As pandemic restrictions ease and more workplaces reopen, including schools this Fall, now is the time to review your workplace training. Is your WHMIS training up-to-date?

Most Ontario employers covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act or the Canada Labour Code are legally required to provide workers with general and workplace-specific WHMIS training. Employers must ensure workers are trained on any hazardous products before they use them.

With enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces during the pandemic researchers are now calling for enhanced protections for workers who use these products. Training is a good place to start.

Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) can help you quickly and easily comply with these training obligations. We are offering regularly scheduled Globally Harmonized (GHS) WHMIS training now and into the Fall. At this time, this training continues to be offered in our virtual classroom to ensure the safety of participants and instructors during the COVID crisis, as well as the integrity of WHSC training itself.

Virtual classrooms. Learning and compliance ensured.

WHAT:

WHSC GHS-WHMIS Training - Virtual Value-priced at $10/participant, spots will fill quickly. Register now to secure your seat! Programs will be added with demand. Be sure to check back.

WHSC is delivering legally mandated Globally Harmonized (GHS) WHMIS training via live (real-time), two-hour, training sessions in virtual classrooms. This training is suitable for workers, supervisors and managers in workplaces of all sizes, industries and occupations where WHMIS-controlled products are used, stored, handled or disposed of in the workplace.

Participants will gain an understanding of WHMIS hazard class pictograms and standardized information on product labels and safety data sheets (SDSs) to ensure the safe use, storage and disposal of cleaning, disinfecting and other workplace hazardous products.

Like all WHSC training, this virtual program is led by experienced instructors who apply adult education principles to ensure learning is highly interactive, engaging, relevant and achieved. What WHSC offers is quality training, not merely online information. Employers must consider this when selecting a training partner and delivery model. Why? Ontario law requires that WHMIS training results in workers being able to use the information to protect their health and safety [s. 7(3), WHMIS Reg.]. Employers must also ensure they are taking all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of your workers.

Employer obligations

Employers have significant legal duties to protect workers against hazardous products in the workplace. Key obligations include:

• ensuring a hazardous product is properly labelled,
• ensuring workers have access to up-to-date safety data sheets,
• training workers on the hazards and safe use of the hazardous product,
• reviewing this training annually or more often if hazard information or work conditions change,
• developing and reviewing training in consultation with the JHSC or worker health and safety representative.

As of December 1, 2018, employers must ensure there are WHMIS 2015 labels and safety data sheets for all hazardous products in their workplace. Employers must also provide WHMIS training in the new system whether or not workers were trained in the old WHMIS system.

Don’t see what you need? Beyond scheduled classes, and where participant numbers warrant, we can work with you to coordinate almost any of our training courses in a virtual classroom for all workers, workplace representatives and supervisors.

Need more information still?
Review WHSC’s WHMIS Resources
Contact a WHSC training services representative in your area.
Email: contactus@whsc.on.ca
Visit: www.whsc.on.ca
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