WHMIS, the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, is Canada's system for communicating the hazards of chemicals and other hazardous products at work. It has three parts: labels on containers, safety data sheets (SDSs) that give detailed information, and worker education and training. The current system is aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).
Who is responsible for what
WHMIS is shared between federal and provincial law:
- Suppliers (manufacturers, importers and distributors) fall under the federal Hazardous Products Act and Hazardous Products Regulations. They must classify their products, label them and provide an SDS.
- Employers fall under provincial or territorial OHS law (or the Canada Labour Code for federally regulated workplaces). They must make sure hazardous products are labelled, SDSs are available, and workers are trained.
- Workers must take part in training, follow safe work practices and report missing or damaged labels.
Labels
Supplier labels
A supplier label comes on the product as purchased. It includes:
- The product identifier (name).
- Hazard pictograms.
- A signal word: "Danger" for more severe hazards, "Warning" for less severe.
- Hazard statements describing the nature of the hazard.
- Precautionary statements on prevention, response, storage and disposal.
- Supplier identifier and contact information.
Labels must be in English and French.
Workplace labels
Workplace labels are needed when a product is decanted into another container, when the supplier label is lost or unreadable, or when a product is made at the workplace. They must show the product identifier, safe handling information and a reference to the SDS. Provincial rules set out when a workplace label is required and some exemptions, for example a container used immediately by the person who filled it.
Pictograms
WHMIS uses red-bordered diamond pictograms to show hazard classes at a glance. The main ones:
| Pictogram | Typical meaning |
|---|---|
| Flame | Flammable gases, liquids and solids; self-heating and pyrophoric materials |
| Flame over circle | Oxidizers |
| Exploding bomb | Explosive and self-reactive products, some organic peroxides |
| Gas cylinder | Gases under pressure |
| Corrosion | Corrosive to metals, skin burns, serious eye damage |
| Skull and crossbones | Acute toxicity that can be fatal or toxic |
| Health hazard | Serious longer-term effects: cancer, respiratory sensitization, reproductive and organ toxicity |
| Exclamation mark | Less severe health effects, such as skin irritation |
| Environment | Hazards to the aquatic environment (may appear on labels, but not a WHMIS requirement) |
| Biohazardous infectious materials | Organisms or toxins that can cause disease (WHMIS-specific) |
Safety data sheets
An SDS has 16 sections in a set order, covering identification, hazards, composition, first aid, firefighting, accidental release, handling and storage, exposure controls and PPE, physical and chemical properties, stability and reactivity, toxicology and other information. The sections most useful to workers on the floor are usually the hazard identification, first aid, handling and storage, accidental release and exposure controls sections.
Employers must keep an SDS for each hazardous product and make it readily available to workers, on paper or electronically, as long as workers know how to get to it and it is available without delay. Suppliers must update SDSs when significant new information becomes available, so check that you have the current version when products are reordered.
Keep the inventory honest. Many workplaces have shelves of products nobody uses, with SDSs missing or long out of date. Remove what you do not need, and keep a current list of what remains with an SDS for each.
Worker education and training
WHMIS training has two parts. General education covers how the system works: labels, pictograms and SDSs. Workplace-specific training covers the hazardous products workers actually use, the procedures for handling, storing and disposing of them, what to do in an emergency, and how to find the SDS. Provincial rules require training to be reviewed at least annually or when conditions change, and employers should check that workers understood it, not just that they attended.
WHMIS training complements, but does not replace, training on the controls themselves, such as ventilation, respiratory protection and PPE. Keep records; see keeping safety training records.
Products outside WHMIS
Some products are covered by other laws instead of WHMIS supplier requirements, such as consumer products, pest control products, explosives, cosmetics and some others. Employers still have OHS duties for these products if they are hazardous at work, so workers still need information and training. Check the current exclusions in your provincial rules.
How ehZee can help
ehZee helps employers review their WHMIS programs, including product inventories, SDS management, labelling and training, as part of a wider safety program. See safety program development and review.
Common questions
How old can an SDS be?
Current rules require suppliers to update an SDS when significant new data becomes available, rather than on a fixed cycle. Employers should make sure they have the most recent SDS from the supplier.
Is online WHMIS training enough?
Online courses can cover general education, but workplace-specific training on your products and procedures must be provided by the employer for your site.