Regulatory
REGULATORY NEWS FOR WEEK OF JUNE 10, 2020
The second World Food Safety Day (WFSD) will be celebrated on 7 June 2020 to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.
Health Canada issued an advisory that certain hand sanitizers are being recalled from the market because they contain industrial-grade ethanol that has not been authorized for use in hand sanitizers in Canada. The following companies are involved in the recall:
- Eltraderm Limited (not approved to use tech-grade)
- Contract Packaging Distributions Inc. (approved producer using tech-grade ethanol)
- Nature’s Own Cosmetic Company Inc. (not approved to use tech-grade)
- Sanilabs Inc. (not approved to use tech-grade)
- Walker Emulsions Ltd. (2 products) (not approved to use tech-grade)
Health Canada asks RDC members who sell alcohol to confirm if the request is for hand sanitizers to ensure that only approved grades are distributed to those companies. It is important to report any company requesting alcohol who refuses to disclose the end-use. Here is the list of manufacturers permitted to use tech-grade alcohol. This can be done in confidence to Dave Saucier at RDC [email protected]
RDC members nominated 15 alternative rheology modifiers to be used as thickeners in hand sanitizers. The list was updated. The National Research Council is still reviewing some of the products and will update the list once they finish assessments.
Overall, Great Lakes water quality is assessed as “fair and unchanging.” While progress to restore and protect the Great Lakes has occurred, including the reduction of toxic chemicals, challenges cited in the report include invasive species and excess nutrients that contribute to toxic and nuisance algae.
Health Canada added two new maximum levels for inorganic arsenic in polished (white) and husked (brown) rice, respectively, to Part 2 of the List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating Substances in Foods, effective June 5, 2020, as described in the information document.
The following substances have been issued ministerial conditions:
No. 20222 covers substance: Sulfonic acids, branched alkane hydroxy and branched alkene, sodium salts, Confidential Substance Identity Number 19435-3.
No. 20249 covers substance: Amides, tall-oil fatty, N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl], Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number 68650-79-3.
The Policy, Regulation and Research Division is requesting feedback on proposed amendments to Part 20 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation relating to concrete pump operator certification. WorkSafeBC is requesting stakeholder feedback on the proposed Exposure Limits for 24 substances.
The Ontario government, after consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has extended all emergency orders currently in force under s.7.0.2 (4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act until June 19, 2020.
Ontario’s transition to a circular economy gained momentum in 2019 with the Authority’s approval of wind-up plans for the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Program and the Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (MHSW) Program, the Minister’s direction to wind up the Blue Box Program between 2023 and 2025, and the first year of tire collection and management under Ontario’s individual producer responsibility (IPR) regulatory framework.
Nova Scotia is preparing to reopen the province safely. As more businesses, organizations, services and public spaces reopen, we need to work together to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and help keep everyone safe.
Monthly premium payments will resume late June. WorkSafeNB will collect deferred premiums owed in three equal amounts in June, July and August. Employers who pay premiums annually, and still have a balance owing, must also resume payment at this time.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the comment period for a notice issued in the Federal Register of January 27, 2020, announcing the availability of the preliminary lists of manufacturers (including importers) of 20 chemical substances that have been designated as a High-Priority Substance for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and for which fees will be charged. The original comment period and window for self-identification was previously extended by 60-days, and this document provides an additional extension, from May 27, 2020 to June 15, 2020.
Under the federal hazardous material transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.), offerors and transporters of certain types and quantities of hazardous materials, including hazardous wastes, are required to file a registration statement with the U.S. Department of Transportation and to pay an annual fee. This program began in 1992 and is administered by the Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The registration regulations are found at 49 CFR 107.601-107.620.
- Chemical Safety Board issues new guidance for Boards of Directors on high hazard accident prevention
The Chemical Safety Board has released a new guidance document entitled, “CSB Best Practice Guidance for Corporate Boards of Directors and Executives in the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry for Major Accident Prevention.” The new seven-page document is focused on the importance of the role of boards of directors and executives in ensuring that there are effective safety management systems in place to properly manage risks, with the goal of preventing major accidents and protecting workers, the public, and the environment.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), solicits public comments concerning the proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Anhydrous Ammonia Storage and Handling Standard.
DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by August 3, 2020.
Watch our event for advice on how your company can contribute to protecting the health and environment of EU citizens. #saferchemicals
Preparations for the 2021 Meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP) are discussed by the Rotterdam Convention’s COP Bureau, during an online meeting on 9 June 2020.
Preparations for the 2021 Meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP) are discussed by the Rotterdam Convention’s COP Bureau, during an online meeting on 9 June 2020
If an active substance meets any of the criteria for substitution listed in Article 10(1) of the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR), then the evaluating competent authority may identify the substances as a potential candidate for substitution.
A hazard class may be open for commenting even if the dossier submitter did not conclude that it warrants a classification. The CLH consultation lasts for 60 days (unless specified otherwise). diuron (ISO); 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea CASRN 330-54-1.
This volume comprises a single monograph on night shift work. Night shift work was defined as work during the usual sleeping hours of the general population, and included transmeridian air travel. Disruption of normal physiological circadian rhythms is the most marked effect of night shift work. In health-care, manufacturing, transport, retail, and services sectors, night shift work is essential for ensuring that production and activities can continue 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The IARC Monographs Working Group classified night shift work as “probably carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2A), on the basis of limited evidence of cancer in humans (for cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, and rectum), sufficient evidence of cancer in experimental animals, and strong mechanistic evidence in experimental animals.
Safety Share
Like many businesses, COVID-19 has presented a number of challenges for those looking to re-open their workplaces. Protecting your business and your people is of the utmost importance. This series will provide you with timely information on what you need to know today in order to restart your business and return to work safely.
Each employer is responsible for the safety and health of its workers and for providing a safe and healthful workplace for its workers. Employers are required to protect workers from the anticipated hazards associated with the response and recovery operations that workers are likely to conduct.
There are a number of known report scams related to COVID-19, don’t be a victim.
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