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DIVISION 2 – HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

G28.11 Personal hygiene – Shower and change facilities

DIVISION 4 – EQUIPMENT

G28.38/28.40 Protective structures on mobile equipment in agriculture [Retired]

Other Guidelines That Reference Agriculture

Guidelines Part 28 - Division 2 - Hazardous Substances

G28.11 Personal hygiene – Shower and change facilities

Issued January 1, 2005

Regulatory excerpt
Section 28.11 of the OHS Regulation ("Regulation") states:

(1) Section 5.82(2)(a) and (b) does not apply to agricultural operations on farm land.

(2) If work processes involving substances such as lead, mercury, asbestos, silica or pesticides are high hazard, the employer must ensure that workers are provided with adequate and appropriate shower and change facilities.

Purpose of guideline
The purpose of this guideline is to explain that section 28.11(1) provides an exception to the application of section 5.82(2)(a) and (b) of the Regulation that requires a specific configuration of showers and change rooms for general industry.

Shower and change facilities
To assist with feasibility in agriculture, section 28.11(2) requires that the employer ensure agricultural workers are provided with adequate and appropriate shower and change facilities when engaged in high hazard work processes with a range of substances including lead, mercury, asbestos, silica, and pesticides.

Pesticides can present a risk of skin contamination and absorption. There are a variety of pesticides used in the agriculture sector, including organophosphates, carbamates, nitrophenols, and organonitrogens.

Under section 28.11(2), shower facilities are normally considered adequate and appropriate if they permit the worker to effectively wash off any skin contaminants, in privacy and in reasonable comfort. A person can wash effectively if the volume and head pressure of the water is sufficient for proper cleansing, and if the temperature of the water is sufficiently comfortable to permit the worker to shower for the time necessary to wash off contaminants. The shower need not involve plumbed water supply lines. For example, the source of water may be a tank with sufficient quantity and head pressure. Appropriate facilities will also include provision of cleansing agents and means of drying the body.

A change facility is normally considered adequate and appropriate if it is a sheltered place where workers can change clothes and store personal clothing while wearing protective clothing. A "sheltered place" is normally a weatherproof building, room, vehicle, or tent that has sufficient space for workers to change in privacy and to store their clothes.

Note: Other requirements that apply to personal hygiene include the following:

  • Section 5.82(1), which addresses washing facilities and laundering of protective clothing
  • Section 5.82(2)(c), which requires that the employer provide workers with time for showering and clothing change before the end of the work shift
  • Section 5.82(3), which addresses reduced requirements for change rooms and shower facilities in remote locations
  • Section 6.95(1), which lists work activities with pesticides that require provision of wash facilities, and shower facilities where there is a risk of body contamination

Guidelines Part 28 - Division 4 - Equipment

G28.38/28.40 Protective structures on mobile equipment in agriculture

Issued May 25, 2005; Editorial Revision July 10, 2007; Retired consequential to September 1, 2021 Regulatory Amendment

This guideline is being retired as sections 28.38 and 28.40 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation have been repealed.

Other Guidelines That Reference Agriculture

Also note: some other guidelines that have specific reference to agriculture include:

G3.1-2 Farm labour contractors and growers - Responsibilities and OHS programs

G4.41 Waste material in agricultural operations

G4.65 Illumination levels

G5.3-8 The application of WHMIS in agriculture

G7.8-1 Annual hearing tests

G8.12/8.13 Use of safety headgear for workers on ATVs and similar equipment in agricultural operations

G11.2-5 Fall protection in agriculture

G16.35 ROPS standards - acceptable alternate standards

This section:
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