Northwest Territories hearing conservation requirements are set by Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) — jointly administering NWT and Nunavut under Safety Act (R.S.N.W.T. 1988, c. S-1) and implemented through Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (NWT Reg. 039-2015), Part 7 (Noise). There is no single “Canadian OSHA” — provincially regulated workplaces in Northwest Territories (the great majority of employers in the province) follow this provincial regulation rather than the federal Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (COHSR). This guide is the Northwest Territories expansion of our Canada vs. Federal OSHA hearing conservation pillar, covering the action level, exposure limit, audiometric testing requirements, HPD and measurement standards, key noise-exposed industries, and penalty structure for Northwest Territories employers.
Soundtrace delivers audiometric testing and noise monitoring tooling for employers operating in Canada and the United States — ANSI S3.1 / CSA Z107.56-aligned and supervised by a licensed audiologist. Contact us about Northwest Territories operations.
Northwest Territories OH&S Overview
Occupational health and safety in Northwest Territories is administered by Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) — jointly administering NWT and Nunavut under Safety Act (R.S.N.W.T. 1988, c. S-1). Noise and hearing conservation requirements are set out in Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (NWT Reg. 039-2015), Part 7 (Noise). Unlike the US state-plan system — where state programs adopt federal OSHA standards by reference — Northwest Territories’s noise regulation is a standalone provincial instrument that the regulator drafted and enforces directly. There is no federal Canadian floor that applies to provincially regulated workplaces in Northwest Territories.
Federally regulated workplaces in Northwest Territories — interprovincial trucking, rail, air, marine, banking, telecommunications, federal Crown corporations — follow the federal COHSR Part VII noise rule, not the provincial regulation. Everyone else — manufacturing, construction, healthcare, retail, agriculture, provincial Crown corporations — follows the provincial rule covered in this guide.
Hearing Conservation Requirements in Northwest Territories
| Requirement | Northwest Territories |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) — jointly administering NWT and Nunavut |
| Governing statute | Safety Act (R.S.N.W.T. 1988, c. S-1) |
| Noise regulation | Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (NWT Reg. 039-2015), Part 7 (Noise) |
| Action level | 85 dBA Lex,8 |
| Exposure limit | 85 dBA Lex,8 |
| Exchange rate | 3 dB (equal-energy) |
| Audiometric testing | Required as part of HCP at ≥ 85 dBA Lex,8 |
| HPD standard | CSA Z94.2 (current edition) |
| Noise measurement standard | CSA Z107.56 (current edition) |
Audiometric testing. A hearing conservation program is required where workers are exposed at or above 85 dBA Lex,8. Audiometric testing is required as part of the HCP. The WSCC follows CSA Z1007 for program design and accepts audiometric testing performed by certified technicians from adjoining jurisdictions.
Hearing protection. Where exposures cannot be reduced below the exposure limit through engineering or administrative controls, the employer must provide hearing protection devices selected and used in accordance with CSA Z94.2 (current edition). CSA Z94.2 uses an A-B-C classification (Class A is the highest-attenuation, Class C is the lowest) and provides selection guidance based on measured exposure — this is the Canadian counterpart to the US NRR derating framework. See: audiometric testing for employers.
Noise measurement. Noise surveys and dosimetry must be conducted in accordance with CSA Z107.56 (current edition), which specifies measurement strategy, instrument calibration, and reporting requirements for occupational noise exposure assessments.
NWT's diamond mines operate large-scale fly-in/fly-out workforces, often rotating with Alberta and BC. HCP documentation must satisfy NWT requirements at the worksite, even where audiometric testing is performed elsewhere. The WSCC and Nunavut share an administrative structure and substantially identical OHS regulations.
Jurisdiction and Coverage
The provincial noise regulation covers private-sector employers and provincial/municipal government employers operating in Northwest Territories. Federally regulated employers in Northwest Territories are covered by COHSR Part VII (the federal rule). Mining is generally covered by the provincial OH&S regime with sector-specific noise provisions in some jurisdictions; offshore oil and gas is regulated by joint federal-provincial offshore safety boards where applicable.
| Employer Type | Governing Regulator | Noise Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Private sector in Northwest Territories | Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission | Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (NWT Reg. 039-2015) |
| Provincial/municipal government | Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission | Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (NWT Reg. 039-2015) |
| Federally regulated (interprovincial transport, banking, telecom, federal Crown) | Employment and Social Development Canada / Labour Program | COHSR Part VII (SOR/86-304) |
| Cross-border US operations | US OSHA or state-plan OSHA | 29 CFR 1910.95 |
Enforcement and Penalties
Under the Safety Act, an individual convicted of an offence may be fined up to CAD $500,000 and/or imprisoned for up to 12 months; a corporation may be fined up to CAD $1,000,000. The WSCC also issues compliance orders and may adjust experience-rated premiums for non-compliance.
For comparison with US enforcement, see our OSHA hearing conservation violations and penalties guide. Canadian penalty maximums are denominated in Canadian dollars and are typically higher per-offence than US OSHA maximums — though Canadian regulators generally pursue prosecution less frequently than US OSHA pursues citations, relying more heavily on administrative orders, stop-work orders, and experience-rated WCB premium adjustments.
Key Noise-Exposed Industries in Northwest Territories
The following sectors in Northwest Territories consistently generate occupational noise exposures that trigger the hearing conservation program: diamond mining (Diavik, Ekati, Gahcho Kué), gold and base metal mining, oil and gas (limited), and construction in remote camp environments. Employers in these sectors should prioritize noise assessment by job classification under CSA Z107.56 (current edition) to identify which workers exceed the action level.
Building a Compliant HCP in Northwest Territories
A hearing conservation program that satisfies Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (NWT Reg. 039-2015) in Northwest Territories should follow CSA Z1007 (Hearing Loss Prevention Program Management) as the program-design framework. The core elements:
- Noise assessment under CSA Z107.56 (current edition) — identify which workers exceed 85 dBA Lex,8.
- Engineering and administrative controls first, where reasonably practicable — HPDs are a control of last resort, not the primary control.
- Hearing protection devices selected and used per CSA Z94.2 (current edition), with selection documented against measured exposure.
- Audiometric testing per the regulator’s expectations — required as part of hcp at ≥ 85 dba lex,8.
- Worker education on noise hazards, control measures, HPD selection and use, and the audiometric program.
- Recordkeeping covering noise assessments, HPD program documentation, and audiometric records retained for the working life of the worker (per CSA Z1007).
- Program review at least annually and whenever workplace conditions change materially.
For cross-border employers, a CSA Z1007-aligned program built for Northwest Territories will generally also satisfy US OSHA 29 CFR 1910.95, since Z1007’s audiometric and training elements are stricter than the US OSHA floor.
- Safety Act (R.S.N.W.T. 1988, c. S-1)
- Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (NWT Reg. 039-2015), Part 7 (Noise)
- Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (SOR/86-304) — Part VII Levels of Sound (federal comparison)
- CSA Z94.2 — Hearing Protection Devices: Performance, Selection, Care, and Use
- CSA Z107.56 — Measurement of Noise Exposure
- CSA Z1007 — Hearing Loss Prevention Program Management
Hearing conservation tooling for Northwest Territories employers
Soundtrace provides audiometric testing and noise monitoring tools supervised by a licensed audiologist, with 30-year cloud record retention. Contact us about Northwest Territories operations and how our program documentation aligns with CSA Z1007, Z94.2, and Z107.56.
Get a Free Quote Book a demo →Frequently Asked Questions
The action level in Northwest Territories is 85 dBA Lex,8, with an exposure limit of 85 dBA Lex,8 and a 3 dB (equal-energy) exchange rate. Once a worker is exposed at or above the action level, the employer must implement a hearing conservation program covering noise assessment, engineering and administrative controls, hearing protection devices, worker education, and audiometric testing as required by the regulation.
A hearing conservation program is required where workers are exposed at or above 85 dBA Lex,8. Audiometric testing is required as part of the HCP. The WSCC follows CSA Z1007 for program design and accepts audiometric testing performed by certified technicians from adjoining jurisdictions.
Under the Safety Act, an individual convicted of an offence may be fined up to CAD $500,000 and/or imprisoned for up to 12 months; a corporation may be fined up to CAD $1,000,000. The WSCC also issues compliance orders and may adjust experience-rated premiums for non-compliance.
Northwest Territories regulators cite CSA Z94.2 (Hearing Protection Devices) for HPD selection and CSA Z107.56 (Measurement of Noise Exposure) for noise surveys and dosimetry. CSA Z1007 (Hearing Loss Prevention Program Management) is the recognized program-management standard and is treated as the standard of care for HCP design across Canadian jurisdictions.