Does Canada have an electrical safety code FOR EMPLOYEE WORKPLACES similar to NFPA 70E, or do they plan on adopting it?

[This message has been edited by Joe Tedesco (edited 02-04-2003).]

Health and Safety in Ontario

In Ontario, The Occupational Health and Safety Act sets out the rights and duties of all parties in the workplace. Its main purpose is to protect workers against health and safety hazards on the job. The Act establishes procedures for dealing with workplace hazards, and it provides for enforcement of the law where compliance has not been achieved voluntarily.

The guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act explains what every worker, supervisor, employer, constructor and workplace owner needs to know about the Act.

Almost every workplace in Ontario is covered by the Act and regulations.

The Ministry works closely with its agencies, safe workplace associations (SWAs), worker training centres and clinics, and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.


The Ontario Electrical Safety Code:

The object of this Code is to establish safety standards for the installation and maintenance of electrical equipment. In its preparation, consideration has been given to the prevention of fire and shock hazards, as well as proper maintenance and operation.

Compliance with the requirements of this Code and proper maintenance will ensure an essentially safe installation.

Wiring installations that do not make provision for the increasing use of electricity may be overloaded in the future, resulting in a hazardous condition.

It is recommended that the initial installation have sufficient wiring capacity, and that there be some provision made for wiring changes which might be required as a result of future load growth.

This Code is not intended as a design specification nor an instruction manual for untrained persons.

Scope:

This Code covers all electrical work and electrical equipment operating or intended to operate at all voltages in electrical installations for buildings, structures, and premises, including factory-built relocatable and non-relocatable structures, and self-propelled marine vessels stationary for periods exceeding five months and connected to a shore supply of electricity continuously or from time to time, with the following exceptions:

(a) Installations or equipment employed by an electric, a communication, or a community antenna distribution system utility in the exercise of its function as a utility, and located outdoors or in buildings or sections of buildings used for that purpose; and

(b) Equipment and facilities that are used in the operation of an electric railway and are supplied exclusively from circuits that supply the motive power; and

(c) Installations or equipment used for railway signalling and railway communication purposes, and located outdoors or in buildings or sections of buildings used exclusively for such installations; and

(d) Aircraft; and

(e) Electrical systems in ships which are regulated under the Canadian Coast Guard, Ship Safety Branch, Ship Safety Electrical Standards.