Regulatory
REGULATORY NEWS FOR WEEK OF JULY 29, 2020
The Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement rules of origin for Canada have been published.
This Order applies the SNAc provisions of CEPA to phenacetin. The Order requires any person (individual or corporation) wishing to engage in a significant new activity in relation to the substance to submit a significant new activity notification (SNAN) to the Minister, containing all of the information prescribed in the Order at least 90 days prior to the import, manufacture or use of the substance for the significant new activity.
Health Canada’s Food Directorate received a food additive submission seeking approval for the use of potassium polyaspartate to inhibit the formation of crystals in wine at a maximum level of use of 0.01%. Tartaric acid is one of three main acids found in grapes alongside malic, and citric acids, and is arguably the most important acid in wine due to the prominent role it plays in maintaining the chemical stability of the wine, the wine’s colour and influencing the taste of the finished product.
This is an important message to help food importers of manufactured foods use the Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) when they are prompted to select an end use for their imported commodity.
On July 15, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) began updating AIRS’ harmonized system (HS) codes for Manufactured Food Sector (MFS) foods as part of the implementation of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). There are a large number of updates and CFIA is implementing them on a staged basis to ensure an orderly changeover.
As a result of these changes, some end uses that importers and brokers selected previously in AIRS now require a Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence.
Important: If you’re an importer or broker and you encounter the SFC licence requirement in AIRS, you can continue to select the end use that you used previously until a more suitable end use option becomes available in AIRS updates.
During this transition, when selecting an end use where registration type #893 is required, importers and brokers must declare this registration type and can either leave the Registration Number field blank or indicate “No” in the Registration Number field to prevent issues with your transaction.
The Oil, Gas and Alternative Energy Division of Environment and Climate Change Canada is pleased to announce that the 2018 data collected under the Renewable Fuels Regulations has been published on Fuels Group’s Google Drive.
WorkSafeBC’s Certificate of Recognition (COR) team is working with our certifying partners (CPs) to support employers with your 2020 COR audit requirements as businesses resume operations following work stoppages related to COVID-19.
On July 22, 2020, our Board of Directors approved amendments to Schedule 1 of the Workers Compensation Act (Act) to add a presumption for infections caused by communicable viral pathogens, which are the subject of a B.C.-specific emergency declaration or notice.
The Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) requested an independent review to provide advice to the Ministry on the following questions:
- How can scientific evidence best be used in determining work-relatedness in an occupational cancer claim, particularly in cases with multiple exposures?
- Are there any best practices in other jurisdictions that Ontario should consider adopting?
- What scientific principles should inform the development of occupational disease policy?
Inspectors will focus on respiratory hazards related to silica. Inspectors will check that employers are taking appropriate action to assess and address the hazards related to silica exposure, as required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its associated Regulations. Inspections will begin on November 1, 2020 through December 27, 2020.
EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System has launched a public consultation which closes August 24, 2020. See the “Report on Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling for Chloroprene and a Supplemental Analysis of Metabolite Clearance”.
The US FDA has provided some free tools to assist regulatees comply with food regulations. The first is the Food Defense Plan Builder which includes free training resources under the Employees First objectives.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule that streamlines and modernizes the review of permits by the Agency’s Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) for the first time in nearly three decades. Additionally, the final rule provides more flexibility to regulated parties, states and tribes, and the public.
Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing amendments to the significant new use rule (SNUR) for long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylate (LCPFAC) chemical substances that were proposed on January 21, 2015; an amendment to a SNUR for perfluoroalkyl sulfonate chemical substances that was proposed on January 21, 2015; and an amendment to make inapplicable the exemption for persons who import a subset of LCPFAC chemical substances as part of surface coatings on articles, which was proposed on March 3, 2020. This final rule requires persons to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing the manufacture (including import) or processing of these chemical substances for the significant new uses described in this notice. This final rule is effective September 25, 2020.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing these SNURs under TSCA section 5(a)(2) for chemical substances which are the subjects of PMNs P-16-313, P-17-333, P-18-320, P-18-363, P-20-15, P-20-38, and P-20-40. These proposed SNURs would require persons who intend to manufacture or process any of these chemical substances for an activity that is designated as a significant new use to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. Comments must be received on or before August 20, 2020.
If you’re planning to introduce industrial chemicals (and products that release industrial chemicals) for use in cosmetics, see our extra guidance on categorising cosmetic introductions. It’ll give you tips to help you work out your introduction category.
Exporters of the substances now have to notify their designated national authority before exporting them. In most cases, consent from the importing country is also needed. In addition, exports from the EU of a series of mercury-containing articles, such as fluorescent lamps, have also been banned.
The online briefings will provide an overview of the issues that will be considered at the forthcoming meeting of the Rotterdam Convention Chemical Review Committee (CRC), to be held on 8 to 11 September 2020, by electronic means.
Safety Share
(Twitter) With both COVID-19 case counts and the number of risk-heavy activities open to Canadians on the rise, the government has set up a new tool for Canadians to gauge the risk levels of their plans outside the home. On the federal government’s COVID-19 website, a page called “Going out safely during COVID-19” is now included in the site’s awareness resources.
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety – Ergonomics is an applied science which studies how to match the job to the worker. Ergonomics is concerned with preventing pain and injuries related to factors such as pace of work, the strain on joints and muscles, and the effects of posture. This course provides a practical introduction to office ergonomics, focusing specifically on issues and injuries related to the use of computers and other office equipment.
Workplace Safety and Prevention Services – While heat stress is a recognized hazard in some workplaces all year long, extreme summer temperatures may introduce the risk into other workplaces. Here’s one example: “When it’s hot out we rely on pedestal and wall-mounted fans to circulate air. Although we screen workers for COVID-19, what if someone is asymptomatic? Could the fans’ airflow increase the risk of transmitting the virus?” In this instance, researchers don’t have enough data yet to give a definitive answer. What to do?
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