Marine Health and Safety Regulation Specialist

NRCan is seeking proposals from bidders for a Marine Health and Safety Regulation Specialist.

On December 31, 2014, amendments to the federal Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and their mirror provincial versions came into force. These changes established in law a new occupational health and safety regime in Canada’s Atlantic offshore areas that apply to all workplaces in the offshore area, including ships used for seismic, construction and geotechnical activities.^[1]

The Governments of Canada, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, together with the offshore regulators (Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board and Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board), have embarked on an initiative to develop new regulations to support the OHS regime. As part of this initiative, a technical working group composed of OHS initiative technical members has been established to develop policy intent to support the development of new, modernized OHS regulations.

Given that the definition of workplace is broad and encompasses ships that are transient in nature, typically operating globally and often utilized only for short-term programs in the Atlantic offshore areas, it is necessary to consider what international and other domestic codes and rules related to operational and occupational safety that these workplaces may be built to and/or operating under. The OHS Initiative government partners are looking for expertise in occupational health and safety in the marine industry that will provide additional technical expertise to the Project Manager in the area of national and international regulatory frameworks related to operational and occupational safety of ships. The outcome of this work will help to ensure that draft policy intent is appropriate for all workplaces, including those ships included in the definition, and will help to identify where exceptions or alternate requirements need to be made.

The period of the contract shall be from contract award to October 30, 2017. (Estimated 60 days)

[1] Excluded from the definition of workplace are offshore support vessels being used to support offshore activities