Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act (S.C. 1988, c. 28)

Marginal note:Powers of Chief Safety Officer  — passenger craft

• 210.071 (1) The Chief Safety Officer may, on application by an operator, permit the use on a passenger craft, or the use in respect of employees or other passengers being transported on a passenger craft, for a specified time and subject to specified conditions, of specified equipment, methods, measures, standards or other things, in lieu of any required by regulations made under this Part, if the granting of the permission is not otherwise prohibited by regulation made under this Part and if he or she is satisfied that protection of the health and safety of the employees or other passengers being transported would not be diminished.

• Marginal note:No contravention

  (2) The regulations are not considered to be contravened if there is compliance with a permission under subsection (1).

• Marginal note:Application

  (3) The application shall

  • (a) be in a form acceptable to the Chief Safety Officer;

  • (b) include information with respect to the consequences to health and safety that might reasonably be anticipated if the permission is granted;

  • (c) be accompanied by technical information sufficient to enable the Chief Safety Officer to make a decision on the application; and

  • (d) be accompanied by documentation issued by the Minister of Transport indicating that if the permission is granted, it would not contravene any Act or law that applies to the operation of a passenger craft.

• Marginal note:Public notice

  (4) On receipt of the application, the Chief Safety Officer shall make it available to the public in a manner that he or she considers advisable, together with a notice that submissions may be made to him or her for a period of 30 days — or any shorter period fixed by him or her with the agreement of each workplace committee established by the operator — after the day on which the application has been made available.

• Marginal note:Notice at workplace

  (5) An operator shall, immediately after it makes an application, post a copy of it in printed form in a prominent place at each of its workplaces, and provide a copy to any committee established for that workplace.

• Marginal note:Decision

  (6) The Chief Safety Officer shall, as soon as possible after the end of the period referred to in subsection (4), inform, in a manner that he or she considers advisable, the operator and the public of the decision made on the application.

• Marginal note:Reconsideration of decision

  (7) The Chief Safety Officer may, on his or her own initiative or on application by the operator who requested a permission under subsection (1), reconsider, confirm, vary, revoke or suspend a decision made on the application at any time when information is made available that, had it been known when the decision was made, would reasonably be expected to have resulted in a different decision from the one made at that time. In that case, subsections (1) to (6) apply with the necessary modifications.

Administration and Enforcement

Marginal note:Occupational health and safety officers

• 210.072 (1) Subject to subsection (3), the Federal Minister shall, within 30 days after the day on which the Minister is notified that the Provincial Minister has designated an individual as an occupational health and safety officer under the Provincial Act, designate that individual as an occupational health and safety officer for the purposes of the administration and enforcement of this Part.

• Marginal note:Notice of designation

  (2) The Federal Minister shall, without delay after making the designation, notify the Provincial Minister in writing that the designation has been made and provide a copy to the Board.

• Marginal note:Restriction

  (3) The Federal Minister shall not designate an individual if he or she is not satisfied that the individual is qualified to exercise the powers and carry out the duties and functions of an occupational health and safety officer under this Part. If an individual is not designated, the Federal Minister shall without delay notify the Provincial Minister of it in writing and provide a copy to the Board.

• Marginal note:Limitation

  (4) No individual may be designated under subsection (1) unless they have been recommended to the Provincial Minister by the Board.

• Marginal note:Indemnification

  (5) An individual designated under subsection (1) who is not an employee of the Board is deemed to be an officer for the purposes of section 17.

• Marginal note:Certificate to be produced

  (6) An individual designated under subsection (1) shall be provided with a certificate of designation, and, on entering any place under the authority of this Part shall, if so requested, produce the certificate to the person in charge of the place.

Marginal note:Special officers

• 210.073 (1) If the Provincial Minister is satisfied that the circumstances described in paragraphs (a) and (b) exist and he or she appoints an individual as a special officer under the Provincial Act in relation to a matter connected to the risk described in paragraph (a), the Federal Minister may, after being advised of that appointment, and subject to subsection (2), designate that individual as a special officer for the purposes of the administration and enforcement of this Part in relation to the same matter:

  • (a) there are reasonable grounds to believe that action by a special officer is required to avoid a serious risk to the health and safety of employees in the offshore area within the near future; and

  • (b) the risk cannot be avoided through the exercise of powers conferred under subsection 41(2) or section 210.121 or 210.122.

• Marginal note:Restriction

  (2) The Federal Minister may designate the individual only if he or she, after consulting with the Minister of Labour, is satisfied that the circumstances described in paragraphs (1)(a) and (b) exist and that the individual is qualified to exercise the powers and carry out the duties and functions of a special officer under this Part.

• Marginal note:Notice of designation

  (3) The Federal Minister shall, without delay after making a designation, notify the Provincial Minister in writing that the designation has been made and provide a copy to the Board.

• Marginal note:Certificate to be produced

  (4) The individual shall be provided with a certificate of designation and, on entering any place under the authority of this Part, shall, if so requested, produce the certificate to the person in charge of the place.

• Marginal note:No liability

  (5) No action lies against the Board for anything done or omitted to be done by an individual designated under subsection (1) while carrying out their duties or functions, or by any person in the course of assisting such an individual.

Marginal note:Orders for verifying compliance

• 210.074 (1) A health and safety officer may, for the purpose of verifying compliance with this Part, order an operator, employer, employee, supervisor, interest holder, owner, provider of services or supplier

  • (a) to do, in a place that is used for any work or activity for which an authorization has been issued, including a passenger craft or an aircraft or vessel that has been used or is intended to be used as a passenger craft, any of the following:

    • (i) inspect anything,

    • (ii) pose questions or conduct tests or monitoring, and

    • (iii) take photographs or measurements or make recordings or drawings;

  • (b) to accompany or assist the officer while the officer is in a place described in paragraph (a);

  • (c) to produce a document or another thing that is in their possession or control, or to prepare and produce a document based on data or documents that are in their possession or control, in the form and manner that the officer may specify;

  • (d) to provide, to the best of their knowledge, information relating to any matter to which this Part applies, or to prepare and produce a document based on that information, in the form and manner that the officer may specify;

  • (e) to ensure that all or part of a place described in paragraph (a), or anything located in the place, that is under their control, not be disturbed for a reasonable period pending the exercise of any powers under this section; and

  • (f) to remove anything from a place described in paragraph (a) and to provide it to the officer, in the manner specified by the officer, for examination, testing or copying.

• Marginal note:Orders for verifying compliance

  (2) A health and safety officer may, for the purpose of verifying compliance with this Part, order any person in charge of a place, other than a person in charge of a place referred to in paragraph (1)(a), in which the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that there is anything to which this Part applies

  • (a) to inspect anything in the place;

  • (b) to pose questions, or conduct tests or monitoring, in the place;

  • (c) to take photographs or measurements, or make recordings or drawings, in the place;

  • (d) to accompany or assist the officer while the officer is in the place;

  • (e) to produce a document or another thing that is in their possession or control, or to prepare and produce a document based on data or documents that are in their possession or control, in the form and manner that the officer may specify;

  • (f) to provide, to the best of their knowledge, information relating to any matter to which this Part applies, or to prepare and produce a document based on that information, in the form and manner that the officer may specify;

  • (g) to ensure that all or part of the place, or anything located in the place, that is under their control, not be disturbed for a reasonable period pending the exercise of any powers under this section; and

  • (h) to remove anything from the place and to provide it to the officer, in the manner specified by the officer, for examination, testing or copying.

• Marginal note:Powers on entry

  (3) A health and safety officer may, for the purpose of verifying compliance with this Part and subject to section 210.076, enter a place that is used for any work or activity for which an authorization has been issued, including a passenger craft or an aircraft or vessel that has been used or is intended to be used as a passenger craft, or any other place in which the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that there is anything to which this Part applies, and may for that purpose

  • (a) inspect anything in the place;

  • (b) pose questions, or conduct tests or monitoring, in the place;

  • (c) take samples from the place, or cause them to be taken, for examination or testing, and dispose of those samples;

  • (d) remove anything from the place, or cause it to be removed, for examination, testing or copying;

  • (e) while at the place, take or cause to be taken photographs or measurements, make or cause to be made recordings or drawings or use systems in the place that capture images or cause them to be used;

  • (f) use any computer system in the place, or cause it to be used, to examine data contained in or available to it;

  • (g) prepare a document, or cause one to be prepared, based on data contained in or available to the computer system;

  • (h) use any copying equipment in the place, or cause it to be used, to make copies;

  • (i) be accompanied while in the place by any individual, or be assisted while in the place by any person, that the officer considers necessary; and

  • (j) meet in private with any individual in the place, with the agreement of that individual.

• Marginal note:Clarification

  (4) For greater certainty, a health and safety officer who has entered a place under subsection (3) may order any individual in the place to do anything described in paragraphs (1)(a) to (f) or (2)(a) to (h), as the case may be.

• Marginal note:Return of things removed

  (5) Anything removed under paragraph (1)(f), (2)(h) or (3)(d) for examination, testing or copying shall, if requested by the person from whom it was removed, be returned to that person after the examination, testing or copying is completed, unless it is required for the purpose of a prosecution under this Part.

Marginal note:Reports to be provided to operator

• 210.075 (1) A health and safety officer shall provide to an operator written reports respecting anything inspected, tested or monitored at any of its workplaces by, or on the order of, the officer for the purpose of verifying compliance with this Part.

• Marginal note:Reports to be provided to employer

  (2) A health and safety officer shall provide to each employer at a workplace written reports respecting anything inspected, tested or monitored at the workplace by, or on the order of, the officer for the purpose of verifying compliance with this Part that relate to the health and safety of the employer’s employees.

• Marginal note:Editing of report — trade secrets

  (3) If a report contains a trade secret, the health and safety officer may edit the report to protect the trade secret.

• Marginal note:Editing of report — medical and other information

  (4) If a report contains information relating to the medical history of an identifiable individual or other prescribed information relating to an identifiable individual, the health and safety officer shall edit the report to protect that information before providing it to an operator or employer, unless the individual to whom the information relates consents in writing to the disclosure of the information to the operator or employer.

Marginal note:Entering living quarters

• 210.076 (1) If the place referred to in subsection 210.074(3) is living quarters, a health and safety officer is not authorized to enter those quarters without the consent of the occupant except

  • (a) to execute a warrant issued under subsection (4);

  • (b) to verify that any lifesaving equipment that is prescribed is readily available and in good condition; or

  • (c) to verify that those quarters, if on a marine installation or structure, are in a structurally sound condition sufficient to ensure the health and safety of employees.

• Marginal note:Notice

  (2) The officer shall provide reasonable notice to the occupant before entering living quarters under paragraph (1)(b) or (c).

• Marginal note:Exception

  (3) Despite paragraphs (1)(b) and (c), any locker in the living quarters that is fitted with a locking device and that is assigned to the occupant shall not be opened by the officer without the occupant’s consent except under the authority of a warrant issued under subsection (4).

• Marginal note:Authority to issue warrant

  (4) On ex parte application, a justice of the peace may issue a warrant authorizing a health and safety officer who is named in it to enter living quarters subject to any conditions specified in the warrant if the justice is satisfied by information on oath that

  • (a) the living quarters are a place referred to in subsection 210.074(3);

  • (b) entry to the living quarters is necessary to verify compliance with this Part; and

  • (c) entry was refused by the occupant or there are reasonable grounds to believe that entry will be refused or that consent to entry cannot be obtained from the occupant.

• Marginal note:Authority to open locker

  (5) The warrant may also authorize a locker described in subsection (3) to be opened, subject to any conditions specified in the warrant, if the justice is satisfied by information on oath that

  • (a) it is necessary to open the locker to verify compliance with this Part; and

  • (b) the occupant to whom it is assigned refused to allow it to be opened or there are reasonable grounds to believe that the occupant to whom it is assigned will refuse to allow it to be opened or that consent to opening it cannot be obtained from that occupant.

• Marginal note:Use of force

  (6) The health and safety officer who executes a warrant issued under subsection (4) shall not use force unless the use of force has been specifically authorized in the warrant.

• Marginal note:Telewarrant provisions to apply

  (7) A warrant may be issued under this section by telephone or other means of telecommunication on information submitted by a health and safety officer by one of those means, and section 487.1 of the Criminal Code applies for that purpose, with any modifications that the circumstances require.

• Definition of living quarters

  (8) In this section, living quarters means sleeping quarters provided for the accommodation of employees on a marine installation or structure or a passenger craft, and any room for the exclusive use of the occupants of those quarters that contains a toilet or a urinal.