Quebec – Québec
Fire Safety – Securite incendi
This material has been extracted from the Acts and Regulations of the Province to help students understand the subject. It is not an official source of information and must not be used for any other purpose.
The following is © Gouvernement du Québec, 2009
c. S-2.1, r.19.01
Regulation respecting occupational health and safety
An Act respecting occupational health and safety
R.S.Q., c. S-2.1, s. 223. 1st par. subpar. (1), (3), (4), (7) to (16), (18) to (21.1), (41) and (42), 2nd par. and 3rd par
DIVISION IV
EMERGENCY SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
34. Evacuation plan: In any establishment, an emergency evacuation plan shall be drawn up and be in force, if applicable.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 34.
35. Drills: Rescue and evacuation drills shall be held at least once a year. These drills are to be adapted to risks found in the establishment as well as to the nature of activities carried on there.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 35.
36. Portable fire extinguishers: portable fire extinguishers shall be installed in all buildings so that action may be taken in the early stages of a fire.
The choice, installation, utilization and maintenance of these portable fire extinguishers shall comply with the NFPA-10 Portable Fire Extinguishers standard, applicable according to the year the extinguishers were installed.
Additional fire extinguishers shall be installed in places where there is a localized risk of fire.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 36.
37. Operating conditions: Portable fire extinguishers shall :
(1) be approved by Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (U.L.C.) ;
(2) provide protection according to the nature of the present hazard ;
(3) be filled after use ;
(4) bear the name of the person entrusted therewith and the date of the last inspection.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 37.
38. Emergency systems: Alarm and detection systems as well as emergency lighting shall always be in good working order.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 38.
DIVISION VIII
COMBUSTIBLE DUSTS AND DRY MATERIALS
54. Preventive cleaning: All rooms where combustible dusts are generated shall be cleaned as often as necessary to prevent the accumulation of dusts on floors, beams, equipment, and machines, in quantities that can present a fire or explosion hazard.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 54.
55. Ground: Any equipment, including machines, in rooms where combustible dusts presenting a fire or explosion hazard are generated shall be grounded.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 55.
56. Flammable source: No flammable source is permitted in areas where combustible dusts present a fire or explosion hazard. Smoking is prohibited.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 56.
57. Fire or explosion hazard: Machines and equipment presenting a fire or explosion hazard due to combustible dusts, shall be so located, constructed, enclosed or purged as to protect employees near such machines or equipment.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 57.
58. Collection and processing systems: In addition to the requirements of section 108, every blower, conveyor, transfer or processing system for pulverized combustible dust and any other suspended matter presenting a fire or explosion hazard must be designed, built, installed, used and maintained in compliance with the following standards according to their respective application :
(1) NFPA Standard 61-2002 Prevention of Fires and Dust Explosions in Agricultural and Food Processing Facilities ;
(2) NFPA Standard 484-2002 Combustible Metals, Metal Powders and Metal Dusts;
(3) NFPA Standard 664-2002 Prevention of Fires and Explosions in Wood Processing and Woodworking Facilities.
For any other field of application, the system must comply with NFPA Standard 654-2000 Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids.
Any system referred to in the first paragraph installed before 4 January 2007 must comply with one of those standards or with the standard applicable at the time of the installation of the system.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 58; O.C. 1120-2006, s. 1.
59. Enclosed dust collectors: Every enclosed collector for combustible dust or any other suspended matter presenting a fire or explosion hazard must
(1) be designed, manufactured and maintained according to the rules of the trade ; and
(2) be placed and installed
(a) outside a building if provided with explosion vents in compliance with NFPA Standard 68-1998 Guide for Venting of Deflagrations ; vents already installed on collectors on 4 January 2007 must also comply with that standard or with the standard applicable at the time of installation of the vents and be in good order ;
(b) inside a building in either of the following cases :
(i) if adjacent to an outside wall or ceiling towards which the explosion vents are channelled by explosion proof ducts and if they comply with NFPA Standard 68-1998 Guide for Venting of Deflagrations; vents already installed on the collectors on 4 January 2007 must also comply with that standard or with the standard applicable at the time of the installation of the vents and be in good order ; or
(ii) if equipped with an automatic explosion prevention system in compliance with NFPA Standard 69-2002 Explosion Prevention Systems ; the automatic prevention systems installed on the collectors as of 4 January 2007 must also comply with that standard or with the standard applicable at the time of the installation of the systems and be in good order.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 59; O.C. 1120-2006, s. 1.
59.1. Open dust collectors : Every open collector for combustible dust or any other suspended matter presenting a fire or explosion hazard and used in the wood industry may be placed and installed inside a building
(1) if it is not connected to a sander or abrasive planer with mechanical feed ;
(2) if its capacity does not exceed 2.4 cubic metres per second ;
(3) if the fan motor is designed for Class II or III locations according to the Canadian Electrical Code, First Part, Nineteenth Edition, CSA Standard C22-10-04 with Québec Amendments ;
(4) if it is emptied as needed sufficiently often to ensure safety and collecting efficiency ;
(5) if installed at least 6 metres from a work station, a travelway or an emergency exit, unless a protective blast screen, such as a steel sheet, a fire-resistant synthetic sheet or a gypsum wall, is installed between the station, the travelway or the exit and the open dust collector if it is not possible to comply with that distance ; and
(6) where there is more than one open dust collector, if the collectors are at least 6 metres apart, unless a protective blast screen, such as a steel sheet, a fire-resistant synthetic sheet or a gypsum wall is installed between the collectors if it is not possible to comply with that distance.
For the purposes of this section, “open dust collector” means equipment for the separation of air from solid particles designed and used to remove dust and having the following features :
(1) filtering is done by dust-laden air passing through a filtering element that gathers dust inside the filter and allows clean air to return to the ambient air ;
(2) the filtering element is not enclosed or installed in a rigid casing ;
(3) the filtering element is not shaken mechanically or by pulsed air jets ;
(4) the filtering element is under positive pressure ; and
(5) the cleaning of collected dust is neither continuous nor mechanical.
O.C. 1120-2006, s. 1.
60. Silos: Silos used for storing dry combustible substances shall be :
(1) made of fire resistant materials ;
(2) provided with covers and adequate ventilation ;
(3) provided with explosion vents complying with the standard Guide for Venting of Deflagrations, NFPA 68-1998, where there is a risk of explosion. Vents already installed in silos on 2 August 2001 may also be used if they comply with a previous text of this standard and are in good working order.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 60.
80. Propane gas: Any propane gas cylinder that is not connected for use shall be stored in accordance with the Propane Installation Code, CAN/CGA B149.2-M91.
Non-reusable propane gas cylinders shall also be stored in compliance with paragraph 9.5.6 of this code.
§3. Flammable and combustible substances
81. Storage: Flammable and combustible substances shall be stored :
(1) away from areas with a high fire hazard ;
(2) away from combustive substances or powerful oxidizing agents.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 81.
82. Liquid state flammables and combustibles: The storage, handling and use of liquid state flammables and combustibles shall be carried out in accordance with NFPA Standard 30-1996 Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code.
In the case of buildings in existence on 2 August 2001, the employer may, however, take precautions that ensure a level of safety equivalent to that prescribed in this standard.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 82; O.C. 1120-2006, s. 2.
83. Gaseous state flammable substances: Gaseous state flammable substances such as ammonia gas, hydrogen, acetylene and hydrogen sulfide shall never be stored with combustive substances or with oxidizing agents in a gaseous state such as chlorine, fluorine, nitrogen dioxide, nitrous oxides, nitrogen tetroxide, oxygen or compressed air.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 83.
84. Reactive substances flammable in contact with air: Reactive substances that are flammable in contact with air to the point of being able to burn shall be kept either :
(1) under an inert liquid ;
(2) in an inert atmosphere ;
(3) in sealed containers.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 84.
85. Reactive substances flammable in contact with water: Reactive substances that are flammable in contact with water shall be stored :
(1) in closed containers ;
(2) away from sources of humidity ;
(3) away from plumbing with condensation or drippings.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 85.
86. Interpretation: For the purposes of sections 87 to 91, powerful oxidizing agents such as chlorine and fluorine are considered to be combustive substances.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 86.
87. Storage: Combustive substances shall be stored away from substances with which they may react and especially from the following substances :
(1) a corrosive substance with which they may react by exploding ;
(2) an inflammable or combustible substance with which they may react violently ;
(3) a toxic substance ;
(4) a reducing agent, especially a metallic powder ;
(5) a substance which oxidizes easily, including wood surfaces.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 87.
88. Containers for combustive substances: Containers having combustive substances shall:
(1) be stored closed ;
(2) have their content clearly identified;
(3) be kept in cool, dry places.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 88.
89. Gaseous state combustive substances: Gaseous state combustive substances shall never be stored with gaseous state flammable substances.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 89.
90. Ground: Equipment, including machines, used for processing or handling combustive substances such as organic peroxides, nitrates and chlorates shall be grounded.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 90.
91. Contaminated clothing: Clothing contaminated by combustive substances shall be removed immediately and washed before being worn again.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 91.
