Canada Labour Code OHS Regulations Amended

Summary#

These are final amendments to several workplace safety rules under the Canada Labour Code, published in the Canada Gazette on June 23, 2021 and registered on June 4, 2021. They make many small clarifications and fixes across the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, Maritime Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, Aviation Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, and the On Board Trains Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, and update the related Administrative Monetary Penalties (Canada Labour Code) Regulations.

What it does#

• Fixes wording problems and mismatches between the English and French texts so the rules read more clearly.
• Replaces an old legal reference in the COHSR so the term “pipeline” refers to the Canadian Energy Regulator Act instead of the now-replaced National Energy Board Act.
• Clarifies how and where records must be kept when electrical equipment is isolated for work and when that isolation ends.
• Removes the requirement for federally regulated employers to report certain ionizing and non‑ionizing radiation devices to Health Canada (an existing schedule and reporting paragraph are repealed).
• Brings certain maritime ventilation figures into line with international shipbuilding standards (so ship operators can comply).
• Changes several technical details in maritime rules: definitions (for example, a “passenger vessel” now means a vessel that carries more than 12 passengers), crew accommodation standards, construction and materials requirements, emergency equipment and procedures, and others.
• Adds or clarifies employer duties about training, supervision, personal protective equipment (eye protection to follow CSA Z94.3), record-keeping for hazardous substances (new section 244.1), and when automated warning/detection systems should be used (“if feasible”).
• Updates the schedule of monetary penalty provisions to match the amended regulatory text.
• Confirms these amendments are administrative in nature and came into force on the date of registration (see summary).

Who's affected#

• Federally regulated employers and workplaces covered by the Canada Labour Code, especially in transportation sectors: shipping, aviation, and rail.
• Ship operators, vessel owners and builders (changes to ventilation, accommodation and construction rules).
• Employers that used to file reports about radiation‑emitting devices with Health Canada — they no longer have that reporting burden.
• The federal Labour Program (the department that enforces these rules) and Health Canada (which no longer collects those device reports).
• Small businesses: the government estimates 17,848 small federally regulated businesses will see a small paperwork saving.

Why it matters#

• The changes are mostly tidy-ups to make the rules clearer and easier to follow. That helps employers and inspectors understand and apply safety requirements consistently.
• Removing the obsolete radiation-device reporting reduces paperwork and saves time and money for employers and the government. The regulatory analysis estimates total present-value administrative savings of $63,714 over 2021–2030, with an annualized value of $9,071.
• Aligning maritime requirements with international standards lets ship operators meet rules without conflicting technical standards.
• Clarifying record-keeping and equipment/maintenance rules has practical safety benefits: it reduces confusion about who must do what after electrical work or during emergency procedures.
• Overall, these are administrative fixes rather than new policy: they do not add new duties or expand which workplaces are covered by the Code.