LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Fire Safety

Apr 9: Under newly passed fire safety legislation (Bill 186), the Nova Scotia Minister of Emergency Management will oversee municipal fire services and set provincewide standards for fire services, firefighter training and certification, personal protective equipment, transition support for fire services that want to transition to a municipal model, and resources for fire protection service planning, delivery and reporting. Fire departments and service commissions that aren’t currently part of a municipal fire service will remain as is.

Action Point: Find out how to implement an effective and legally sound Fire Prevention Compliance Game Plan to prevent fires and explosions at your workplace.

Industry Challenges

Apr 9: Bill 193, the Powering the Economy Act, creating new laws and systems to tax, finance, and regulate offshore wind, geothermal, natural hydrogen, helium, and carbon storage projects in Nova Scotia, passed the Assembly and received Royal Assent.

Training

Apr 9: The Assembly passed amendments to the Community Colleges Act (Bill 196) establishing a new Institute of Skilled Trades (IST) at Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), to be led by an industry-led council and funded by a five-year, $25-million investment for new innovative equipment and tools to enhance classrooms, training, and workshops across the province. The Bill has received Royal Assent.

Drugs & Alcohol

Apr 9: Newly passed Bill 200 amends the Cannabis Control Act to improve public safety. Highlights: Higher fines for violations, new offence for landlords that allow their property to be used for illegal cannabis sale or distribution, use of peace officers to enforce the law in addition to the police, and loosening of courtroom evidence rules making it easier to prove presence of cannabis.

Action Point: Find out how to implement a Drugs and Alcohol Testing Policy at your workplace.

Workers’ Compensation

Apr 15: The Nova Scotia Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) approved a new Extended Earnings Replacement Benefit (EERB) Review Policy. Last Fall, the Assembly passed Bill 144 amending the Workers’ Compensation Act to allow the WCB to review an EERB at any time instead of only at fixed intervals of 36 and 60 months under previous law. The new WCB Policy officially implements the change.

Return To Work

May 29: May 29 is the deadline to comment on proposed updates to the WCB’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) policies. VR is a structured, collaborative process that helps workers injured on the job overcome barriers and return to work.

Environmental

Apr 16: Nova Scotia added 20 pollutants subject to emissions limitations under Air Quality Regulations, effective June 1. Full list: acrolein, ammonia, arsenic, benzene, benzo(a)pyrene, cadmium, carbon monoxide, chromium (hexavalent), cobalt, copper, dioxins and furans, formaldehyde, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, nitrogen dioxide, coarse particles, fine particles, total suspended particles, phenol, selenium, sulphur dioxide, total reduced sulphur, vanadium, and zinc.