New Confined Spaces Regulation

By Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B., Editor at HRinfodesk.com---Canadian Payroll and Employment Law News, January 2006

The Ontario Ministry of Labour has updated and amended the confined space requirements in the existing Industrial, Construction, Health Care and Mining Regulations to develop a separate, stand-alone Confined Spaces Regulation (O.Reg.632/05) in workplaces covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The changes will provide a consistent approach to confined spaces and strengthen protection for Ontario workers. The new Confined Space Regulation will apply to all workplaces that have confined spaces and come into effect on September 30, 2006.

Confined space requirements in the existing Industrial, Construction, Health Care and Mining Regulations have been revoked.

Affected workplaces will have until this date to comply with the new requirements, specifically:

• The definition of confined space has changed. A confined space is defined as a fully or partially enclosed space. It is a space that is not designed and constructed for continuous human occupancy. It is also a space where atmospheric hazards may result due to the construction, location, contents found in the space, or the work that is performed in the space. Examples of confined spaces are manholes, sewers, vaults, lockers, cellars, pits, vats, tanks, vessels, tubs, ditches, wells, walls, pipelines, ducts, tunnels, silos, bins and tank cars.
• Employers will need to develop a written confined space program for their workplace. In establishing the program, employers will need to recognize or identify a confined space; assess the confined space hazards; and control the hazards by developing a plan, providing general training, developing an onsite rescue procedure and creating a permit system.

Additional information can be found in the OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT - O. Reg. 632/05, Confined Spaces or at E-Laws | Titles of Regulations on e-Laws.

By Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B., Editor at HRinfodesk.com

Published on HRinfodesk---Canadian Payroll and Employment Law News and Developments

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