Canada’s federal hazardous-substance changes take effect in January 2027

October 5, 2026

Canada has adopted changes to hazardous-substance requirements for federally regulated workplaces, with most amendments scheduled to take effect on January 30, 2027. They expand the records employers must keep and revise requirements for exposure assessment and workplace controls.

The changes were registered as SOR/2026-10 on January 30, 2026 and published in the Canada Gazette on February 11. For affected EHS teams, the coming months provide time to review how their programs document hazardous substances and assess exposure.

Which workplaces are affected

The amendments cover five sets of occupational health and safety regulations under Part II of the Canada Labour Code: general federal workplaces, aviation, maritime operations, on-board trains, and covered oil and gas operations. Requirements differ among these regulations.

EHS teams at mining operations should first confirm which federal, provincial, or territorial requirements govern their workplace. This federal amendment does not establish a single set of requirements for every Canadian mine.

APT’s record of Canada’s 2027 federal hazardous-substance rules brings together the legal status and relevant dates, with links to the underlying sources.

Longer retention for hazardous-substance and sampling records

Under the amended Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, the hazardous-substance record must include substances contractors use, produce, handle, or store for workplace use. Each substance record must be retained for 30 years after its last use, production, handling, or storage.

The amended sampling provision also requires employers to retain a paper or electronic record of each covered measurement for 30 years after the last sample used for that measurement. The operative provision currently sets a three-year retention period for these measurement records. The longer period will require affected employers to review their retention and archiving arrangements.

These periods have different starting points. A substance’s last use and the date of the last sample are separate events. EHS teams should preserve that distinction when setting retention dates. SOR/2026-10, sections 5 and 9 set out the revised requirements for the general federal regulations.

Revised sampling and control requirements

For chemical agents covered by section 10.19 of the general federal regulations, the amendments require a qualified person to measure exposure in employees’ breathing zones when the concentration is likely to exceed the applicable value. Measurement is also required when airborne asbestos fibres are likely to exceed zero. The text specifies sampling and analysis methods and the information to retain with each measurement.

For engineered nanomaterials present in a workplace, the amendments require a qualified person to establish protection and prevention objectives and control exposure in accordance with CSA Z12885. Employers must also develop thermal-stress procedures in consultation with the applicable committee or health and safety representative, and implement them when the specified heat or cold thresholds are reached.

These requirements appear in sections 9 and 10 of the amendment. EHS teams should check the corresponding provisions in their sector’s regulations before revising sampling plans or control procedures.

Radon requirements depend on the sector

For workers covered by the general federal regulations, other than nuclear energy workers, the amendment lowers the maximum annual-average radon concentration from 800 to 200 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m³).

A radon requirement is also added to the covered oil and gas regulations. The amendment’s explanatory statement says the radon requirement is absent from the maritime and aviation regulations and is repealed from the on-board train regulations. The 200 Bq/m³ value therefore needs to be read with its applicable sector and worker scope. The amendment does not establish a universal radon testing interval. Section 12 and the explanatory statement’s radon section explain this treatment.

When the changes take effect

Section 77 sets commencement on the first anniversary of registration, which gives January 30, 2027 for most amendments. Section 25, which changes the title of the oil and gas regulations, took effect on registration day.

The Employment and Social Development Canada summary describes commencement as February 2027. This article uses the date derived from the registered instrument and section 77. The Justice Canada consolidation, current to September 21, 2026 when checked, lists the substantive general federal changes as amendments not in force.

Preparing the IH program

APT’s practical interpretation is that affected EHS teams should review the following before commencement:

Confirm the regulations that apply to each workplace and the relevant sector provisions.
Check whether hazardous-substance records include contractor substances and identify the dates that start each retention period.
Review sampling methods, measurement records, and long-term access to archived results.
Review thermal-stress procedures and engineered nanomaterial controls where applicable, and confirm the workplace’s radon requirements.

For related developments, consult APT’s industrial hygiene regulatory tracker, which covers selected changes across the US, Canada, and Australia.