Regulatory
REGULATORY NEWS FOR WEEK OF AUGUST 26, 2019
The Canadian General Standard Board (CGSB) has released the first draft of the new National Standard of Canada CAN/CGSB-192.3 entitled “Transportation of Dangerous Goods Training, Assessment and Competency”. Once the Standard is finalized and published, we will propose an amendment to Part 6 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, which would allow the Standard to be incorporated by reference.
What is the scope of the Standard? This Standard outlines training, assessment, and competency requirements for persons who handle, offer for transport or transport dangerous goods by road, rail, marine, and air in Canada.
Competency describes the capability of performing tasks pertaining to the transportation of dangerous goods (TDG), which is developed through the acquisition of knowledge, skill, and ability. This Standard is widely applicable as it:
- Identifies and describes function-specific tasks across all modes of transport; and
- Provides a benchmark to employers in terms of training and determining competencies that suit their operations and workforce requirements.
Please note that all comments must be submitted to CGSB using their comment form by October 24, 2019. Jim Bird will prepare and submit comments on behalf of RDC. Please send Jim your comments on or before October 18, 2019 to [email protected].
There have been reports of misleading and high pressure phone calls about the status of WHMIS 2015 compliance, warns Wagish Yajaman, WSPS’ Manager of Technical Services. These calls may lead you to believe you are falling short on your legal obligations. “The caller may infer they are from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, but they’re not,” explains Wagish.
The best way to stop these callers in their tracks is to ensure you are in full compliance. Here are four essential questions from Wagish:
- Is your joint health and safety committee (JHSC) involved in the annual review of your WHMIS 2015 program? The committee’s involvement will demonstrate that the internal responsibility system is working well and will help ensure workers understand WHMIS 2015 requirements. Conducting a review does not necessarily mean annual training. It may mean addressing specific knowledge gaps.
- Do you have safety data sheets (SDSs) for the chemicals used in your facility? There is currently no expiry date for SDSs, formerly known as MSDSs. Everyone in your workplace should have access to these SDSs. These are good sources of information about chemicals used in your workplace.
- Do you have WHMIS 2015 labels on containers with decanted materials? Are new products coming into the facility with WHMIS 2015 supplier labels?
- Do your employees know what the new WHMIS 2015 pictograms mean, and that the previous pictograms are no longer being used on products? Do they know what the new pictograms mean in the event of exposure? Pictograms and labels present strong visual opportunities to learn about the type of hazards that product users could encounter in the workplace.
The number of workplace mental health issues in Saskatchewan is rising. From 2016 to 2018, mental health claims to the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board increased by 142 per cent. WorkSafe Saskatchewan is empowering employers with more tools and resources to better support their employees’ psychological well-being. It has partnered with the University of Fredericton (UFred) to provide workplaces with access to digital courses on handling workplace violence, helping struggling workers, and creating safe, supportive work environments. Geared to both employers and workers and available at a fraction of the standard tuition fee, these offerings include: Enhancing Workplace Resiliency (course) Managing Psychological Health Issues at Work (certificate) Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (advanced certificate) Through another partnership with the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), WorkSafe Saskatchewan is providing employers with access to web-based psychological health and safety courses.
This summer, the ministry is focusing on workplace violence prevention in long-term care, retirement homes and community care workplaces across Ontario. The ministry is partnering with the Public Services Health & Safety Association to raise awareness with employers on workplace violence.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is meeting another statutory requirement under the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by proposing to designate 20 chemical substances as High-Priority Substances for upcoming risk evaluations. The proposed designation is a required step in a new process of reviewing chemical substances currently in commerce under the amended TSCA. The 20 proposed high-priority candidate chemicals include seven chlorinated solvents, six phthalates, four flame retardants, formaldehyde, a fragrance additive, and a polymer precursor.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposes amendments to its hours-ofservice(HOS) requirements to provide greater flexibility for drivers subject to the HOS rules without adversely affecting safety. This would be accomplished by altering the short-haul exception to the record of duty status (RODS) requirement available to certain commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers, modifying the adverse driving conditions exception, increasing flexibility for the 30-minute break rule by requiring a break after 8 hours of driving time (instead of on-duty time) and allowing on-duty/not driving periods as qualifying breaks from driving, modifying the sleeper berth exception to allow a driver to spend a minimum of 7 hours in the berth combined with a minimum 2-hour off-duty period, provided the combined periods total 10 hours (rather than the current 8/2 split), and allowing one off-duty break that would pause a truck driver’s 14-hour driving window. DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before October 7, 2019.
New intentions have been received for:
- 4,4′-(1-methylpropylidene)bisphenol (EC 201-025-1, CAS 77-40-7), and
- Resorcinol (EC 203-585-2, CAS 108-46-3).
Safety Share
Truck drivers in Canada work in unique conditions from irregular schedules to long hours, to little physical activity, to unpredictable weather which present numerous health and safety challenges.
Employers can help to ease stress and fatigue, encourage healthy habits, and prevent the aches, pains and injuries that can come from prolonged sitting. Truckers, too, can make adjustments to their physical environment and take steps to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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