Occupational Safety and Health Directive

Part VI

No National Joint Council Occupational Safety and Health Directive and Standards match to Part VI (Lighting) of the COSH Regulations.

Part VII

Noise Control (Levels of Sound)

Scope

This part of the directive enhances and/or supplements Part VII (Levels of Sound) [http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/L-2/SOR-86-304/31605.html#rid-31617] of the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and should be read in that context.

7.1 A copy of the signed report of any noise exposure investigation shall be given to the appropriate work place health and safety committee.

7.2 Departments shall ensure that employees exposed to a noise exposure level equal to or greater than 84 dBA have their hearing level tested, including the required audiograms, in accordance with the requirements outlined in the Occupational Health Evaluation Standard.

7.3 Audiogram test results shall be permanently retained on employees' medical files.

Appendix A

Maximum permitted duration of exposure to A-weighted sound pressure level at work place

Part VIII

Electrical Safety

This part includes information on the effect of electrical current on the human body.

Scope

This part of the directive enhances and/or supplements Part VIII (Electrical Safety) [http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/L-2/SOR-86-304/31605.html#rid-31657] of the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and should be read in that context.

Exceptions

This part does not apply to hearing aids, watches or other electrically powered devices that have an amperage and voltage that are not dangerous to employees.

Definitions

"safety ground or safety grounding" (prise de terre de sécurité ou mise à la terre de sécurité) means a system of conductors, electrodes and clamps, connections or devices that electrically connect an isolated electrical facility to ground for the purpose of protecting employees working on the facility from dangerous electrical shock.

8.1 Design, Construction, Installation, Operation, Use, Repair, Maintenance and Alteration

8.1.1 Where practicable, plans and specifications in respect of new electrical facilities and/or major alterations to existing facilities, including plans relating to the installation or relocation of equipment and the location and siting of work areas, shall be submitted to the appropriate municipal or provincial agency for review and comment prior to the commencement of such work.

8.2 General Precautions

8.2.1 Where employees are working on or near electrical equipment that is live, or is capable of becoming live, the person in charge shall ensure that the electrical equipment is guarded and warning signs attached.

8.3 Consent to Work on High Voltage Electrical Equipment

8.3.1 Except where the operation of the equipment is necessary to prevent loss of life, serious injury or extensive damage to property or equipment, no employee shall be permitted to work on any high voltage electrical equipment without the written consent of the person in charge.

8.3.2 Unless authorized by the person in charge, no employee, other than a qualified person, shall enter alone or be permitted to enter any part of an electrical vault or station in which live high voltage electrical equipment is installed.

8.4 Protective Clothing and Equipment

8.4.1 Employees working on electrical equipment shall use such protective and insulated clothing and equipment as is necessary.

8.4.2  No employee shall work on or near live high voltage electrical equipment unless the employee is wearing outer clothing with full-length sleeves fastened at the wrists and that is fabricated from non-flammable material.

8.5 Safety Watcher

8.5.1 A safety watcher must be a qualified person.

8.6 Poles and Elevated Structures

8.6.1 No employee shall climb or work from a pole or structure that is located so near another structure or object, or has affixed to it any thing that is not part of the electrical equipment, which interferes with safe climbing or work.

8.7 Capacitors

8.7.1 Where a capacitor that has an ampacity and voltage that is dangerous to employees is disconnected from its source of electrical energy, no person shall short-circuit or apply a safety ground to the capacitor within five minutes of the time it was disconnected, unless the capacitor is already equipped with an adequate short-circuiting and grounding device.

8.7.2 Measures shall be taken to ensure that no person contacts the terminals of a capacitor referred to in paragraph 8.7.1 unless the terminals are short-circuited and safety-grounded and a safety watcher is present.

8.7.3 The short circuit and safety ground on the capacitor referred to in paragraph 8.7.2 shall remain in position until any work on the capacitor that involves contact by an employee is completed, and all persons are clear of the work area.

8.8 Battery Rooms

8.8.1 Every room or area in which storage batteries that discharge flammable gases are electrically charged shall be adequately ventilated to prevent the accumulation of flammable gases, shall be as free as possible from all sources or causes of ignition, and shall be operated and maintained in accordance with good industrial safety practice.

8.8.2 Each battery charging room or area shall be marked at the entrance with a sign containing the words "Danger - No Smoking or Open Flames" and "Défense de fumer et d'utiliser une flamme nue" or other similar words in letters not less than 50 mm in height on a contrasting background. An approved warning symbol conveying the same meaning as the words specified for the sign may be used instead.

8.9 Switches and Control devices

8.9.1 High voltage electrical switches or other control devices shall be only installed, operated or used for the purpose for which that equipment was specifically designed and approved.

8.10 Conductive Equipment

8.10.1 Electrically conductive equipment (such as metal rules, measuring tapes, metallic fish wire, wire-reinforced fabric tape, wire-bound hydraulic hoses, portable metal or metal-reinforced ladders) shall not be used so near to live electrical equipment that such conductive equipment may become live.

8.11 Lightning Protection

8.11.1 Lightning protection devices shall comply with the appropriate standard.

8.12 Guarantees of Isolation for Electrical Equipment

8.12.1 Where the employees working on isolated electrical equipment are divided into two or more crews, each of which is supervised by a person in charge of work on the facility, each such person in charge shall obtain a guarantee of isolation before the crew is permitted to begin work.

8.12.2 Where other departments or employers control electrical energy supplied to electrical equipment from more than one source, they may agree that a guarantee of isolation for that electrical equipment, in respect of each source of energy, be given in writing by all parties or by one party on behalf of the others.

8.12.3 The party having been designated pursuant to paragraph 8.12.2 as responsible for giving the guarantee of isolation may designate in writing one or more of its employees to act as the guarantor.

8.12.4 Every agreement referred to in paragraph 8.12.2 shall state:

1. the identity of the equipment to which the agreement applies;
2. the period during which the agreement will remain in effect;
3. the date of the agreement; and
4. the name of the guarantor or guarantors, as the case may be, and shall be signed by the parties.

8.13 Live Test

8.13.1 Where a guarantee of isolation for the performance of a live test of isolated electrical equipment is given to a person in charge of the test, that person shall, while the test is being performed, be deemed to be the person in charge of the tests and of any other work that is being performed on the equipment while the guarantee is in effect.

8.14 Termination of Guarantee of Isolation

8.14.1 Each record of termination of guarantee of isolation shall show:

1. the day and hour, according to the 24‑hour clock, when the guarantee of isolation terminated;
2. the name of the guarantor or any person who has assumed the guarantor's responsibilities;
3. the person to whom the guarantee of isolation was given; and
4. the date and hour in accordance with the 24‑hour clock that the guarantor was notified that the guarantee was no longer required.

Part IX

Sanitation

This part of the directive enhances and/or supplements Part IX (Sanitation) [http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/L-2/SOR-86-304/31739.html] of the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and should be read in that context.

Scope

This part applies in all government-owned buildings. However, where public service employees occupy buildings not owned by the federal government, this part shall apply to the maximum extent that is reasonably practicable.

Definitions

"change room" (vestiaire) means a room that is used by employees to change from their street clothes to their work clothes and back to their street clothes after work;

"food preparation area" (aire de préparation des repas) means any area that is used for the storage, handling, preparation or serving of food; for example, cafeterias and canteens as defined in Chapter 130 of the APM and as amended from time to time;

"lunchroom" (salle à manger) means a room equipped with tables and chairs in which employees may eat food brought into the premises;

"personal service room" (local servant aux soins personnels) means a change room, toilet room (excluding outdoor toilets), washroom, shower room, lunchroom, living space, sleeping quarters or any combination thereof;

"potable water" (eau potable) means water of a quality which satisfies the standards or requirements of Health Canada for drinking water;

"sanitary condition" (salubre) means that state of any environment, equipment or object that will not render it injurious to health;

"sanitary facility" (installation sanitaire) means a toilet or personal cleansing facility, and may include a toilet, urinal, wash basin and shower bath;

"toilet room" (lieux d'aisances) means a room that contains a toilet or a urinal, but does not include an outdoor privy;

"vermin" (vermine) means any insect or rodent pest.

9.1 General Responsibilities

9.1.1 Each personal service room and food preparation area used by employees shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition in accordance with Chapter 130 of the Administrative Policy Manual under which Health Canada are authorized to inspect the premises at any time.

9.2 Care of Premises

9.2.1 All janitorial or other work that may cause dusty or unsanitary conditions shall be performed after normal working hours to the extent that is reasonably practicable.

9.2.2 All cleaning, sweeping and other activities shall be carried out in a manner that will minimize contamination by dust or other injurious substances, and in a manner that will not cause slippery or hazardous conditions.

9.2.3 Dirt and waste material shall not be allowed to accumulate as to cause unsafe or unsanitary conditions.

9.2.4 Each enclosed part of a workplace, each personal service room area and each food preparation area shall be located, constructed, equipped, maintained and isolated in such a manner as to prevent the entry of vermin and animals as well as hazardous substances.

9.2.5 With respect to each personal service room and food preparation area:

1. the floors, partitions and walls shall have a durable, water-resistant finish and be so constructed that they can be easily washed and maintained in a sanitary conditions; and
2. in any food preparation area or room that contains a sanitary facility, the floor and the lower portion (150 mm) of any walls and partitions that are in contact with the floor shall be watertight and impervious to moisture, and the joint between the walls and the floor shall be covered.

9.2.6 Where a sanitary facility is required on departmental premises, it shall be connected to a municipal sanitary sewer or water main or to both, where it is reasonably practicable to do so, in accordance with the appropriate standard.

9.2.7 With the advice of Health Canada and in consultation with the appropriate health and safety committee(s), departments shall establish contingency procedures for the temporary interruption of supply of drinking water and water for the removal of water-borne waste.

9.2.8 Where a sanitary facility is required and municipal sewer and/or water system are not available, a sewer and/or water system shall be installed in accordance with the appropriate standard.

9.3 Toilet Facilities

9.3.1 In work places other than offices where there are more than 100 employees of each sex, there shall be six toilets for each sex, plus one additional toilet for each group of 30 or less.

9.3.2 Urinals may be provided for up to half the number of toilets required for male employees.

9.3.3 Where it is not reasonably practicable to install a water closet-type toilet connected to a sewage disposal system, a chemical re-circulating or combustion toilet or an outdoor "privy" may be installed, provided the facility is constructed and maintained in accordance with the appropriate standard.

9.4 Ventilation

9.4.1 Where the ventilation of a food preparation area or a lunchroom is by mechanical means, the rate of ventilation shall be the one set out in the appropriate standard.

9.5 Water Quality

9.5.1 Any storage container for drinking water shall be disinfected in a manner approved by Health Canada at least once a week while in use, and before the container is used following storage.

9.5.2 Except where drinking water is provided by a fountain, there shall be:

1. an adequate supply of single-use drinking cups in a sanitary container located near the water container; and
2. a non-combustible covered receptacle for the disposal of used drinking cups.

9.5.3 A common drinking cup shall not be used.

9.5.4 Where drinking water is supplied by a drinking fountain, the fountain shall not be installed in a personal service room containing a toilet.

9.6 Clothing Storage

9.6.1 Change rooms shall be provided where the nature of the work engaged in by employees requires them to change from street clothing to work clothing for safety, health or occupational cleanliness reasons.

9.7 Lunchrooms

9.7.1 No person shall eat, prepare or store food:

1. in a place where a hazardous substance is likely to contaminate food, dishes or utensils;
2. in a personal service room that contains a toilet, urinal or shower bath;
3. in any place which is unsuitable for this purpose according to Health Canada;
4. in laboratories.

9.7.2 Where a lunchroom is provided for employees, dishes or other food utensils shall not be washed in lavatory or sanitary facility wash basins.

9.8 Field Accommodation

9.8.1 An environmental health officer of Health Canada may direct that other measures be taken to maintain sanitary and healthy conditions in a field accommodation.

9.9 Food Preparation, Storage and Serving of Food

9.9.1 In the opinion of an authorized official of Health Canada, where a code, procedure or condition used by a department does not provide a sufficient degree of health protection, or is inappropriate, the official may make directions in writing to the department concerning the specific codes or procedures to be applied.

9.9.2 Information or advice concerning applicable codes, procedures and good industrial sanitation and health practices with respect to a specific situation may be obtained from the appropriate Regional Medical Services Office of Health Canada.