Exposure to noise | Reducing the limit to 2023, FTQ is becoming impatient

The daily noise exposure limit in the workplace is increased from 90 to 85 decibels.

క్యూ Quebec joins Canadian provinces on daily exposure criteria [8 heures] 85 dBA at the noise level ”, cited by the Commission for Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST) standards, in question.

CNESST explains that this preventive measure “aims to reduce occupational deafness by updating control requirements and instructions regarding noise exposure and hearing protection”.

From 2011 to 2020, CNESST recorded 67,323 injuries and was “registered and approved for professional deafness”.

FTQ, which has been campaigning for years for more concern about noise in the workplace, wants us to be prepared now.

“We are far behind. We will be back by June 16, 2023. In terms of prevention, we are doing poorly in Quebec. We said during the study of Bill 59. [réforme en santé-sécurité au travail] : We are far from everyone in North America. And this also applies to sound; We need to rectify the situation, “said FTQ President Daniel Boyer in an interview.

“The first goal is to eliminate at source. We are telling our workers on the ground: the noise problem has been around for a long time. And we should not take action now because there is a standard that will be revised in 2023. The president of the Central Labor Union, which has more than 600,000 members, has warned.

The FTQ President also invites employers to participate in their efforts because they can provide solutions.

“Many companies are modifying their machinery because they are more robotizing and have artificial intelligence. If we change machines, we should be concerned that the noise should be low and acceptable,” Mr Boer argued.

According to the FTQ, more than 400,000 cubes experience an average noise level of 85 decibels during their eight-hour shift.