Oil and Gas Occupational Safety and Health Regulations (SOR/87-612)

Operation

15.29 No employer shall require an employee to operate materials handling equipment unless the employee is a qualified person.

• 15.30 (1) No person shall operate materials handling equipment unless

  • (a) he has a clear and unobstructed view of the area in which the equipment is being operated; or

  • (b) he is directed by a signaller.

• (2) No materials handling equipment shall be used on a ramp with a slope greater than the maximum slope recommended by the manufacturer of the equipment.

• (3) No person shall leave mobile equipment unattended unless the equipment has been properly secured to prevent it from moving.

• 15.31 (1) Every employer shall establish a code of signals for the purposes of paragraph 15.30(1)(b) and shall

  • (a) instruct every signaller and operator employed by him in the use of the code; and

  • (b) keep a copy of the code in a place where it is readily available for examination by the signallers, operators and other employees.

• (2) No signaller shall perform duties other than signalling while any materials handling equipment under his direction is in motion.

• 15.32 (1) Subject to subsection (2), where it is not practicable for a signaller to use visual signals, a telephone, radio or other signalling device shall be provided by the employer for the use of the signaller.

• (2) No radio transmitting equipment shall be used in any work place for the transmission of signals when such use may activate electric blasting equipment in that place.

Repairs

• 15.33 (1) Subject to subsection (2), any repair, modification or replacement of a part of any materials handling equipment shall not decrease the safety of the materials handling equipment or part.

• (2) If a part of less strength or quality than the original part is used in the repair, modification or replacement of a part of any materials handling equipment, the use of the materials handling equipment shall be restricted by the employer to such loading and use as will ensure the retention of the original safety of the equipment or part.

Transporting and Positioning Employees

• 15.34 (1) Materials handling equipment shall not be used for transporting an employee unless the equipment is specifically designed for that purpose.

• (2) Materials handling equipment shall not be used for positioning an employee unless the equipment is

  • (a) equipped with a platform, bucket or basket designed for that purpose; and

  • (b) provided with a fail-safe control system that will prevent a free fall of the load that is carried.

Loading, Unloading and Maintenance

15.35 No materials, goods or things shall be picked up from or placed on any mobile equipment while the equipment is in motion unless the equipment is specifically designed for that purpose.

15.36 Except in the case of an emergency, no employee shall get on or off any mobile equipment while it is in motion.

• 15.37 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no repair, maintenance or cleaning work shall be performed on any materials handling equipment while the materials handling equipment is being operated.

• (2) Fixed parts of materials handling equipment may be repaired, maintained or cleaned while the materials handling equipment is being operated if they are so isolated or protected that the operation of the materials handling equipment does not affect the safety of the employee performing the repair, maintenance or cleaning work.

Positioning the Load

15.38 Where mobile equipment is travelling with a raised or suspended load, the operator shall ensure that the load is carried as close to the ground, floor or deck as the situation permits and in no case shall the load be carried at a point above the centre of gravity of the loaded mobile equipment.

Tools

15.39 Where tools, tool boxes or spare parts are carried on materials handling equipment, they shall be securely stored.

Housekeeping

15.40 The floor, cab and other occupied parts of materials handling equipment shall be kept free of any grease, oil, materials, tools or equipment that may cause a hazard to an employee.

Parking

15.41 No mobile equipment shall be parked in any place where it may interfere with the safe movement of persons, materials, goods or things.

Materials Handling Area

• 15.42 (1) The main approaches to any materials handling area shall be posted with warning signs or shall be under the control of a signaller while operations are in progress.

• (2) No person shall enter a materials handling area while operations are in progress unless that person

  • (a) is the Head of Compliance and Enforcement;

  • (b) is an employee whose presence in the materials handling area is essential to the conduct, supervision or safety of the operations; or

  • (c) is a person who has been instructed by the employer to be in the materials handling area while operations are in progress.

• (3) If any person other than a person referred to in subsection (2) enters a materials handling area while operations are in progress, the employer shall cause the operations in that area to be immediately discontinued and not resumed until that person has left the area.

Dumping

15.43 Where mobile equipment designed for dumping is used to discharge a load that may cause the mobile equipment to tip,

• (a) a bumping block shall be used, or

• (b) a signaller shall give directions to the operator

to prevent the mobile equipment from tipping.

Enclosed Work Place

15.44 Every enclosed work place in which materials handling equipment that is powered by an internal combustion engine is used shall be ventilated in such a manner that the carbon monoxide concentration in the atmosphere of the work place does not exceed the limit prescribed in section 11.23.

Fuelling

15.45 Where materials handling equipment is fuelled in a work place, the fuelling shall be done in accordance with the instructions given by the employer pursuant to section 15.23 in a place where the vapours from the fuel are readily dissipated.

Cranes

15.46 No person shall operate a crane under conditions that are likely to create a hazard to any person, ship, aircraft, vehicle, load or structure or to the stability of the crane.

• 15.47 (1) Every crane shall

  • (a) have posted inside the crane control cab a load capacity chart that specifies the boom angle and safe working load for each block;

  • (b) be equipped with

    • (i) boom and block travel limiting devices, and

    • (ii) where the load rating of the crane is more than 5 t, a load measure device for the main block.

• (2) All crane hooks shall be equipped with safety catches.

• (3) No person shall move a crane in the vicinity of a helicopter deck when a helicopter is landing or taking off.

• 15.48 (1) Tag lines shall be used to control any swinging of a load that is being lifted by a crane except where the use of the lines may be hazardous to the safety of any person.

• (2) Loads shall not be left hanging by a crane above the deck of a drilling unit or production facility unless the crane operator is at the controls of the crane.

Safe Working Loads

• 15.49 (1) No materials handling equipment shall be used or operated with a load that is in excess of its safe working load.

• (2) The safe working load of materials handling equipment shall be clearly marked on the equipment or on a label securely attached to a permanent part of the equipment in a position where the mark or label can be easily read by the operator.

Aisles and Corridors

15.50 At blind corners, mirrors shall be installed that permit an operator to see a pedestrian, vehicle or mobile equipment approaching the blind corner.

Clearances

15.51 On any route that is frequently travelled by mobile equipment, the overhead and side clearances shall be adequate to permit the mobile equipment and its load to be manoeuvred safely by an operator.

• 15.52 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no materials handling equipment shall be operated in an area in which it may contact an electrical cable, a pipeline, part of a structure or other hazard known to the employer, unless the operator and signaller, if any, have been

  • (a) warned of the presence of the hazard;

  • (b) informed of the location of the hazard; and

  • (c) informed of the safety clearance that must be maintained with respect to the hazard in order to avoid accidental contact with it.

• (2) Where an employer is unable to determine with reasonable certainty the location of the hazard or the safety clearance referred to in subsection (1), every electrical cable shall be de-energized and every pipeline containing a hazardous substance shall be shut down and drained before any operation involving the use of materials handling equipment commences within the area.

DIVISION IIIManual Handling of Materials

15.53 Where, because of the weight, size, shape, toxicity or other characteristic of materials, goods or things, the manual handling of the materials, goods or things may be hazardous to the safety or health of an employee, the employer shall issue instructions that the materials, goods or things shall, where reasonably practicable, not be handled manually.

15.54 Where an employee is required to lift or carry a load in excess of 10 kg manually, the employee shall be instructed and trained by the employer in a safe method of lifting and carrying that load.

DIVISION IVStorage of Materials

• 15.55 (1) All materials, goods and things shall be stored and placed in such a manner that the maximum safe load-carrying capacity of the floor or other supporting structures is not exceeded.

• (2) No materials, goods or things shall be stored or placed in a manner that may

  • (a) obstruct or encroach on passageways, traffic lanes or exits;

  • (b) impede the safe operation of materials handling equipment;

  • (c) obstruct the ready access to or the use and operation of firefighting equipment;

  • (d) interfere with the operation of fixed fire protection equipment; or

  • (e) be hazardous to the safety or health of any employee.

PART XVIHazardous Occurrence Investigation, Recording and Reporting

Interpretation

16.1 In this Part,

disabling injury

disabling injury means an employment injury or an occupational disease that

• (a) prevents an employee from reporting for work or from effectively performing all the duties connected with the employee’s regular work on any day subsequent to the day on which the disabling injury occurred, whether or not that subsequent day is a working day for that employee,

• (b) results in the loss by an employee of a body member or part thereof or in the complete loss of the usefulness of a body member or part thereof, or

• (c) results in the permanent impairment of a body function of an employee; (blessure invalidante)

minor injury

minor injury means an employment injury or an occupational disease for which medical treatment is provided and excludes a disabling injury. (blessure légère)

Application

16.1.1 This Part does not apply in respect of occurrences of harassment and violence in the work place.

Report by Employee

16.2 Where an employee becomes aware of an accident or other occurrence arising in the course of or in connection with his work that has caused injury to him or to any other person, he shall without delay report the accident or other occurrence to his employer, orally or in writing.

Investigation

• 16.3 (1) Where an employer is aware of an accident, occupational disease or other hazardous occurrence affecting any of his employees in the course of employment, the employer shall, without delay,

  • (a) take necessary measures to prevent a recurrence of the hazardous occurrence;

  • (b) appoint a qualified person to carry out an investigation of the hazardous occurrence; and

  • (c) notify the safety and health committee or the safety and health representative, if either exists, of the hazardous occurrence and of the name of the person appointed to investigate it.

• (2) In addition to the investigation referred to in paragraph (1)(b), where the hazardous occurrence referred to in subsection (1) is an accident involving a ship or aircraft or a motor vehicle on a public road, the employer shall investigate the accident by obtaining from the appropriate police or other investigating authority a copy of the report made by that authority in respect of the accident.

• (3) As soon as possible after receipt of the report referred to in subsection (2), the employer shall provide a copy thereof to the safety and health committee or the safety and health representative, if either exists.

Hazardous Occurrence Report

• 16.4 (1) The employer shall report, by the most rapid means of communication available to the employer, the date, time, location and nature of any accident, occupational disease or other hazardous occurrence referred to in section 16.3 to the Head of Compliance and Enforcement and to the safety and health committee or the safety and health representative, if either exists, as soon as feasible but not later than 24 hours after becoming aware of the occurrence, if the occurrence resulted in one of the following circumstances:

  • (a) the death of an employee;

  • (b) a missing person;

  • (c) a disabling injury to an employee;

  • (d) the implementation of emergency rescue, revival or evacuation procedures;

  • (e) a fire or explosion that threatened the safety or health of an employee;

  • (f) the free fall of an elevating device that rendered the elevating device unsafe for use by an employee;

  • (g) an accidental accumulation, spill or leak of a hazardous substance; or

  • (h) the loss of or damage to support craft.

• (2) A written report of the accident, occupational disease or other hazardous occurrence referred to in subsection (1) shall be submitted by the employer within 14 days after the occurrence to

  • (a) the Head of Compliance and Enforcement; and

  • (b) the safety and health committee or the safety and health representative, if either exists.

• (3) The report referred to in subsection (2) shall be in the form set out in Schedule I to this Part and contain the information required by the form.