Regulatory
REGULATORY NEWS FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 5, 2021
Health Canada is seeking any additional information to support the risk assessment of nanoscale Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide which were the subject of a CEPA Section 71 mandatory survey notice in 2015. If you have additional information you can contact Andrew Sluiter at Health Canada by clicking the title.
Health Canada is seeking comments on a proposal to amend the List of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for Veterinary Drugs in Foods (the List).
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is proposing, at the request of the fresh fruit and vegetable (FFV) industry, to modernize and harmonize existing grade requirements relating to the quality of FFV and to introduce new grade standards for certain commodities.
Health Canada’s Food Directorate completed a premarket safety assessment of each of three food additive submissions seeking approval for the use of maltogenic alpha-amylase from Bacillus licheniformis HyGe750n6, B. subtilis RF13018, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae M17906 in bread, flour, whole wheat flour, and unstandardized bakery products.
Although Trichoderma reesei strain ATCC 74252 is not considered to be harmful to human health and the environment at current levels of exposure, it is considered to have ecological effects of concern due to its potential to produce paracelsin and other peptaibols. Therefore, there may be a concern to the environment if exposures were to increase.
British Columbia’s provincial health officer has extended the mask mandate that requires masks be worn in all indoor public spaces throughout B.C.
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) announced during its Annual General Meeting (AGM), that the average premium rate for Ontario businesses will be reduced by 5.1% for 2022, from $1.37 to $1.30. The announcement comes after the WSIB held 2021 premium rates at the same level as the previous year, in an effort to support businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Employers can now view their individual assessment rates through their MyServices accounts.
The PEI Legislature, Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, Steven Myers released the recent Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA).
[/vc_column_text] The New York Society for Cosmetic Chemists (NYSCC) Suppliers’ Day is one of the most important annual events in North America for the personal care and beauty industry. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to amend the regulations applicable to phenol, isopropylated phosphate (3:1) (PIP (3:1)) promulgated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Specifically, EPA is proposing to extend the compliance date applicable to the processing and distribution in commerce of certain PIP (3:1)-containing articles, and the PIP (3:1) used to make those articles until October 31, 2024, along with the associated recordkeeping requirements for manufacturers, processors, and distributors of PIP (3:1)-containing articles. EPA is also announcing its intention to commence a new rulemaking effort on PIP (3:1) and four other persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals that have been regulated under TSCA section 6(h). EPA is anticipating issuing a proposal to this end in 2023. Comments must be received on or before December 27, 2021. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released the results of the agency’s most recent sampling assignment testing talc-containing cosmetic products for the presence of asbestos. Asbestos fibers were not detected in any of the 50 samples tested in 2021. The report summarizes the results of FDA’s pesticide monitoring program for FY 2019. Results in the report demonstrate that levels of pesticide residues in the U.S. food supply are well below established safety standards. The FDA Dietary Supplement Ingredient Advisory List is intended to quickly alert the public when the FDA identifies ingredients that do not appear to be lawfully included in products marketed as dietary supplements. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requests public nominations of scientific experts to consider for service as ad hoc reviewers assisting the SACC with two peer review topics anticipated for early 2022: The draft EPA TSCA Systematic Review Protocol; and the draft EPA TSCA Screening Level Approach for Assessing Ambient Air and Water Exposures to Fenceline Communities. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is initiating rulemaking to protect indoor and outdoor workers from hazardous heat and is interested in obtaining additional information about the extent and nature of hazardous heat in the workplace and the nature and effectiveness of interventions and controls used to prevent heat-related injury and illness. Submit comments on or before December 27, 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is updating the confidential status of 377 chemical identities and will include these chemical identities on the next update of the TSCA Inventory, planned for winter 2022. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released a new fact sheet highlighting some of the key takeaways in Fire in the United States Since 1980, Through the Lens of the NFPA Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem, a seminal research report that was released earlier this year. The new at-a-glance resource conveys key insights from the 63-page report so that fire and life safety professionals can quickly see the progress that has been made over the decades since the America Burning report was published; address persistent challenges that remain, and use the new visual aid to spur discussions about the most pressing fire issues of today.
France submitted an intention to restrict the placing on the market and reuse of treated articles containing creosote (EC 232-287-5, CAS 8001-58-9) on 14 October 2021 for submission on 1 February 2022.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has launched 15 new consultations on testing proposals. The deadline for comments is 7 December 2021. There are currently 38 open consultations on testing proposals.
Safety Share
Flu season has already begun, and Public Health anticipates more illness and hospitalizations due to the loosening of COVID measures that kept last year’s flu numbers extremely low.
(WorkSafe Manitoba) Drivers will need to start changing their driving habits to suit the conditions of snow and ice on the roadways. For employers, now is the time to start the discussion about potential driving hazards your workers may face in winter weather conditions, and how to help control those hazards.
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