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Aviation Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (SOR/2011-87)

Regulations are current to 2024-10-14 and last amended on 2023-12-15. Previous Versions

PART 5Hazardous Substances (continued)

Application (continued)

DIVISION 1General (continued)

Storage, Handling and Use

 Every hazardous substance on board an aircraft shall be stored, handled or used in a manner that minimizes the hazard related to that substance.

 If a hazardous substance is stored, handled or used on board an aircraft, any hazard resulting from that storage, handling or use shall be confined to as small an area as possible.

 Every container for a hazardous substance that is used on board an aircraft shall be designed and constructed so that it protects the employees from any health or safety hazard that is caused by the hazardous substance.

 The quantity of a hazardous substance for use or processing on board an aircraft shall, if feasible, be limited to the minimum quantity required.

Warning of Hazardous Substances

 If a hazardous substance is on board an aircraft, signs shall be posted in conspicuous places on board the aircraft warning of the presence of the hazardous substance and stating any precautions to be taken to prevent or reduce any health or safety hazard.

Employee Education and Training
[
  • SOR/2016-141, s. 71(E)
]
  •  (1) Every employer shall, in consultation with the policy committee or, if there is no policy committee, the work place committee or the health and safety representative, develop and implement an employee education and training program with respect to hazard prevention and control on board an aircraft, including with respect to hazardous substances.

  • (2) The employee education and training program shall include

    • (a) the education and training of each employee who handles or is exposed to or who is likely to handle or be exposed to a hazardous substance, with respect to

      • (i) the product identifier of the hazardous substance,

      • (ii) all hazard information disclosed by the supplier or by the employer on a safety data sheet or label,

      • (iii) all hazard information of which the employer is aware or ought to be aware,

      • (iv) the observations referred to in subparagraph 5.5(a)(i),

      • (v) the information disclosed on a safety data sheet referred to in section 5.21 and the purpose and significance of that information, and

      • (vi) in respect of hazardous products on board an aircraft, the information required to be disclosed on a safety data sheet and on a label under Division 3 and the purpose and significance of that information;

    • (b) the education and training of each employee who is referred to in paragraph (a), with respect to

      • (i) the procedures to follow to implement sections 5.8 and 5.9,

      • (ii) the procedures to follow for the safe storage, handling, use and disposal of hazardous substances, including procedures to be followed in an emergency involving a hazardous substance, and

      • (iii) the procedures to follow if an employee on board an aircraft is exposed to a hazardous product in gas, liquid, solid, vapour, fume, mist, fog or dust form that escapes from processing equipment, from control emission equipment or from a product that is outside of or on board the aircraft; and

    • (c) the education and training of each employee on the procedures to follow to access electronic or paper versions of reports, records of education and training given and safety data sheets.

  • (3) Every employer shall, in consultation with the policy committee or, if there is no policy committee, the work place committee or the health and safety representative, review and, if necessary, revise the employee education and training program

    • (a) at least once a year;

    • (b) whenever there is a change in conditions in respect of the presence of hazardous substances on board an aircraft; and

    • (c) whenever new hazard information in respect of a hazardous substance on board an aircraft becomes available to the employer.

 The employer shall keep a paper or electronic record of the education and training given to every employee and shall

  • (a) make it readily available for examination by the employee in any form, as determined in consultation with the policy committee or, if there is no policy committee, the work place committee or the health and safety representative; and

  • (b) keep it for a period of two years from the day on which the employee ceases to handle or be exposed to the hazardous substance, or is no longer likely to handle or be exposed to the hazardous substance.

Substitution of Substances

 No person shall use a hazardous substance in a work place if a non-hazardous substance or one that is less hazardous can be used instead.

Control of Hazards
  •  (1) No employee shall be exposed to a concentration of an airborne chemical agent, other than airborne asbestos fibres, in excess of the value for that chemical agent adopted by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists in its publication entitled Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs), as amended from time to time.

  • (1.1) An employer shall ensure that an employee’s exposure to a concentration of airborne asbestos fibres is as close to zero as possible, but in any event the employer shall ensure that the concentration does not exceed the value for airborne asbestos fibres adopted by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists in its publication entitled Threshold Limit Values (TLV) and Biological Exposure Indices (BEI), as amended from time to time.

  • (2) If the concentration of an airborne chemical agent is likely to exceed the value referred to in subsection (1) or if the concentration of airborne asbestos fibres is likely to exceed zero, air samples shall be taken by a qualified person and the concentration of the chemical agent or the airborne asbestos fibres shall be determined

    • (a) in accordance with the standards set out by the United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods; or

    • (b) if no specific standards for the chemical agent are listed in the document referred to in paragraph (a), in accordance with a scientifically proven method used to collect and analyze a representative sample of the chemical agent.

  • (3) A paper or electronic record of each determination made under subsection (2) shall be kept by the employer at a location accessible to affected employees, for a period of 3 years from the date of the determination.

  • (4) The record shall include

    • (a) the date, time and location of the analysis;

    • (b) the hazardous substance in respect of which the analysis was made;

    • (c) the sampling and testing method used;

    • (d) the result obtained; and

    • (e) the name and occupation of the person who made the analysis.

  •  (1) Subject to subsection (2), the concentration of an airborne chemical agent or combination of airborne chemical agents on board an aircraft shall be less than 50% of the lower explosive limit of the chemical agent or combination of chemical agents.

  • (2) If a source of ignition may ignite an airborne chemical agent or combination of airborne chemical agents on board an aircraft, the maximum concentration of the chemical agent or of the combination of chemical agents shall be 10% of the lower explosive limit of the chemical agent or combination of chemical agents.

Warnings

 If feasible, the employer shall provide automated warning and detection systems if the seriousness of any exposure to a hazardous substance requires the use of those systems.

Ionizing and Non-ionizing Radiation
  •  (1) If a device that is capable of producing and emitting energy in the form of electromagnetic waves or acoustical waves is used on board an aircraft, the radiation to which an employee is exposed shall not exceed the limits recommended in Chapter 2 of Safety Code 6, Limits of Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields in the Frequency Range from 3 kHz to 300 GHz published by the Department of Health.

  • (2) If an employee works on or near a device that may emit nuclear energy, the employer shall ensure that the exposure of the employee to nuclear energy does not exceed the radiation dose limits set out in the Radiation Protection Regulations.

DIVISION 2Hazardous Substances Other than Hazardous Products

[
  • SOR/2016-141, s. 76
]
Asbestos Exposure Management Program
Asbestos-containing Material
  •  (1) If asbestos-containing material is present in a work place and there is the potential for a release of asbestos fibres or employee exposure to asbestos fibres, an employer shall ensure that the qualified person who is carrying out a hazard investigation under section 5.4 takes into consideration the type of asbestos, the condition of the asbestos-containing material, the friability of the asbestos-containing material, the accessibility to and likelihood of damage to the asbestos-containing material and the potential for the release of asbestos fibres or employee exposure to asbestos fibres.

  • (2) At the completion of an investigation carried out under section 5.4, the employer shall ensure that a record of the location, friability and condition of the asbestos-containing material and the type of asbestos contained in that material is kept and made readily available for examination by employees and is in any form as determined in consultation with the policy committee or, if there is no policy committee, the work place committee or the health and safety representative.

Asbestos Exposure Control Plan

 Before undertaking any work activity that involves asbestos-containing material, an employer shall, in consultation with the policy committee or, if there is no policy committee, the work place committee or the health and safety representative, develop, implement and administer an asbestos exposure control plan that requires the employer to

  • (a) ensure that a hazard investigation under section 5.4 has been carried out by a qualified person and, in the event that there is a change in the work activity, review any report that was prepared as a result of the investigation and, if necessary, have a qualified person carry out another investigation;

  • (b) ensure that a qualified person classifies the work activity as a low-risk activity, moderate-risk activity or high-risk activity;

  • (c) ensure that all asbestos-containing material present in the work place that is exposed or that will be disturbed is identified by signs and labels or by any other effective manner;

  • (d) ensure that all friable asbestos-containing material present in the work place is controlled by removal, enclosure or encapsulation or by any other effective manner to prevent employee exposure to asbestos;

  • (e) ensure that procedures and control measures for moderate-risk activities and high-risk activities are developed and implemented; and

  • (f) develop and implement an employee education and training program that is specific to asbestos-containing material.

 If an employee who is undertaking automotive service procedures may be exposed to asbestos from friction material or dust arising from that material, an employer shall ensure that

  • (a) the use of compressed air, brushes or similar means to dry-remove friction material dust from automotive assemblies is prohibited; and

  • (b) signs to advise employees of the hazards and required precautions are posted in service work areas where friction material is handled or dust arising from that material is generated.

  • SOR/2017-132, s. 19
Asbestos Dust, Waste and Debris Removal
  •  (1) During any work activities that involve friable asbestos-containing materials, an employer shall ensure that the following activities are carried out frequently and at regular intervals as determined by a qualified person, at the end of each work shift and immediately after the work activity is completed:

    • (a) all asbestos dust, waste and debris are removed by vacuuming with a vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a HEPA filter, damp-mopping or wet-sweeping the area that is contaminated with the asbestos dust, waste or debris; and

    • (b) any drop sheets that are contaminated with asbestos dust, waste or debris are wetted.

  • (2) All asbestos dust, waste or debris and any drop sheets that are contaminated with asbestos dust, waste or debris shall be placed in a container referred to in section 5.19.11.

  • SOR/2017-132, s. 19

 If a glove bag is used for the removal of asbestos insulation from pipes, ducts and similar structures, an employer shall ensure that

  • (a) the glove bag is sealed to prevent the release of asbestos fibres into the work area;

  • (b) the glove bag is inspected for damage or defects immediately before it is attached to the pipe, duct or similar structure and at regular intervals during its use;

  • (c) all waste from asbestos-containing material that is on surfaces is washed to the bottom of the glove bag and all exposed asbestos-containing material is encapsulated when it is inside the glove bag;

  • (d) the glove bag is evacuated using a vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a HEPA filter to remove the air inside the bag prior to the removal of the glove bag; and

  • (e) after the glove bag is removed, all exposed surfaces are cleaned with a damp cloth and a vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a HEPA filter.

  • SOR/2017-132, s. 19
Decontamination
  •  (1) Before leaving a work area that is contaminated with asbestos-containing material, an employee shall

    • (a) if their protective clothing is to be reused, decontaminate the clothing with a damp cloth or a vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a HEPA filter before taking the clothing off; or

    • (b) if their protective clothing is not to be reused, place the clothing in a container referred to in section 5.19.11.

  • (2) An employer shall provide employees with a facility reserved for washing their hands and face, and employees shall wash their hands and face using that facility before leaving a work area that is contaminated with asbestos-containing material.

  • SOR/2017-132, s. 19

 As soon as feasible after any work activity that involves asbestos-containing material is completed, an employee shall clean reusable tools, equipment, rigid barriers and portable enclosures that are contaminated with asbestos with a damp cloth or a vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a HEPA filter.

Air Sampling
  •  (1) An employer shall ensure that a qualified person takes air samples to test for airborne asbestos fibres

    • (a) in the vicinity of the containment system during any work activity that involves asbestos-containing material and, in the case of a work activity that lasts longer than 24 hours, at least daily;

    • (b) in the clean room during removal and clean-up operations and, in the case of removal and clean-up operations that last longer than 24 hours, at least daily; and

    • (c) in contaminated areas that are inside the containment system as necessary during removal and clean-up operations.

  • (2) The employer shall ensure that the following air samples are taken:

    • (a) two samples for every area in an enclosure that is 10 m2 or less;

    • (b) three samples for every area in an enclosure that is more than 10 m2 and not more than 500 m2; and

    • (c) five samples for every area in an enclosure that is more than 500 m2.

  • (3) Within 24 hours after obtaining the air sampling test results, the employer shall

    • (a) post a copy of the results in a conspicuous place in the work place; and

    • (b) make the results available to the policy committee, if any, the work place committee and the health and safety representative.

  • SOR/2017-132, s. 19
 

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