Federal government seeks feedback on OHS noise regulations by April 20

The Federal Government recently announced that they are seeking consultation with respect to an update to five occupational health and safety regulations under the Canada Labour Code.

The update will establish new exposure limits for hazardous noise levels and include requirements for federal employers to create hearing loss prevention programs and audiometric testing for employees who work in conditions that exceed noise exposure limits. The rationale for these changes is to protect the health and safety of employees who are exposed to hazardous noise exposure.

The regulations being updated are:

• Part VII of the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
• Part IV of the On Board Trains Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
• Part VIII of the Oil and Gas Occupational Safety and Health Regulations
• Part 12 of the Maritime Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
• Part 2 of the Aviation Occupational Health and Safety Regulations

The proposed updates support Canada’s requirement under the Occupational Health and Safety Reconciliation Agreement (2018) to harmonize hearing protection standards with the provinces and territories.

The deadline to submit feedback on the Regulations is April 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

Submissions can be made using the online commenting feature that is available on the Canada Gazette website.

If you have any questions related to the Regulations – or any occupational health and safety matter – please feel free to contact a member of the MLT Aikins Occupational Health and Safety group for assistance. From mining and construction to manufacturing, our robust team has extensive experience advising employers across a broad range of industries, helping to manage all workplace health and safety issues ranging from risk management and training to dispute resolution, representation, compliance and audits.

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