Effective July 1, 2019, amendments to various provisions of Regulation 851 (Industrial Establishments) have been approved that will help modernize workplace health and safety requirements. They will increase flexibility by:
- Allowing the use of alternative procedures if worker health and safety is at least as well protected.
- Allowing the use of antidotes, flushing fluids or washes instead of eyewash fountains or emergency showers, where appropriate, to prevent permanent injury to the eyes or skin.
In addition, amendments have been made to other Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) regulations and will also come into effect on July 1, 2019, including:
- Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training (O. Reg. 297/13)
To learn more about these changes, please visit the Notices section of the Ministry of Labour website.
The current version of Regulation 851 can be found online at ontario.ca/laws/
The amending regulation can be found online at ontario.ca/laws/
It is expected that the amendments will be consolidated into their respective regulations in the near future.
Amendments to Regulation 833 (Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents) and O. Reg. 490/09 (Designated Substances) will come into force on January 1, 2020 to provide workplaces additional time to comply with the amendments.
