Section 177 — Canada Labour Code: Emergency work

The maximum hours of work in a week specified in or prescribed under section 171, established pursuant to section 172 or prescribed by regulations made under section 175 may be exceeded, but only to the extent necessary to prevent serious interference with the ordinary working of the industrial establishment affected, in cases of accident to machinery, equipment, plant or persons; urgent and essential work to be done to machinery, equipment or plant; or other unforeseen or unpreventable circumstances. Where the maximum hours of work in an industrial establishment have been exceeded under the authority of subsection (1), the employer shall report in writing to the Head, and also to the trade union if the affected employees are subject to a collective agreement, within 15 days after the end of the month in which the maximum was exceeded, stating the nature of the circumstances in which the maximum was exceeded, the number of employees who worked in excess of the maximum and the number of additional hours each of them worked.