The WHMIS.org site is provided through the collaboration of Health Canada, CCOHS and all the federal, provincial and territorial occupational health and safety regulatory jurisdictions across Canada. Please consult the jurisdiction pages for more information about each of the Canadian organizations involved in WHMIS, including their role and regulatory requirements.
CCOHS is Canada’s national centre for workplace health and safety and is the WHMIS.org site Administrator. Please contact CCOHS for questions about the site or for answers to WHMIS general inquiries.
The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), Canada’s national hazard communication standard, has changed to incorporate the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) – an internationally recognized standard for hazard classification and communication.
WHMIS is implemented through coordinated federal, provincial and territorial legislation. Supplier labelling and safety data sheet (SDS, formerly MSDS) requirements are set out under the federal Hazardous Products Act and associated regulations. All of the provincial, territorial and federal agencies responsible for occupational safety and health have established WHMIS employer requirements within their respective jurisdictions. Employer requirements ensure that hazardous products used, stored, handled or disposed of in the workplace are properly labelled, that SDSs are made available to workers, and that workers receive education and training to ensure the safe storage, handling, use and disposal of controlled products in the workplace.
The new WHMIS, called “WHMIS 2015”, is based on requirements recently published by the Government of Canada. The new requirements are contained in the Hazardous Products Regulations and Hazardous Products Act, as amended in 2014. The old WHMIS is now called “WHMIS 1988”.
A multi-phase transition period provides time to adapt to the regulatory changes. At the outset, manufacturers, importers and distributors of hazardous products can comply with either the original WHMIS 1988 or the newly revised WHMIS 2015, incorporating the GHS.
