. /. WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/TBT/N/CAN/362 
4 April 2012  
 (12-1806) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English/ 
 French 
 
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member:  CANADA  
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Natural Resources 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above :  Canadian Enquiry 
Point, 200-270 Albert Street, Ottawa, Ontari o, Canada, K1P 6N7 Tel.:  +1 613 238 3222, 
Fax.:  +1 613 569 7808, E-mail:  mailto:enquirypoint@scc.ca   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [ X ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Explosives (ICS:  71.100) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Proposed Explosives 
Regulations, 2012 (186 pages, available in English and French).     
6. Description of content:  The Explosives Regulations  are out of date and make it difficult for 
regulatees to determine their obligations in or der to comply with the Regulations. Several 
areas of industrial safety and security must be enhanced to be in line with industry best 
practices such as quality management systems and personnel training, a nd certain gaps must 
be filled in order to ensure an appropriate le vel of safety and security for the industry, its 
workers, and the public at large.  
Modernization of the Regulations requires a comp lete rewrite of the legal text, and introduces 
a minimal number of new requireme nts. The Explosives Act and Regulations  are outdated. 
The modernized Regulations woul d better reflect modern industr y practices and standards.  
With the exception of regulatory requirements related to the implementation of outstanding 
obligations under the Public Safety Act , the modernization initiative does not introduce new 
requirements other than changes to reflect modern practices. The most important changes 
being made are: 
- Enhanced management of operating proce dures for processes and better staff 
training;  
- Requirement of fire safety plans a nd, under certain circumstances, of 
decommissioning plans; 
- Tighter control on the packaging of c onsumer fireworks (e.g. roman candles, 
fountains); G/TBT/N/CAN/362 
Page 2  
 
  - Distribution of safety information to consumers; 
- Clarification of requirement s applicable to retail sales establishments (e.g. 
requirement of displays for sale for consumer fireworks); 
- Clarification and strengthening of requirements applicable to the use of consumer 
fireworks; and 
- New packaging standards to be  met by sellers of industria l explosives (e.g. sellers 
must mark licence or authorization number on inner packaging). 
As well, the security of explosives is to be strengthened by 
- introducing a regime of export and in tran sit transportation permits and requiring 
importers and exporters to provi de additional information;  
- requiring a tracking and communication system  in vehicles carrying large quantities 
of explosives;  
- lowering magazine storage exemption limits, which will vary by type of explosive;  
- requiring security plans detailing measures to be taken to prevent and react to security 
incidents;  
- requiring a key control plan for licensed magazines; and 
- requiring security screening of personnel who could have access to high hazard 
explosives types E (high explosives), I (i nitiation systems) and D (military and law 
enforcement explosives). 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of public safety and security  
8. Relevant documents:   Canada Gazette , Part I, 17 March 2012, Pa ges 556-741 (available in 
English and French).   
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
 
Proposed date of entry into force:    Normally within 5 to 8 months of publication in 
the Canada Gazette , Part I. 
On the date the measure is adopted 
10. Final date for comments:  31 May 2012 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [ X], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addres ses, if available of the other body:   The electronic 
version of the regulatory text can be downloaded at:    
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/ 2012/2012-03-17/pdf/g1-14611.pdf#page=30 ( Canada 
Gazette ) 
or  
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/ p1/2012/2012-03-17/html/reg1-eng.html  (English)  
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/ p1/2012/2012-03-17/html/reg1-fra.html  (French)