The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) came into force on March 31, 2000. CEPA mandates the assessment of new and existing substances to determine and reduce their risk to the environment and human health. The regulation established a substance list, the Prohibition List of Toxic Substances, which is amended regularly to include substances deemed eligible following their assessment, such as Asbestos, Benzene, Lead, Vinyl Chloride, Mercury, and Formaldehyde.
The Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations prohibits the manufacture, use, sale, or import of the toxic substances listed, and products containing them, with a limited number of exemptions. The substances prohibited by these regulations are amongst the most harmful and have been declared toxic to the environment and/or human health under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), and are generally persistent and bioaccumulative. These regulations generally apply to all persons in Canada. The Regulations is amended periodically to modify current requirements or to add new substances.
Prohibition of Asbestos and Products Containing Asbestos Regulations – These regulations prohibit the import, sale and use of asbestos, as well as the manufacture, import, sale, and use of products containing asbestos, with some exceptions. These regulations are published under the authority of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999), and came into force on December 30, 2018.
Canadian Toys Regulation – The Toys Regulation under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) sets out mandatory safety requirements for children’s toys and related products manufactured, advertised, imported or sold in Canada. The regulation sets out requirements to protect children from a variety of hazards, including mechanical (such as choking, strangulation, suffocation, lacerations and punctures); flammability (such as fire and burns); toxicological (such as poisoning); and electrical (such as electrocution and shock). The regulation also sets out specific test methods and criteria. The CCPSA came into force in 2011.
Health Canada Medical Device Licensing – All manufacturers of licensed Class II, III and IV medical devices are required to inform Health Canada as to whether their devices contain more than or equal to 0.1% by mass of DEHP or are manufactured from raw materials containing or derived from BPA. The specific requirements are listed in the Health Canada licensing forms applicable to medical devices.
Canadian Phthalates Regulations (SOR/2016-188) – The vinyl in a toy or child care article must not contain more than 1 000 mg/kg of DEHP, DBP, or BBP. The vinyl in any part of a toy or child care article that can, in a reasonably foreseeable manner, be placed in the mouth of a child under four years of age must not contain more than 1 000 mg/kg of DINP, DIDP, or DNOP. This regulation came into force in 2016.
Products Containing Mercury Regulations – Prohibits the manufacture and import of products containing mercury or any of its compounds. In some cases, content of mercury in products is limited, such as for fluorescent lamps, fluorescent tubes, and neon signs. It requires the labelling of exempted mercury containing products so that consumers are aware of the presence of mercury, safe handling procedures, measures to take in case of accidental breakage, and options for disposal and recycling. The regulations were published on November 19, 2014. The regulations came into force on November 8, 2015.