PPE and Fall‑Protection Rules Update

Summary#

The government published proposed Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Made Under the Canada Labour Code (Personal Protective Equipment and Other Preventive Measures) on June 13, 2026. The changes would update safety rules about personal protective equipment (PPE) and fall protection across several federal workplace regulations and invite public comments for 30 days (until July 13, 2026).

What it does#

• Aligns PPE and fall‑protection rules across the five federal occupational health and safety rule sets:
  • Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (COHSR)
  • On Board Trains Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (OTOHSR)
  • Oil and Gas Occupational Safety and Health Regulations (OGOSHR)
  • Maritime Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (MOHSR)
  • Aviation Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (AOHSR)
• Requires that PPE be safely and properly fitted to each user by a qualified person, and that fit take into account factors such as body dimensions.
• Updates technical standards that the rules point to (for things like hard hats, safety boots, eye/face protection and personal flotation devices) so employers must follow newer editions of those standards.
• Modernizes fall‑protection language and adds practical requirements in some sectors:
  • requires a written fall‑protection plan
  • introduces a hierarchy of fall‑protection options (for example, prefer barriers over personal systems)
  • defines and sets minimum features for fall‑hazard zones and fall‑restraint/arrest systems
• Raises the oxygen threshold used to define an oxygen‑deficient atmosphere to 19.5% in the regulations that did not already match that level.
• Adds or updates designated violations in the Administrative Monetary Penalties (Canada Labour Code) Regulations so some new or changed duties can carry administrative penalties if breached.
• Makes wording and naming more consistent (for example, changing “protection equipment” to “protective equipment” and other terminology tweaks).

Who's affected#

• Employers and workers in federally regulated workplaces — about 8% of Canada’s workforce in sectors like air, rail, marine, pipelines, banking, telecom, broadcasting, postal/courier, grain elevators, and uranium mining, plus Crown corporations, Parliament and federal public administration.
• Small federally regulated employers: the analysis estimates about 18,500 small employers would be affected.
• Employers that run worksites covered by more than one federal rule (for example ports where dock and shipboard work are covered by different regulations) — they are most likely to notice the benefit of consistent rules.
• First Nations band councils, when they act as employers under Part II of the Canada Labour Code, would need to follow the same updated PPE rules.
• It is unclear whether any specific group beyond these (for example certain contractors or unionized groups) would see distinct impacts beyond the general descriptions above.

Why it matters#

• Safety: The changes aim to reduce confusion and gaps so workers have more consistent protection. Requiring qualified fitting and attention to body size is meant to reduce injuries caused by poorly fitting PPE. A Canada survey of women found 2,752 respondents and reported that over 80% had problems with PPE fit or comfort — the proposed rules respond to this kind of evidence.
• Practical effects for workplaces: Employers may need to update written fall‑protection plans, train staff (training must be by a qualified person) and update manuals or procedures. Most employers are expected to already meet many of the updated standards, so large equipment purchases are unlikely for most.
• Costs: The government estimates total compliance costs of about $2.7 million over 10 years (including about $1.9 million for access to standards and $705,868 for fall‑protection plan development). The impact on small employers is estimated at about $2.2 million over 10 years.
• Enforcement: Some of the new or clarified duties would be added to the federal administrative penalties schedule, so repeated or serious non‑compliance could lead to monetary penalties under existing enforcement tools.
• Next steps: These are proposed regulations (not yet law). Interested people or organizations can comment during the 30‑day prepublication period that began on June 13, 2026. The proposal says the rules would come into force about six months after they are registered.