Amendments have been approved to consolidate all regulatory requirements under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) into one regulation, namely O. Reg. 632/05 (Confined Spaces). As a result of the amendments, O. Reg. 632/05 (Confined Spaces), which already applies to almost all other workplaces covered by the OHSA, will now also apply to industrial establishments, construction projects, health care and residential facilities, and mines and mining plants.
At the same time, the provisions that apply with respect to confined spaces in the following four sector-specific regulations are revoked:
- Reg.851 Regulations for Industrial Establishments
- O. Reg. 213/91 Regulations for Construction Projects
- O. Reg. 67/93 Regulations for Health Care and Residential Facilities
- Reg. 854 Regulations for Mines and Mining Plants
The amendments to O. Reg. 632/05 (Confined Spaces) maintain the important differences between confined spaces provisions that apply on construction projects and those that apply for other workplaces.
The consolidation of the confined spaces requirements under O. Reg. 632/05 is not intended to significantly affect existing worker protections or employer obligations regarding confined spaces.
The amendments come into force on July 1, 2011.