Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Area Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (SOR/2021-248)

Marginal note:Posting of information

19 Every employer must ensure that the following items are posted in the specified locations, separately from the emergency response plan, at each workplace under its control that is a marine installation or structure:

• (a) a station bill containing the information referred to in subsection 7(1) of the Fire and Boat Drills Regulations as well as a description of any additional alarm signals, the membership of all emergency response teams and the location of all evacuation stations

  • (i) in conspicuous places on every deck, and

  • (ii) on the bridge, if the workplace is a vessel, or at the location where the installation manager referred to in section 198.2 of the Act is expected to be during an emergency, if the workplace is not a vessel;

• (b) the personnel on board list referred to in paragraph 18(2)(c), at the applicable location referred to in subparagraph (a)(ii); and

• (c) a drawing identifying all emergency escape routes from the location at which it is posted

  • (i) at conspicuous locations around the workplace, and

  • (ii) in every person’s sleeping quarters.

Marginal note:Instruction and training

20 The instruction and training that every employer must provide to each of its employees includes

• (a) training in the procedures to be followed by the employee in the event of an emergency; and

• (b) instruction on the location of any emergency and fire protection equipment that the employee may be reasonably expected to use and training in the use of that equipment.

Marginal note:Means of evacuation

21 Every employer must ensure, with respect to each workplace under its control that is a marine installation or structure, that

• (a) all muster stations, escape routes, exits, stairways and any other means of evacuation are maintained in serviceable condition and, to the extent feasible, are accessible and ready for use at all times;

• (b) all exits to the exterior, muster stations and evacuation stations are clearly identified by illuminated signs or otherwise clearly visible in all conditions; and

• (c) all escape routes are clearly identified with light-reflecting or illuminated markings.

Marginal note:Emergency equipment

• 22 (1) Every employer must ensure that the location of all equipment to be used or worn in implementing emergency response procedures at each workplace under its control is clearly identified with light-reflecting or illuminated signs.

• Marginal note:Grab bags

  (2) Every employer must provide, in all sleeping quarters at a workplace under its control, a readily available grab bag for each person assigned to the sleeping quarters containing a smoke hood, heat-resistant gloves and a portable light source to enable the person to reach muster stations, temporary refuge areas and evacuation stations in conditions of fire, intense heat or smoke.

• Marginal note:Emergency escape breathing devices or respirators

  (3) Every employer must ensure that the emergency escape breathing devices or respirators that it provides in accordance with paragraph 46(a) are provided in appropriate quantities and at appropriate locations at the workplace to facilitate escape, having regard to

  • (a) the maximum number of persons who may be at the workplace;

  • (b) how those persons are generally distributed among various areas at the workplace; and

  • (c) the configuration of the workplace and the potential for a person’s ability to move within it to be impeded by hazards arising from the situation that requires escape or from the escape itself.

• Marginal note:Immersion suits

  (4) Every employer must ensure that the immersion suits that it provides in accordance with paragraph 46(b) are provided in appropriate quantities and sizes and at appropriate locations at the workplace to facilitate abandonment, having regard to

  • (a) the maximum number of persons who may be at the workplace;

  • (b) how those persons are generally distributed among various areas at the workplace;

  • (c) those persons’ sizes; and

  • (d) the configuration of the workplace and the potential for a person’s ability to move within it to be impeded by hazards arising from the situation that requires abandonment or from the abandonment itself.

• Marginal note:Minimum number required

  (5) Despite subsection (4), the employer must provide the following minimum number of immersion suits:

  • (a) in the case of a workplace that is a marine installation or structure used for drilling or production or as a living accommodation,

    • (i) if it is normally attended, two immersion suits for each person at the workplace, including one in the person’s sleeping quarters, and

    • (ii) if it is normally unattended, one immersion suit for each person at the workplace;

  • (b) in the case of a workplace that is a marine installation or structure used for construction, diving or geotechnical or seismic work, one immersion suit for each person at the workplace, plus two additional suits in each of the bridge and the engine control room; and

  • (c) in the case of any other workplace, one immersion suit for each person at the workplace.

Marginal note:Emergency alert system

23 Every employer must ensure that each workplace under its control that is a marine installation or structure is equipped with a public address and alarm system that is audible or visible, as the case may be, in all areas of the workplace where a person may be present and is to be used to warn persons if

• (a) the workplace has to be evacuated;

• (b) a fire is detected;

• (c) there is a malfunction of a mechanical ventilation system provided for an area where toxic or combustible gases may accumulate to hazardous levels;

• (d) there is a person overboard; or

• (e) there is any other threat to the health or safety of persons at the workplace.

Marginal note:Emergency power source

24 Every employer must ensure that each workplace under its control that is a marine installation or structure is equipped with an emergency power source that is sufficient to operate the following to the degree necessary to allow for safe occupancy of or egress from the workplace in the case of a failure of the main power system:

• (a) the public address and alarm system;

• (b) the emergency lighting system;

• (c) internal and external communications systems; and

• (d) light and sound signals marking the location of the workplace.

Marginal note:Emergency descent control

• 25 (1) Every employer must provide, on each derrick or other elevated part of a workplace under its control that is a marine installation or structure, if there is only one usual means of escape from that location, a device that would allow a person to descend from the location by another means at a controlled speed in an emergency.

• Marginal note:Loss of power

  (2) The device must be capable of being operated despite the loss of the main source of power.

• Marginal note:Instructions

  (3) The employer must ensure that written instructions for operating the device are kept in a conspicuous place near the location where the device is stored.

Marginal note:Fire and explosion

• 26 (1) Fire and explosion are prescribed risks for the purpose of paragraph 210.02(2)(a) of the Act and every employer must ensure that each workplace under its control is designed, constructed, arranged and maintained to minimize those risks.

• Marginal note:Hazardous areas

  (2) The occupational health and safety program in respect of a workplace that is a marine installation or structure must identify

  • (a) all areas at the workplace, as classified according to a comprehensive and documented classification system, in which flammable, explosive or combustible substances are or are likely to be present in sufficient quantities and for sufficient periods of time to require special precautions to be taken in the selection, installation or use of machinery and electrical equipment to prevent a fire or explosion; and

  • (b) the precautions applicable to those areas.

• Marginal note:Signage

  (3) The employer with control over the workplace must ensure that signs are posted in conspicuous places at each of the areas referred to in subsection (2), identifying them as areas in which there is a risk of fire or explosion.

• Marginal note:Prohibition

  (4) The employer must ensure that no person uses an open flame or other source of ignition in an area referred to in subsection (2) unless they are carrying out hot work in accordance with Part 26.

• Marginal note:Temporary or portable heating equipment

  (5) Every employer must ensure that any temporary or portable heating equipment that is used at a workplace under its control is located, protected and used in a manner that prevents the equipment from being overturned or damaged and any combustible materials in the vicinity from igniting.

Marginal note:Firefighting equipment

27 Every employer must equip each workplace under its control with the firefighting equipment that is appropriate for that type of workplace and all classes of fire that may occur there.

Marginal note:Fire team equipment

• 28 (1) The personal protective equipment that every employer with control over a workplace that is a marine installation or structure must provide to each of its employees, and any other individual at the workplace, who is tasked with fighting fires includes

  • (a) a self-contained breathing apparatus with two full spare cylinders that

    • (i) is selected and maintained in accordance with CSA Group standard Z94.4, Selection, use, and care of respirators,

    • (ii) conforms to the design and performance requirements in National Fire Protection Association Standard NFPA 1981, Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services, and

    • (iii) is equipped with a personal distress alarm device;

  • (b) life safety ropes, belts and harnesses that conform to the design and performance requirements in National Fire Protection Association Standard NFPA 1983, Standard on Life Safety Rope and Equipment for Emergency Services, with the provisions of that standard pertaining to flame resistance being read as mandatory; and

  • (c) personal protective clothing — including boots, gloves, helmet and visor, coat and trousers — that conforms to the design and performance requirements in National Fire Protection Association Standard NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting.

• Marginal note:Other equipment

  (2) The employer must also provide,

  • (a) to each employee referred to in subsection (1),

    • (i) a portable electric safety lamp that can be easily attached to the employee’s clothing and will operate safely in anticipated conditions for at least three hours, and

    • (ii) an axe with an insulated handle and carrying belt; and

  • (b) to the fire team as a whole, at least two two-way portable radiotelephone apparatus that are designed not to produce any spark or other source of ignition.

• Marginal note:Alternative equipment

  (3) Despite subsection (1) and paragraph (2)(a), if a workplace is a ship used for construction or diving or for geotechnical or seismic work, the employer may instead provide fire-fighter’s outfits that conform to the International Maritime Organization’s International Code for Fire Safety Systems.

• Marginal note:Quantity

  (4) The number of sets of equipment referred to in subsections (1) and (2) or fire-fighter’s outfits referred to in subsection (3), as the case may be, that the employer must provide at the workplace — and their sizing, if applicable — is to be determined having regard to the risk assessment carried out by the employer for the purpose of the occupational health and safety program.

• Marginal note:Minimums

  (5) Despite subsection (4), the number of sets of equipment or outfits, as the case may be, that the employer must provide is at least

  • (a) four, if the workplace is a ship used for construction or diving or for geotechnical or seismic work; or

  • (b) ten, in any other case.

• Marginal note:Equipment accessibility

  (6) The employer must ensure that the equipment provided in accordance with this section is kept ready for use and stored in a place that is easily accessible, with at least two sets of equipment or two outfits, as the case may be, being easily accessible from the helicopter deck, if any, of the marine installation or structure.

Marginal note:Falls into ocean

29 The risk of a person at a workplace falling into the ocean is a prescribed risk for the purpose of paragraph 210.02(2)(a) of the Act and the employer with control over that workplace must

• (a) provide appropriate life-saving appliances and ensure they are held in readiness;

• (b) ensure that a competent person is readily available at all times to operate the life-saving appliances; and

• (c) ensure that a fast rescue boat that meets the requirements of Chapter V of the LSA Code is provided — or available from a standby vessel that is no more than 500 m away — and held in readiness.

Marginal note:Emergency drills and exercises

• 30 (1) Every employer must establish, for each workplace under its control that is a marine installation or structure and having regard to the risk assessment carried out by it for the purpose of the occupational health and safety program, a plan that describes the emergency drills and exercises that must be conducted at the workplace in relation to various scenarios and sets out the frequency with which they must be conducted.

• Marginal note:Minimum frequency

  (2) Despite subsection (1), the employer must ensure that

  • (a) a drill to practise mustering is conducted at least once a week;

  • (b) a fire drill is conducted at least once a month;

  • (c) a drill to practise escape to the location of lifeboats or life rafts in preparation for abandonment of the workplace is conducted at least once a month;

  • (d) if the workplace is equipped with lifeboats,

    • (i) each employee participates, at least once every six months, in a drill that requires them to board a lifeboat while wearing an immersion suit and to secure themselves on a seat, and

    • (ii) if feasible, a lifeboat launching drill is conducted annually to test the integrity and operation of the lifeboats and launching equipment; and

  • (e) all drills and exercises are repeated as soon as practicable after any significant change to the emergency plan or to the work or activities carried out at the workplace with respect to which an authorization has been issued.

• Marginal note:Alternative to launching drill

  (3) If compliance with subparagraph (2)(d)(ii) is not feasible, the employer must ensure that additional inspections and testing of all components that would otherwise be tested by the launching drill are carried out in consultation with the lifeboat manufacturer and with the prior approval of the Chief Safety Officer.

• Marginal note:Equitable scheduling

  (4) The employer must schedule drills and exercises to ensure the equitable participation of all employees, regardless of their shift or rotation.

• Marginal note:Visitors

  (5) The employer must ensure that any person visiting the workplace who has not participated in the emergency drills or exercises is accompanied throughout the visit by someone who has done so.

• Marginal note:Records

  (6) The employer must keep a record of all emergency drills and exercises conducted that contains

  • (a) the date on which and the time at which the drill or exercise was conducted;

  • (b) a description of the drill or exercise scenario;

  • (c) a list of all persons who participated in the drill or exercise;

  • (d) the length of time taken to complete the drill or exercise, including the length of time to achieve a full muster; and

  • (e) observations regarding the execution of the drill or exercise and opportunities for improvement.

• Marginal note:Record retention

  (7) The employer must retain the records referred to in subsection (6) for at least three years after the day on which the drill or exercise is carried out.