Top Ten Global EHS Updates–August 2017

The Government of Western Australia has published the Dangerous Goods Safety Amendment Regulations 2017 . Under the Regulations, minor amendments have been made to the Dangerous Goods Safety Regulations 2007 . The Regulations came into operation on July 1, 2017.

Additional information can be found here.

2. Dangerous Goods Safety (Road and Rail Transport of Non-Explosives) Amendment Regulations 2017 Published

The Governor in Executive Council recently amended the Dangerous Goods Safety Act 2004, through the issuance of the Dangerous Goods Safety (Road and Rail Transport of Non-Explosives) Amendment Regulations 2017. The amendments make several changes to the original publication, namely the following:

• Expanding the definition of crucial terms relating to dangerous goods transportation;
• Elucidating the terms of compliance for transporters;
• Defining “empty dangerous goods packaging”; and
• Drafting updated fines for failure to comply with regulatory requirements.

Additional information can be found here.

Fuel Oil No. 2, a distillate fuel oil formed by vaporizing, condensing and blending petroleum components that are obtained from the atmospheric distillation of crude oil or bitumen, has been added to the List of Toxic Substances in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Fuel Oil No. 2 is used primarily as a fuel source for home heating, but is also used in medium capacity commercial/industrial burners.

This change is in force. More information is available here.

To allow for more options in complying with immersion suit and firefighting equipment requirements, the Canada – Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Marine Installations and Structures Transitional Regulations have been amended.

In more detail, the amendments

• Allow compliance with international standards;
• Make the incorporation of standards by reference more dynamic, so that workplaces can comply with the most recent versions of technical standards; and
• Add more stringent requirements for firefighting equipment on ships used for construction or for geotechnical or seismic work.

The amendments are in force. More information is available here.

A new provision prohibiting vaping in certain workplaces is being added to the internal regulations of companies in France with more than 20 employees. Specifically, the use of electronic cigarettes (vaping) in premises with workstations, closed and covered and used for collective use, is prohibited from October 1, 2017.

Although it will be prohibited to vaporize in common areas, it is not banned in individual offices. The employer must put in place signage on the prohibition of vaping. Failure to do so may result in imposition of a penalty. The act of smoking electronic cigarettes in the workplace in violation of the prohibition may also be subject to a fine.

No additional information is available at this time.