Oil and Gas Occupational Safety and Health Regulations

8.2 (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) and sections 8.3 and 8.4, the level of sound in a work place shall be less than 85 dB.

(2) Where it is not reasonably practicable for an employer to maintain the level of sound in a work place at less than 85 dB, no employee shall be exposed in any 24 hour period to

• (a) a level of sound referred to in Column I of an item of the schedule to this Part for a number of hours exceeding the number set out in Column II of that item; or

• (b) a number of different levels of sound referred to in Column I of an item of the schedule to this Part, where the sum of the following quotients exceeds 1:

  • (i) the number of hours of exposure to each level of sound

  divided by

  • (ii) the maximum number of hours of exposure per 24-hour period set out in Column II of that item.

(3) Where it is not reasonably practicable for an employer to maintain the exposure of an employee to a level of sound at or below the levels referred to in subsection (1) or (2), the employer shall

• (a) make a report in writing to the Head of Compliance and Enforcement setting out the reasons why the exposure cannot be so maintained; and

• (b) provide every employee entering the work place with a hearing protector that

  • (i) meets the standards set out in CSA Standard Z94.2-M1984, Hearing Protectors, the English version of which is dated June 1984 and the French version of which is dated February 1985, and

  • (ii) reduces the level of sound reaching the employee’s ears to less than 85 dB.