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Maritime Occupational Health and Safety Regulations

Version of section 161 from 2019-06-25 to 2021-06-03:

  •  (1) Subject to subsections (2) to (4), the level of sound in a work place must be less than 85 dB.

  • (2) Subject to subsection (3), if it is not feasible for an employer to maintain the sound level in the work place at less than 85 dB, an employee must not be exposed in any 24-hour period

    • (a) to a level of sound set out in column 1 of the table to this section for a number of hours that is more than the number set out in column 2; or

    • (b) to any combination of the different levels of sound set out in column 1 of the table to this section, if the number of hours of exposure to each level of sound divided by the maximum number of hours of exposure for that level per 24-hour period set out in column 2 of the table to this section is more than one.

  • (3) An employee must not be exposed to a continuous level of sound in crew accommodation that is more than 75 dB.

  • (4) If the level of impulse sound in a work place is more than 140 dB, the employer must provide every employee entering the work place with a hearing protector that

    • (a) meets the standards set out in CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z94.2-02 (R2007), Hearing Protection Devices — Performance, Selection, Care and Use; and

    • (b) reduces the peak level of impulse sound reaching the employee’s ears to 140 dB or less.

  • (5) Unless otherwise specified, the limits for noise levels for working and crew accommodations must comply with the ILO international guidelines on exposure levels, including those in the ILO code of practice, entitled Ambient factors in the workplace, 2001, and, if applicable, the specific protection recommended by the IMO, and with any subsequent amending and supplementary instruments for acceptable noise levels on board vessels.

  • (6) A copy of the documents in English and in French referred to in subsection (5) must be kept on board the vessel and be made available to employees.

    TABLE

    Maximum Exposure to Levels of Sound in the Work Place

    Column 1Column 2
    ItemLevels of Sound in dBMaximum Number of Hours of Exposure per Employee per 24-hour Period
    185 or more but not more than 908
    2more than 90 but not more than 926
    3more than 92 but not more than 954
    4more than 95 but not more than 973
    5more than 97 but not more than 1002
    6more than 100 but not more than 1021.5
    7more than 102 but not more than 1051
    8more than 105 but not more than 1100.5
    9more than 110 but not more than 1150.25
    10more than 1150
  • SOR/2019-246, s. 290

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