Occupational Health and Safety Code

212(1)

If machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment is to be serviced, repaired, tested, adjusted or inspected, or if any other work is to be performed on the machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment that requires the control of hazardous energy, an employer must ensure that no worker performs such work on the machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment until it has come to a complete stop and

(a) all hazardous energy that may pose a hazard to a worker is isolated by activation of an energy-isolating device and the energy-isolating device is secured in accordance with section 214.1, 215 or 215.1, or

(b) the machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment is otherwise rendered inoperative in a manner that prevents its unintended activation and provides equal or greater protection than the protection afforded under clause (a).

212(2)

Despite subsection (1), an employer must develop and implement procedures and controls to ensure that machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment is safely serviced, repaired, tested, adjusted or inspected, or that any other work is safely performed on it, if

(a) the manufacturer’s specifications require the machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment to remain operative while it is being serviced, repaired, tested, adjusted or inspected, or has any other work performed on it, or

(b) there are no manufacturer’s specifications and it is not reasonably practicable to stop or render inoperative the machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment.

213

A worker must not perform work on machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment that requires the control of hazardous energy until

(a) the actions required by section 212 are completed,

(b) the machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment is tested by the worker to verify that it is inoperative or otherwise made safe, and

(c) the worker confirms that the machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment is inoperative or otherwise made safe.

214(1)

An employer must assign to each of its workers involved in the isolation of hazardous energy a personal lock with a unique mark or identification tag on the lock to identify the lock as belonging to the worker to whom it is assigned.

214(2)

During the time hazardous energy is isolated in accordance with section 212, an employer must make readily available to workers a written list of the names of every worker to whom a personal lock is assigned and a description of the unique mark or identification tag associated with each personal lock.

214(3)

A worker may be assigned more than one personal lock under this section to enable compliance with the  requirements of this Part.

214(4)

Control of a personal lock assigned to a worker under this section may be transferred to a supervisor or a worker in the circumstances referred to in section 214.1(4)(b), 215(5)(b) or 215.1(4)(b).

214.1(1)

Once all energy-isolating devices have been activated to control hazardous energy as required by section 212, an employer must ensure that a worker secures each energy-isolating device with that worker's personal lock.

214.1(2)

Once each energy-isolating device is secured as required by subsection (1), the worker who secures the energy-isolating device with that worker's personal lock must verify that the hazardous energy has been effectively isolated.

214.1(3)

If more than one worker is working on machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment that requires hazardous energy to be controlled, an employer must ensure that

(a) every such worker secures that worker's personal lock to each energy-isolating device being used, and

(b) the first worker securing that worker's personal lock verifies that the hazardous energy has been effectively isolated.

214.1(4)

If a worker who has secured a personal lock to an energy-isolating device is reassigned before the work is completed, or the work is extended from one shift to another, an employer must ensure that

(a) a supervisor or a worker designated by the employer secures that supervisor's or worker's personal lock to the energy-isolating device prior to removal of the reassigned or departing worker's lock, or

(b) the control of the reassigned or departing worker's personal lock is transferred to a supervisor or a worker designated by the employer.

214.1(5)

After the work requiring isolation of hazardous energy has been completed, an employer must ensure that the machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment is returned to operation in accordance with section 215.3.

215(1)

An employer must ensure that group control procedures are developed and implemented under this section if the requirements of section 214.1 would not provide adequate protection from hazardous energy because of

(a) the number of workers involved in the work requiring hazardous energy control, and

(b) the number of energy-isolating devices involved

215(2)

An employer must ensure that the group control procedures developed under this section comply with subsections (3) to (7).

215(3)

Once all energy-isolating devices have been activated as required by section 212, an employer must ensure that a supervisor or a worker designated by the employer

(a) secures all energy-isolating devices with a personal lock or other equivalent means of securing the device,

(b) secures any keys used to lock the devices used under clause (a),

(c) verifies that all hazardous energy is effectively isolated, and

(d) completes and posts at a conspicuous place at the work site a report that identifies the machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment covered by the group control procedures developed under subsection (1) and the verification under clause (c).

215(4)

An employer must ensure that each worker secures that worker's personal lock to the key-securing system referred to in subsection (3)(b) before servicing, repairing, testing, adjusting or inspecting machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment or performing any other work that requires the control of hazardous energy.

215(5)

If a worker who has secured a personal lock on an energy-isolating device is reassigned before the work is completed, or the work is extended from one shift to another, an employer must ensure that

(a) a supervisor or a worker designated by the employer secures that supervisor's or worker's personal lock to the energy-isolating device prior to the removal of the reassigned or departing worker's lock, or

(b) the control of the reassigned or departing worker's personal lock is transferred to the supervisor or a worker designated by the employer.

215(6)

On completing the work requiring isolation of hazardous energy, a worker referred to in subsection (4) or (5) must remove that worker's personal lock from the key-securing system in accordance with the group control procedures developed under subsection (1).

215(7)

After the work requiring isolation of hazardous energy is completed, an employer must ensure that the machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment is returned to operation in accordance with section 215.3.

215.1(1)

An employer must ensure that complex group control procedures are developed and implemented under this section if the requirements of section 214.1 or 215 would not provide adequate protection from hazardous energy because of

(a) the physical size and extent of the machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment,

(b) the relative inaccessibility of the energy-isolating devices,

(c) the number of workers involved in the work requiring hazardous energy control,

(d) the number of energy-isolating devices involved,

(e) the extended length of time of the required isolation,

(f) the interdependence and interrelationship of the components being isolated, or

(g) any other reason that would render compliance with the requirements of section 214.1 or 215 inadequate to protect the workers.

215.1(2)

An employer must ensure that complex group control procedures developed under subsection (1) are certified by a professional engineer as safe and appropriate for the protection of workers and include the following:

(a) procedures to ensure continuous safe performance of the work requiring isolation of hazardous energy;

(b) procedures relating to a work permit or master tag requiring

(i) each involved worker to personally sign on the job before commencing the work and sign off the job on completing the work, or

(ii) a supervisor or a worker designated by the employer to sign each worker involved in the work on and off the job;

(c) procedures for a supervisor or a worker designated by the employer to

(i) activate all required energy-isolating devices to control hazardous energy in accordance with section 212, and

(ii) secure the energy-isolating devices;

(d) procedures for another supervisor or a worker designated by the employer to verify that all hazardous energy is effectively isolated;

(e) procedures for workers to secure energy-isolating devices with personal locks and verify effective isolation, where the energy-isolating device is reasonably accessible;

(f) procedures for attaching, removing or transferring control of personal locks if a worker is reassigned or the work continues over a shift change.

215.1(3)

An employer must ensure that each worker secures that worker's personal lock on an energy-isolating device in accordance with the complex group control procedures developed under subsection (1) before servicing, repairing, testing, adjusting or inspecting machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment or performing any other work that requires the control of hazardous energy.

215.1(4)

If a worker who has secured a personal lock on an energy-isolating device is reassigned before the work is completed, or the work is extended from one shift to another, an employer must ensure that

(a) a supervisor or a worker designated by the employer secures that supervisor's or worker's personal lock to the energy-isolating device prior to the removal of the reassigned or departing worker's lock, or

(b) the control of the reassigned or departing worker's personal lock is transferred to the supervisor or a worker designated by the employer.

215.1(5)

On completing the work requiring isolation of hazardous energy, a worker referred to in subsection (3) or (4) must remove that worker's personal lock in accordance with the complex group control procedures developed under subsection (1).

215.1(6)

After the work requiring isolation of hazardous energy has been completed, an employer must ensure that the machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment is returned to operation in accordance with section 215.3.

215.2(1)

An employer must ensure that procedures for a control system for energy-isolating devices are developed and implemented if securing an energy-isolating device as required by section 212 is not reasonably practicable on a system that remotely controls the operation of machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment.

215.2(2)

An employer must ensure the procedures developed under this section provide equal or greater protection than the protection afforded to workers under section 212.

215.2(3)

After the work requiring isolation of hazardous energy is completed, an employer must ensure that the system is returned to operation in accordance with section 215.3.

215.3(1)

A worker must not remove a personal lock or other equivalent means of securing the energy-isolating device unless

(a) the worker is the worker who secured it,

(b) the worker is the supervisor or worker designated by an employer under section 215 or 215.1, or

(c) the worker is acting in accordance with the procedures required by section 215.2.

215.3(2)

Despite subsection (1), in an emergency or if the worker who secured a personal lock or other equivalent means of securing the energy-isolating device is not available, a supervisor or a worker designated by an employer may remove the lock or other equivalent means of securing the energy-isolating device in  accordance with the applicable requirements under this Part.

215.3(3)

An employer must ensure that energy-isolating device is not removed until

(a) each involved worker is accounted for,

(b) all personal locks secured by workers under section 214.1, 215 or 215.1 are removed, and

(c) it is verified that no worker is in danger by the removal of the energy-isolating device or the return to operation of the machinery, equipment or powered mobile equipment.

215.4

If piping or a pipeline containing a substance under pressure is to be serviced, repaired, tested, adjusted or inspected, or if any other work is to be performed on it that requires the control of hazardous energy, an employer must ensure that no worker performs such work on the piping or pipeline until flow in the piping or pipeline has been stopped or regulated to a safe level and the location at which the work is to be carried out is isolated and secured in accordance with section 215.5.

215.5(1)

To isolate piping or a pipeline containing a substance under pressure, an employer must ensure the use of

(a) a system of blanking or blinding, or

(b) a double block and bleed isolation system providing

(i) 2 blocking seals on either side of the isolation point,
and

(ii) an operable bleed-off between the 2 seals.

215.5(2)

An employer must ensure that piping or a pipeline that is blanked or blinded is clearly marked to indicate that a blank or blind is installed.

215.5(3)

An employer must ensure that, if valves or similar blocking seals with a bleed-off valve between them are used to isolate piping or a pipeline, the bleed-off valve is secured in the "OPEN" position and the valves or similar blocking seals in the flow lines are functional and secured in the "CLOSED" position.

215.5(4)

An employer must ensure that the device used to secure the valves or seals referred to in subsection (3) is

(a) a positive mechanical means of keeping the valves or seals in the required position, and

(b) strong enough and designed to withstand unintended opening.

215.5(5)

Despite subsection (1), if it is not reasonably practicable to provide blanking, blinding or double block and bleed isolation, an employer must develop and implement procedures for an alternate means of isolation certified by a professional engineer as safe and appropriate for the protection of workers.

215.6(1)

A worker who is not directly involved in a pigging and testing operation must not be in the immediate area of piping or pipeline exposed during the operation.

215.6(2)

An employer must ensure that, before a pig is removed

(a) a pigcatcher on piping or a pipeline is isolated from the piping or pipeline,

(b) the pigcatcher is depressurized, and

(c) there are no workers at the end of the piping or pipeline or in the immediate area of the pigcatcher if the piping, pipeline or pigcatcher is under pressure during the pigging and testing operation.

215.6(3)

An employer must ensure workers directly involved in the pigging and testing operation are positioned so they are not in a location where they may be injured by the operation.