WHMIS, safety standards, occupational health and safety
A relatively straightforward — but no less important than changes to occupational health and safety legislation — change impacting workers’ health and safety is Canada’s adoption of the new global standard for WHIMIS and the identification of hazardous materials.
As of February 2015, Canada adopted the new standards. Ontario did the same in July of 2016.
“For most employers, if you’re not a manufacturer of chemicals or hazardous materials, the main thing to be aware of is now you’re going to have an obligation to train employees not only on the old WHIMIS 1988 labels and safety data sheets, but also on the new 2015 labels and safety data sheets.”
“By Dec. 1 of 2018 we’re no longer supposed to see the old WHIMIS labeling and safety data sheets,” says Jakibchuk. “Everything is to be replaced with the new 2015 versions and employers are not to have in their inventories hazardous materials with the old labeling and safety data sheets.”
