Regulatory
REGULATORY NEWS FOR WEEK OF MARCH 31, 2020
Canadian Federal News
To inform you of the necessity to ensure the unrestricted movement of seafarers (crew members) and all other essential workers that provide essential services to vessels and to the broader marine sector.
The Government of Canada is making additional investments to support Canadian businesses from the economic impacts of COVID-19. These new investments provide support to financial institutions and allow them to quickly provide credit and liquidity options for a range of businesses.
These measures are a part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, which provides direct support and tax deferrals to Canadian workers and businesses to help them in these difficult times.
Deferral of Sales Tax Remittance and Customs Duty Payments.
Canadian Provincial News
- Saskatchewan publishes list of critical businesses
View a list of critical public services and allowable business services that can continue to operate in accordance with social distancing practices.
The Manitoba government is adding a temporary exception to employment standards regulations to give employers more time to recall employees laid off as a result of COVID-19, Finance Minister Scott Fielding announced today.
Individual offenders can face a ticket of $750, or, if summoned to court and convicted, could face a maximum penalty of a $100,000 fine and one year in jail. If convicted, a company director or officer could face a fine of up to $500,000 and up to a year in jail, and a corporation could face a fine of up to $10 million.
As announced last fall, Prince Edward Island’s minimum wage will increase by 60 cents to $12.85 per hour on April 1, 2020.
Depending on the sector you work in, applying COVID-19 safety requirements will present different challenges. The following resource links offer prevention resources for some of the essential services sectors who are helping to ensure the medical supplies, goods and services we need remain available throughout the pandemic.
US News
This Emergency Declaration provides regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle operations providing direct assistance in support of emergency relief efforts related to the COVID-19 outbreaks, including transportation to meet immediate needs for:
(1) medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19;
(2) supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19 such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants;
(3) food, paper products and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores; (4) immediate precursor raw materials-such as paper, plastic or alcohol-that are required and to be used for the manufacture of items in categories (1), (2) or (3);
(5) fuel;
(6) equipment, supplies and persons necessary to establish and manage temporary housing, quarantine, and isolation facilities related to COVID-19;
(7) persons designated by Federal, State or local authorities for medical, isolation, or quarantine purposes; and (8) persons necessary to provide other medical or emergency services, the supply of which may be affected by the COVID-19 response. Direct assistance does not include routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of this emergency declaration.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced several steps the Agency is taking to protect the Nation’s gasoline supply in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing its plan to consider a proposed rule that would look at potential exemptions to the TSCA Fees Rule in response to stakeholder concerns about implementation challenges.
International News
To increase the manufacture and supply of disinfectants on the European market, ECHA is supporting EU/EEA authorities to apply derogations from the normal authorisation requirement for biocidal products.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has postponed IARC Monographs Meeting 126: Opium due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The meeting, which was scheduled to take place on 23–31 March 2020, will now take place on 14‑18 September 2020.
The deadline for comments is 5 June 2020.
Other Relevant Information
Safety Share
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has made selected courses and publications freely available to help support workplaces in their efforts to protect the health, safety and well-being of their employees during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), in collaboration with Canadian public health experts has developed this guidance for federal/provincial/territorial (F/P/T) public health authorities (PHA) on the use of public health measures (PHM) to reduce and delay transmission of COVID-19 in the community.
To help leaders and their employees face the challenges ahead, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) and HowattHR have launched this Psychological Safety Blog. It will be a trusted source for information, tools and resources to help leaders protect the health, safety and wellness of their people.
Remaining at home during the COVID-19 pandemic is tricky for just about all of us, but it can prove extra challenging for families with young children who are working to keep little ones busy and engaged. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) offers a wealth of free, educational resources that can help use this time wisely while delivering potentially life-saving impact.
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