New Brunswick Occupational Health and Safety Act

The New Brunswick government is taking a proactive step toward protecting workers’ hearing health by updating its General Regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. These updates introduce new requirements for workplaces where noise exposure exceeds or is believed to exceed the established permissible noise exposure limits outlined in Section 30 of the Act (more than 85 dBA for 8 hours - see regulation 91-191 for other exposure limits).

Key Changes

Under the new regulation, employers must:

Implement a Hearing Conservation Code of Practice if noise exposure in a work area surpasses the permissible limits.
Conduct periodic hearing tests for employees exposed to excessive noise levels.
Maintain records of hearing test results, noise level measurements, and employee training on noise hazards and protective measures.

Hearing Test Requirements

Employers must ensure that employees who are exposed to noise exceeding section 30 limits receive hearing tests:

As soon as possible after employment begins, but no later than six months from the start date.
At least once every 24 months following the initial test.

Who Can Administer the Hearing Tests?

Hearing tests must be administered by either:

An audiologist registered with the New Brunswick Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (NBASLPA), or
A qualified individual trained according to CSA Standard Z-107.6:16 (R2020) or an equivalent standard.

Record-Keeping Requirements

Employers must keep detailed records of:

Hearing test results for each employee, retained for the duration of their employment, made available to an officer upon request, and kept confidential unless released with written employee consent or as required by law.
Noise level measurements conducted in accordance with section 29.
Employee training and instruction on noise hazards, protective measures, and proper use of hearing protection.

What This Means for You

To ensure compliance, you should:

Assess noise exposure levels in the workplace.
Implement a Hearing Conservation Code of Practice if required.
Offer and schedule hearing tests with qualified professionals for affected employees within the mandated timelines.
Maintain proper records in compliance with the new requirements.

DriverCheck Can Help!

Partner with DriverCheck to conduct necessary tests and ensure you are compliant with all regulations!

Do you have questions about Audiometric Testing? If you are a current client of DriverCheck, contact our Client Support Group at (800) 463-4310 option 4 or by email at ClientSupport@DriverCheck.ca. If you are new to DriverCheck, contact our Sales Team at (800) 463-4310 option 4 or by email at Sales@DriverCheck.ca

Related Services:

Audiometric Testing

Occupational Health Services

Hearing Protection Fit Testing

Related Links:

Full Regulation

Noise and Hearing Conservation Program Summary