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PART 17Safe Occupancy of the Workplace (continued)

Emergency Electrical Power

 Every drilling rig, drilling unit and production facility must be equipped with an emergency electrical power supply sufficient to operate, for at least 18 consecutive hours,

  • (a) the alarm system and warning devices;

  • (b) the emergency lighting system referred to in section 56;

  • (c) internal and external communications systems; and

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

 If an emergency switchboard is provided, it must be independent of the main electrical power supply and must be located as near as reasonably practicable to the emergency electrical power supply.

Emergency Procedures

  •  (1) Every employer must prepare emergency procedures to be implemented

    • (a) if any person commits or threatens to commit an act that is likely to be hazardous to the health or safety of the employer or any employee;

    • (b) if a hazardous occurrence referred to in subsection 265(1) occurs;

    • (c) if evacuation is not an appropriate means of ensuring the health or safety of employees; and

    • (d) if there is a failure of the lighting system.

  • (2) If two or more employers are engaged in work at the same workplace, those employers must prepare common emergency procedures.

  • (3) A copy of the emergency procedures referred to in subsection (1) or (2) must be kept up to date and readily accessible to all employees at the workplace.

 The emergency procedures referred to in section 293 must contain a full written description of the procedures to be followed by the employees, including

  • (a) the duties of the employees during the execution of the procedures;

  • (b) the name, position, usual location and telephone number of each person responsible for the execution of the procedures;

  • (c) a list of agencies, companies or organizations that could render assistance in the event of an emergency and their telephone numbers; and

  • (d) a list of the emergency and protection equipment required to carry out the procedures.

Emergency Evacuation Plan

 If the emergency procedures referred to in section 293 provide for the evacuation of employees from a workplace, an emergency evacuation plan must be prepared by the employer or employers.

 The emergency evacuation plan must include

  • (a) a general layout plan and elevation drawing of the buildings or structures at a workplace, including the date and scale of the drawing and the name of the person who verified the drawing;

  • (b) the name, address and telephone number of the owner or owners of the buildings or structures where the workplace is located and a list of the tenants, if any;

  • (c) the relative location of other buildings, structures or streets within 30 m of the boundaries of the workplace;

  • (d) a statement of the maximum number of people who can safely occupy the workplace under normal conditions;

  • (e) a drawing illustrating the arrangement of each level of the buildings or structures at the workplace that will clearly show

    • (i) the location of all exits, stairways, elevators, corridors, fire escapes and any other routes of exit,

    • (ii) the location, quantity and type of emergency and protection equipment,

    • (iii) the location of the main emergency shut-down switches for the lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and elevator systems and other electrical equipment,

    • (iv) the location, quantity and type of all communications equipment,

    • (v) the location, number, type, size and capacity of any support craft or other means of transport to be used to evacuate the workplace, and

    • (vi) the location of first aid areas and casualty clearing areas; and

  • (f) the estimated amount of time required to complete the execution of the plan under normal conditions.

Instructions and Training

  •  (1) Every employee must be instructed and trained in

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

    • (b) the location, use and operation of emergency and fire protection equipment.

  • (2) A record of all training provided to an employee in accordance with subsection (1) must be kept by the employer for as long as the employee remains in the employer’s employ.

Emergency Drills

  •  (1) A fire drill must be conducted at least once

    • (a) every two weeks at each drilling rig, drilling unit and production facility; and

    • (b) every 12 months at every workplace other than a workplace referred to in paragraph (a).

  • (2) An evacuation drill must be conducted at least once

    • (a) every week at a drilling unit and an offshore production facility; and

    • (b) every 12 months at a workplace other than a workplace referred to in paragraph (a).

  • (3) In addition to the drills referred to in subsections (1) and (2), a fire drill and an evacuation drill must be conducted

    • (a) before workover, completion, recompletion or stimulation of a well; and

    • (b) after any significant change is made in the emergency procedures or emergency evacuation plan.

  • (4) A blowout prevention drill must be conducted at least once each week that the blowout preventer is in use.

Standby Craft

 For every drilling operation and production operation, the employer must provide a standby craft capable of safely evacuating all employees from the workplace.

Condition of Employees

 An employee must not work when that employee’s ability to function is impaired as a result of fatigue, illness, alcohol, drugs or any other condition that may be hazardous to the health or safety of any employee at the workplace.

 Section 300 does not apply in the event of an emergency at the workplace that may be hazardous to the health or safety of employees.

Notices and Records

  •  (1) Notices must be posted at appropriate locations at a workplace setting out the emergency procedures to be followed and the escape routes to be used in the event of an emergency.

  • (2) Every employer must keep a record of all emergency drills and evacuation drills carried out by the employer’s employees for one year after the drill.

  • (3) The record referred to in subsection (2) must contain

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

    • (b) the length of time taken by the employees to complete the drill.

  • (4) A copy of the emergency procedures and emergency evacuation plan prepared for the workplace must be kept readily available for examination by employees.

  • (5) The employer must keep a daily record of each employee present at the workplace and of each person granted access to the workplace.

  • (6) The record referred to in subsection (5) must contain

    • (a) the date;

    • (b) the name of the employee present at the workplace or the person granted access to the workplace; and

    • (c) the name of the employer.

  • (7) The record referred to in subsection (5) must be kept by the employer for two months after the date of the last daily entry made in it.

 

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