Confined space requirements in four existing Ontario regulations — construction, industrial, health care and mining — are now enhanced to provide stronger protection.
KITCHENER
Confined space requirements in four existing Ontario regulations — construction, industrial, health care and mining — are now enhanced to provide stronger protection.
A “confined space” is an enclosed space that is not designed for continuous human occupancy and can have a build up of gases or dust, or lack of oxygen that can put workers at risk of injury, or even death.
Prior to these new requirements, employers in workplaces not covered by the sector regulations were still responsible for the general health and safety of workers, and were required to take precautions to protect their workers entering confined spaces.
However, they were not covered by any specific regulation, which guides them in what they are required to do, including training, hazard assessment and on-site rescue procedures.
As well, in the existing four sector regulations, many steps necessary for pre-entry and protection of workers during entry needed to be clarified, updated or strengthened.
With these changes, the original four sector regulations will be updated and many workers not previously covered by a sector regulation will be covered by the new confined spaces regulation. All new requirements will come into effect on Sept. 30, 2006.
DCN NEWS SERVICES
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