regulated workplaces
  

All Canadians deserve a workplace free from harassment and violence. That is why the Government of Canada took action through Bill C-65, the federal anti-harassment and violence legislation, to help keep Canadian workers in federally regulated workplaces, including the most vulnerable, safe. The Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations SOR/2020-130 were published in the Canada Gazette II.

• Non Domestic Substances List updated
  

Two substances were deleted from the NDSL.

• List of Pest Control Product Formulants and Contaminants amended
  

This Order amends the List to reflect these changes by:

• removing coal-tar creosote, dimethyl formamide, dioctyl phthalate, isophorone, rhodamine B, adipic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester and hydroquinone from Part 1 — Formulants of Health or Environmental Concern;
• adding eggs to Part 2 — Formulants of Health or Environmental Concern that are Allergens Known to Cause Anaphylactic-type Reactions; and
• removing dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) and adding carbon tetrachloride, lead (and its compounds) and mercury (and its compounds) to Part 3 — Contaminants of Health or Environmental Concern.

 The Order also clarifies that the List only pertains to formulants and contaminants that are in pest control products registered in Canada.

• Alberta warns employers about counterfeit respiratory equipment
  

Read about counterfeit or substandard respirators, including N95 and KN95 imitations in the bulletin Counterfeit respiratory protective equipment.

• Alberta introduces Bill 24 as part of the relaunch strategy
  

(Lori Brienza, Wilson Chan (MathewsDinsdale) On June 15, 2020, Alberta’s state of public health emergency due to the COVID‑19 pandemic ended, as Alberta continues to reopen businesses and services in the second stage of its Relaunch Strategy.  In order to be able to continue to effectively respond to the ongoing pandemic, however, the Government of Alberta introduced Bill 24, the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Statutes Amendment Act, 2020 (“Bill 24”), on June 18, 2020. Bill 24 seeks to amend 15 different pieces of provincial legislation, including employment and labour legislation in Alberta.

• Ontario provides post-pandemic playbook for warehousing and manufacturing
  

Each workplace is unique and therefore should implement controls based on the level of risk in their workplace. This begins with conducting a risk assessment and using the hierarchy of controls to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure. The risk can be further mitigated by implementing a combination of controls.

• Ontario Regulation 347 amended by O Reg 272/20

Ontario Regulation 347 Waste Management is amended with some parts coming into force on January 1, 2021 which are highlighted accordingly. Other amendments to the Environmental Protection Act are also published.

• Atlantic Provinces form travel bubble

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball, chair of the Council of Atlantic Premiers, was joined by New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs, Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King, and Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil today in committing to ease travel restrictions in Atlantic Canada as COVID-19 case numbers remain low in each province.

• New Brunswick expands services at MyServices

Workers can check on payments, appointments and prescriptions. They can also email their case manager securely. Employers can access clearance certificates, check on assessment payments, file their Form 100 and more. And health care providers can check on invoice status, email case managers securely and register for direct deposit, among other items.

Upgrades include:

• Workers and employers can upload claim-related documents to WorkSafeNB quickly and easily – helping us better support injured workers through faster and more efficient communication.
• Authenticated employers can now submit an application for benefits (Form 67) on MyServices without having to pre-register. Unauthenticated users who want to submit a Form 67 on MyServices will continue to be required to pre-register for this service.
• Health care providers can now can check WorkSafeNB payments against their invoices with access to direct deposit statements.
• A new self-service functionality lets assessed employers update their company information, including names and addresses, at their convenience.

• Commercial carriers: Pay commercial truck user fees online to avoid border delays
  

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Field Operations allows commercial truck carriers to prepay the single-crossing user fee online prior to arriving at the border. Carriers and their agents can make single-crossing user fee payments online through the Decal/Transponder Online Procurement System (DTOPS) website.

• Safety guide for handling Methylenediphenyl and Toluene Diisocyanates

Safe Handling of Methylenediphenyl Diisocyanate and Toluene Diisocyanates are training programs designed to inform employees of the potential hazards associated with the handling of these substances and the best practices to follow in order to minimize potential hazards.

• 24 new substances added to chemicals weapons precurors
  

This final rule amends Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) 1C350 on the Commerce Control List (CCL) (Supplement No. 1 to part 774 of the EAR) to reflect changes to the AG ‘‘Chemical Weapons Precursors’’ common control list based on the February 2020 Intersessional Implementation Meeting recommendations that were approved by the AG pursuant to a silence procedure which ended on February 28, 2020.

• Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards for Consumer Products (Renewal)
  

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards for Consumer Products (EPA ICR Number 1764.08, OMB Control Number 2060-0348) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the Information Collection Request (ICR), which is currently approved through August 31, 2020.

• California passes advance clean truck rule

The California Air Resources Board on June 25 unanimously adopted the first statewide zero-emission commercial truck requirement, the Advanced Clean Trucks rule.

• IARC Monographs evaluation of the carcinogenicity of some aromatic amines and related compounds
  

The results of the recent IARC Monographs evaluation of the carcinogenicity of some aromatic amines and related compounds have now been published in The Lancet Oncology. This summary article presents the conclusions of IARC Monographs Meeting 127. Because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the meeting was held remotely. The Working Group evaluated ortho-anisidine (and ortho-anisidine hydrochloride), ortho-nitroanisole, aniline (and aniline hydrochloride), and cupferron.

• Europe to phase out 4 substances

The endocrine-disrupting substance is used in consumer products, such as cosmetics. The three others are used in industrial processes to produce polymers, coating products and plastics, respectively.

• Substances added to the Candidate List for authorisation on 25 June 2020:

• Europe consulting on 2 substances

European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is looking for comments on harmonised classification and labelling proposals for:

• 4-nitrosomorpholine (EC 627-564-6, CAS 59-89-2); and
• N,N-dimethyl-p-toluidine (EC 202-805-4, CAS 99-97-8).

The deadline for comments is 21 August 2020.

• International Council of Chemical Associations promoting risk-based management in every country

The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) will continue to strengthen our Responsible Care® program to promote safe chemicals management, but this voluntary initiative is not a substitute for the establishment of legal chemical management systems in countries where they do not exist today. Effective and well-administered chemical management systems are critical to ensuring that countries are able to understand what chemicals on the market in their countries, how to obtain necessary information on chemical hazards and risks, take appropriate steps to assess and manage those risks, and address pollution.

• Australia launches new scheme and new website

NICNAS (and the NICNAS website) officially retires on 30 June 2020 and will be succeeded by the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) on 1 July 2020. We know there will be a lot of new information to take in as well as getting used to the new website’s menu and navigation. Our goal is to make industrialchemicals.gov.au work for all our users – whether you’re a business or a member of the public.

Safety Share

• On the frontlines: delivering vital services during COVID-19
  

Every day, thousands of Canadians leave the safety of their homes to deliver the frontline services we all need to carry on our way of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.They might live just a few doors away from you and they include nurses, store clerks, truckers and inspectors for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

• Heat stress and the COVID factor
  

While heat stress is a recognized hazard in some workplaces all year long, extreme summer temperatures may introduce the risk into other workplaces. Now COVID-19 is generating questions the health and safety community hasn’t encountered before.

• Risks of health products that make false claims about COVID-19
  

While research into the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 is being conducted, Health Canada has not approved any product to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19. If you have purchased a product claiming to do so, stop using it immediately. Consult a health care professional if you have any concerns.

• 2020 Hurricane Season: Guidance for Chemical Plants During Extreme Weather Events.
  

Washington, DC, June 23, 2020 – The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today issued a video safety message and a safety alert entitled “2020 Hurricane Season: Guidance for Chemical Plants During Extreme Weather Events.” The video and safety alert highlight recent actions by the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) to produce industry guidance meant to help hazardous chemical facilities better prepare for extreme weather events.