WHMIS Training
Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
Introduction
WHMIS training requirements are designed to ensure that workers are aware and understand the hazards and
safe handling information about controlled products that exist in the workplace. Employers are required to
provide training to all workers including managers and supervisors who work with, or work in proximity to,
controlled products. Required training is necessary for: new workers, those who change jobs, those whose
work conditions change and when the hazard information changes. An annual review of WHMIS training is
required by regulation.
An employer shall ensure that every worker who works with or in proximity to a controlled product is instructed
in:
o Content, purpose and significance of supplier and workplace labels
o Content, purpose and significance of Material Safety Data Sheets
o Procedures for the safe use, storage, handling and disposal of controlled products
o Such products contained or transferred in piping systems, and a process vessel
o Procedures to be followed when fugitive emissions are present
o Procedures to be followed in case of an emergency involving a controlled product
o Any hazard information about the controlled product.
What is WHMIS?
The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is a Canada-wide system designed to give
employers and workers information about hazardous materials used in the workplace. WHMIS applies to all
workplaces covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and to all work areas and locations of Hunters
Pointe Golf Course. The regulations affect suppliers, employers, and workers who use, supply or may be
exposed to hazardous materials. Under WHMIS, there are three ways in which information on hazardous
materials is to be provided:
o Labels on the containers of hazardous materials
o Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to supplement the label with detailed hazard and precautionary
information
o Worker education programs
Supplier responsibilities under WHMIS include:
o Determining which hazardous materials are controlled products
o Labeling all controlled products
o Providing current copies of MSDS for all materials sold
Employer responsibilities under WHMIS include:
o WHMIS education and training
o Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
o Workplace Labels
Employee responsibilities under WHMIS include:
o Participating in WHMIS training
o Applying knowledge learned within the workplace
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Why was WHMIS Developed?
The purpose of WHMIS is to give all working Canadians a uniform and appropriate quantity and quality of
information about hazardous materials used in the workplace. By setting standards for the type and amount of
information to be given to the users of hazardous materials, it is expected that accidents and diseases caused
by hazardous materials in the workplace will be reduced.
Who Developed WHMIS?
WHMIS was developed jointly by labour, industry and federal, provincial and territorial governments.
In Ontario, both the federal and provincial WHMIS legislation is enforced by provincial Ministry of Labour
inspectors, except in federal government workplaces, where Human Resources Development Canada, Labour
Program inspectors enforce the legislation. WHMIS is implemented by a combination of federal and provincial
legislation. The main purpose of the federal WHMIS legislation is to require the suppliers of hazardous
materials used in the workplace to provide health and safety information about their products as a condition of
sale. The main purpose of the provincial WHMIS legislation is to require employers to obtain health and safety
information about hazardous materials in the workplace and to pass this information on to workers.
Worker Rights and Responsibilities Under WHMIS
Worker Rights
WHMIS gives workers the right to know about the hazardous materials they are exposed to on the job. This
includes the right to review labels and MSDS’s, and to receive instruction and training. Workers also have the
right to be consulted regarding the development and implementation of instruction and training. This means
that workers have the right to be included in discussions of the content of the program, the amount of training,
who is to receive what training, who delivers the training, etc. Finally, workers have the right to refuse work, if
they believe that the conditions are hazardous or unsafe.
Worker Responsibilities
Neither the Occupational Health and Safety Act nor WHMIS Regulation places direct duties on the worker
regarding the implementation of WHMIS. However, the general duties of the worker as originally set out in the
Act are very important to the successful implementation of WHMIS. One of these duties is the duty of the
worker to report to the employer any violation of the Act or regulations. With respect to implementing WHMIS,
the worker should inform the employer if the worker does not have the proper information on a controlled
product.
WHMIS Labels
Labels are required for all containers of any hazardous material. They must be securely attached to the outside
of a container. Labels act as a means of delivering a quick glance of information regarding the hazards
associated with the material and direct the user to more detailed information on the Material Safety Data Sheet
(MSDS). There are two types of labels you would find in a workplace: Workplace Label and Supplier Label.
Workplace Labels
Workplace labels are supplied by Hunters Pointe Golf Course and are required whenever a product is
decanted to an unlabelled container or when a supplier label becomes defaced, damaged or is missing.
Information on a workplace label includes:
o Product identifier
o Information on the safe handling and hazards
o Statement that an MSDS is available
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Supplier Labels
Supplier labels are provided by the supplier with the product when it is sold. Content must be within the
standard WHMIS border, written in both English and French and include:
o Product Identifier
o Hazard Symbols
o Risk Phrases
o First Aid Measures
o Precautionary Measures
o Supplier Identifier
o MSDS Statement
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) provide information on the hazardous ingredients, properties and
potential hazards of a product. It is important reference material that explains how to use the product safely
and what to do in case of an emergency. MSDS must be present, current and readily available for all
hazardous materials within Hunters Pointe Golf Course.
The supplier is responsible for sending a MSDS with or prior to the shipment of each controlled product. They
must review and update the MSDS when the information changes or every three years. The MSDS must be
supplied in either French or English as requested by the employer.
The employer must obtain a MSDS for each controlled product or hazardous material used in the workplace.
The MSDS must be updated within 90 days of new information becoming available or every three years. The
MSDS must be available to all workers and to the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee.
It is the responsibility of the supervisor of each area to ensure that the appropriate MSDS’s are readily
available. If you feel that a MSDS is incomplete, or do not fully understand it, contact your supervisor before
you work with the material. Be sure to read the MSDS when you receive new materials. Complete
understanding of MSDS is a key prevention to workplace incidents and injury.
A properly prepared MSDS must have the following nine (9) pieces of information:
1. Product Identification: Material name should match what is on the container.
2. Physical Data: Includes boiling point, solubility in water, evaporation rate, etc. This information will help
you predict reactivity so you can select appropriate ventilation and safety response equipment.
3. Reactivity Data: Guide for knowing what appropriate storage and handling is for the type of material.
Provides information on what is most hazardous when other materials combine with the material
covered by the MSDS.
4. Preventative Measures: Provides methods to reduce exposure to the hazardous material. Particular
methods may include protective equipment (gloves, aprons, safety glasses), and/or ventilation, etc.
Storage and handling precautions, handling of spills and waste disposal are also included in this
section.
5. Preparation Information: Date of preparation is provided by the creator of the MSDS.
6. Hazardous Ingredients: Lists individual chemicals in the product and the percentage of concentration
relative to the product. Exposure limits are also included in this section.
7. Fire and Explosion Data: Indicates flammability and what type of fire extinguishers are required.
8. Toxicological Properties: Describes all routes of entry for the material. Acute and chronic health effects
must be stated, as well as, if the material is carcinogenic.
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WHMIS Training
9. First Aid Measures: Indicates what to do in case bodily contact is made with the chemical through the
routes of entry. These are immediate actions to take. Professional medical treatment should still be
obtained as soon as possible.
MSDS’s may look different from each supplier, but complete MSDS’s will contain all of the above information.
WHMIS Exempt Products
The requirements for MSDS and WHMIS labels do not apply to the following because they are covered under
other federal legislation:
o Explosives within the meaning of the Explosives Act
o Cosmetics, devices, drugs or food within the meaning of the Food and Drug Act includes veterinary
medicines and dental materials
o Controlled products within the meaning of the Pest Control Products Act
o Prescribed substances within the meaning of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act
o Products, materials or substances packaged as consumer products
The following are products also exempt from WHMIS legislation:
o Wood and Wood Products
o Tobacco and Tobacco Products
o Manufactured Articles
o Products being transported if handled in accordance with the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act
o Hazardous Waste
Users of these products must comply with all labeling procedures required in each of the above Acts and
regulations. Employers are required to train employees regarding the hazards, safe handling, storage and
disposal of such materials.
Routes of Entry and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Hazardous Materials can enter the body through four different ways:
o Inhalation (through the mouth/nose – breathing)
o Absorption (through the skin or other body tissue)
o Ingestion (swallowing)
o Injection (needle stick, puncture)
Methods for choosing appropriate personal protective equipment to protect from the above include:
o Consulting the MSDS
o Reviewing the supplier or workplace label of the hazardous product being used
o Asking your supervisor for assistance
o Using best practice. For example, implementing material substitution; whenever possible use materials
that present no hazard and therefore no PPE will be required.
Examples of personal protective equipment include:
o Gloves (rubber, neoprene, leather)
o Safety glasses (goggles/face shield)
o Protective clothing (aprons, life jackets)
o Footwear (shoes, boots, environment specific)
o Sunscreen and insect repellent
o Ear plugs, muffs
o Head protection (helmets, hard hats, bump helmets)
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WHMIS Classification
What is a Controlled Product?
There are six hazard classes for hazardous materials covered by WHMIS. Each class requires its very own
symbol, whereby any material that falls within each class is considered a “controlled product”. A controlled
product is any product that can be included in any of the following 6 classes:
Class A:
Compressed Gas: Contents under high pressure. Cylinder may explode or burst when heated,
dropped or damaged.
Class B:
Flammable and Combustible Material: May catch fire when exposed to heat, spark or flame.
May burst into flames.
Division 1: Flammable Gases
Division 2: Flammable Liquids
Division 3: Combustible Liquids
Division 4: Flammable Solids
Division 5: Flammable Aerosols
Division 6: Reactive Flammable Materials
Class C:
Oxidizing Material: May cause fire or explosion when in contact with wood, fuels or other
combustible material.
Class D:
Poisonous and Infectious Material:
Division 1: Material Causing Immediate and Serious Toxic Effects: Poisonous substance. A
single exposure may be fatal or cause serious or permanent damage to health.
Division 2: Materials Causing Other Toxic Effects: Poisonous substance. May cause irritation.
Repeated exposure may cause cancer, birth defects, or other permanent damage.
Division 3: Biohazardous Infectious Material: May cause disease or serious illness. Drastic
exposures may result in death.
Class E:
Corrosive Material: Can cause burns to eyes, skin or respiratory system.
Class F:
Dangerously Reactive Material: May react violently causing explosion, fire or release of toxic
gases, when exposed to light, heat, vibration or extreme temperatures.
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WHMIS Classification Chart
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