WHMIS stands for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System and it is the national hazard communication standard for Canada. The system is designed to protect employee health and safety by regulating: 1) the labeling of hazardous chemical containers (WHMIS calls these controlled products), 2) the communication of hazards to employees through material safety data sheets and 3) worker education and training.
WHMIS is a close relative of the United State’s OSHA Hazard Compliance Standard, and anyone familiar with one system will likely be comfortable with the other; still, there are some significant differences that any organization falling under WHMIS jurisdiction should be aware of, especially as relates to the management of labels and safety data sheets.
For example, under WHMIS law, MSDSs for controlled products must not be more than three years old. If you are using a controlled product older than that, you may need to contact the manufacturer for an updated MSDS. This can be a time consuming task, especially if you have a large library of safety data sheets. An electronic MSDS management system can help.
Compared with paper systems, electronic MSDS management makes the process of staying compliant under WHMIS much easier.
However, some companies are stuck in paper system because they believe the effort required to make the transition, build the electronic library, check for updated MSDSs would be too expensive or take too much time. For those folks, MSDSonline has a solution.
We can take your paper MSDS library and build your electronic MSDS library for you, and we can even manage that library so that your MSDSs are always up to date. If you would like to learn more about how our solutions can help you stay compliant under WHMIS, Bob Gruber, MSDSonline regional manager (Canada) is ready to help. You can reach him at 1-888-362.2007.
If you would like to make sure everyone in your organization is on the same page regarding WHMIS, you might also be interested in our online WHMIS Training Course.
Course Coverage
WHMIS Training SF7V301 The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is designed to inform employers and workers about hazardous materials used in the workplace. WHMIS answers two important questions: How are hazardous products identified? and What are the hazards associated with using these products? This module reviews the three main elements of WHMIS (labels, material safety data sheets, and worker education programs) in order to provide employers and workers with the information they need to keep the workplace safe and healthy.
Training Options
Call 1.888.362.2007, or visit Workplace Safety Training for information about our on-demand training offering, including a list of available courses. If you’re interested in an option that does not require all employees to be present at the same time, you can take a pass on a classroom style format and consider an online solution.
