Compliance Corner

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Have a compliance question? You’re not alone.

Compliance Corner is where WorkSafeNB’s Chief Compliance Officer, Eric Brideau, answers common questions we hear from New Brunswick workplaces. Each month, we feature a real-world scenario, explain how the legislation applies, and link to more detailed guidance when needed.

Clear answers. Practical examples. Straight from the source.

Have a compliance question? You’re not alone.

Compliance Corner is where WorkSafeNB’s Chief Compliance Officer, Eric Brideau, answers common questions we hear from New Brunswick workplaces. Each month, we feature a real-world scenario, explain how the legislation applies, and link to more detailed guidance when needed.

Clear answers. Practical examples. Straight from the source.

Have a compliance question you’d like answered?

Submit it here and it may be featured in a future Compliance Corner.

Compliance Corner offers general guidance on common workplace safety questions. If you have a site-specific or urgent compliance concern, please contact compliance.confirmite@ws-ts.nb.ca.

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  • Share We have a mix of equipment in our workplace, including hand tools, stationary machines, and heavy equipment. Do all of these require a lockout procedure when we’re cleaning, maintaining, repairing, or adjusting equipment? — Employer, New Brunswick on Facebook Share We have a mix of equipment in our workplace, including hand tools, stationary machines, and heavy equipment. Do all of these require a lockout procedure when we’re cleaning, maintaining, repairing, or adjusting equipment? — Employer, New Brunswick on Twitter Share We have a mix of equipment in our workplace, including hand tools, stationary machines, and heavy equipment. Do all of these require a lockout procedure when we’re cleaning, maintaining, repairing, or adjusting equipment? — Employer, New Brunswick on Linkedin Email We have a mix of equipment in our workplace, including hand tools, stationary machines, and heavy equipment. Do all of these require a lockout procedure when we’re cleaning, maintaining, repairing, or adjusting equipment? — Employer, New Brunswick link

    We have a mix of equipment in our workplace, including hand tools, stationary machines, and heavy equipment. Do all of these require a lockout procedure when we’re cleaning, maintaining, repairing, or adjusting equipment? — Employer, New Brunswick

    about 2 months ago

    Answer (Eric Brideau, Chief Compliance Officer)

    This is a great question, and it’s one we hear often.

    The short answer is no, not every machine, tool or piece of equipment requires a written lockout procedure. Lockout requirements are based on risk and exposure to hazardous energy, not simply on whether something is called a “machine” or “equipment.”

    In some situations, such as changing a blade on a plug-in or battery-powered hand tool, simply unplugging the tool or removing the battery (and keeping it under the worker’s control) may be sufficient. In other cases, particularly when workers are exposed to stored or potential energy while cleaning, maintaining, adjusting, or repairing equipment, a formal lockout procedure is required to prevent unexpected movement or re-energization.

    Heavy equipment, complex machinery, and systems with multiple energy sources generally require more detailed lockout procedures. The key is understanding when a task places a worker at risk and ensuring that energy sources are properly controlled before work begins.

    To help clarify when lockout is required, when it isn’t, and what an acceptable lockout procedure looks like, we’ve published a detailed interpretation of Sections 239 and 240 of the General Regulation.

    👉 Read the full Lockout Interpretation: When do machine and equipment need a lockout procedure?

  • Share We’re building new stairs in one of our facilities and want to ensure we meet WorkSafeNB requirements. We’ve heard different strength requirements mentioned under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and the National Building Code (NBC). Which standard applies, and what load do our stairways actually need to support? - Jack Jones, ABC Company on Facebook Share We’re building new stairs in one of our facilities and want to ensure we meet WorkSafeNB requirements. We’ve heard different strength requirements mentioned under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and the National Building Code (NBC). Which standard applies, and what load do our stairways actually need to support? - Jack Jones, ABC Company on Twitter Share We’re building new stairs in one of our facilities and want to ensure we meet WorkSafeNB requirements. We’ve heard different strength requirements mentioned under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and the National Building Code (NBC). Which standard applies, and what load do our stairways actually need to support? - Jack Jones, ABC Company on Linkedin Email We’re building new stairs in one of our facilities and want to ensure we meet WorkSafeNB requirements. We’ve heard different strength requirements mentioned under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and the National Building Code (NBC). Which standard applies, and what load do our stairways actually need to support? - Jack Jones, ABC Company link

    We’re building new stairs in one of our facilities and want to ensure we meet WorkSafeNB requirements. We’ve heard different strength requirements mentioned under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and the National Building Code (NBC). Which standard applies, and what load do our stairways actually need to support? - Jack Jones, ABC Company

    3 months ago

    Answer (Eric Brideau, Chief Compliance Officer)

    This is a common and important question, and it comes up often when employers are designing or modifying stairways.

    Under the OHS Act, stairways must be strong enough to sustain a live load of 4.8 kPa.

    However, the NBC provides more detailed design criteria, with different load requirements depending on how the stairs are used. For example, stairs serving a single dwelling unit or a house with a secondary suite are designed to a lower load than stairs serving other occupancies.

    Because stairway strength depends on how the stairs are constructed and used, it’s important to look beyond the load number alone. The full interpretation explains how the regulatory requirement aligns with the NBC and includes illustrations that show what compliant wooden stair construction looks like.

    Read the full legal interpretation 👉

Page last updated: 23 Feb 2026, 05:48 PM