S-2.1, r. 11 - Regulation respecting the quality of the work environment

Section 1 Disposition versions

2012-09-01

1. Definitions: In this Regulation, unless the context indicates otherwise,

(0.a)  “asbestos” means the fibrous form of mineral silicates belonging to rock-forming minerals of the serpentine group, that is, chrysotile, and the amphibole group, that is, actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, tremolite or any mixture containing one or more of those minerals:

(a)  “predominant frequency band” means a frequency band whose level passes through a maximum that exceeds the arithmetic average of the levels of the preceding and following octave bands by 4 dB or more, and for the bands at the upper and lower limits of the sound spectrum, whose level exceeds that of the contiguous octave band by 5 dB;

(b)  “continuous noise” means a steady noise including a noise caused by mechanical shocks of solid bodies or by impulses repeated at a frequency greater than one per second;

(c)  “impact noise” means any noise caused by mechanical shocks of solid bodies or by impulses repeated or not repeated at a frequency greater than or equal to one per second;

(d)  “construction site” means any place where foundation, construction, erection, maintenance, renovation, repair, alteration or demolition work is carried out with respect to a building, or of civil engineering works, on and at the site itself, including the preparatory work of land clearing;

(d.1)  “containing asbestos” means containing an asbestos concentration of at least 0.1%;

(e)  “heat stress” means heat unbalance in a worker caused by working in a hot environment;

(f)  “dB” means a dimensionless unit used to express in logarithmic form the relation existing between a measured quantity and a reference value which, when applied to sound pressure, is established in accordance with section 3 of publication No. 179 (second edition, 1973) of the Central Office of the International Electrotechnical Commission;

(g)  “dBA” means the value of the overall sound level measured on the A scale established in accordance with the standards and methods prescribed in publication No. 179 (second edition, 1973) of the Central Office of the International Electrotechnical Commission;

(h)  “corrected dBA” means the sound level expressed in dBA after an increase in the measured level of the predominant frequency band;

(i)  “dB linear” means the overall sound level measured in such a way that the various frequencies of the sound spectrum are in no way attenuated;

(j)  “establishment” means any immovable or part of an immovable where persons may stay to do work or art, used for industrial, commercial, energy, or office purposes or used as a workshop, laboratory or indoor shooting range, except a family farm operation in which only the members of a specific family are employed;

(j.1)  “respirable asbestos fibre” means asbestos fibre having a diameter of less than 3 µm and a ratio of length to diameter of more than 3:1. Only fibres longer than 5 µm are taken into account for measurement purposes;

(j.2)  “high-efficiency filter” means a filter capable of filtering particles 0.3 µm in size at an efficiency rate of at least 99.97%;

(k)  “Act” means the Environment Quality Act (chapter Q-2);

(k.1)  “friable material” means material that can be crumbled, pulverized or powdered by hand pressure when dry or that is crumbled, pulverized or powdered;

(l)  “work location” means any place, including a vehicle, except when used for agricultural purposes, utilized by a worker to accomplish his work;

(m)  “stationary work location” means any work location in which a worker is required to perform his duties for at least 4 hours of his working day over a usual work surface of 30 m3 or less;

(m.1)  “asbestos dust” means airborne asbestos particles or deposited asbestos particles liable to become airborne in the work area;

(n)  “air recirculation” means local exhaust ventilation, filtering of the air and redistribution of the filtered air in a work area;

(o)  “washroom” means any room containing one or several toilets, urinals, sinks or showers to meet the sanitary needs of the workers of an establishment;

(p)  “peak value” means the maximum level reached by a sound wave;

(q)  “respiratory zone” means a hemisphere having a 300 mm radius extending in front of the face and measured from the midpoint of an imaginary line joining the ears.

R.R.Q., 1981, c. S-2.1, r. 15, s. 1; O.C. 55-90, s. 2; O.C. 1248-94, s. 1.