Workers Health & Safety Centre

New WHMIS obligations…WHSC schedules essential training

GHS WHMIS training: September 9th, 2019, 10 locations across Ontario
Sweeping changes to Canada’s Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, known as WHMIS, took effect in December, 2018. Is your workplace complying?
 
To assist employers who still need to comply, Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) has scheduled Globally-Harmonized WHMIS training in communities across Ontario for Monday, September 9. Be sure to register soon as classes are filling fast.
 
WHMIS is designed to provide workers, supervisors and employers with health and safety information relating to hazardous products used, stored, handled or disposed of in the workplace.

New employer obligations

Changes to federal WHMIS-related law, and supporting regulation here in Ontario, has altered and standardized, on a global scale, this workplace hazardous product communication system. Employers were to complete transition from original WHMIS to Globally-harmonized (GHS) WHMIS by December 1, 2018. This must include new labels and safety data sheets (SDSs replacing MSDSs) for all hazardous products. These SDSs must be readily available to workers and members of joint health and safety committees or worker representatives.  

Employers must also provide general and workplace-specific WHMIS training in the new system, regardless of whether workers were trained in original WHMIS [s. 42(1), OHSA and s. 6, WHMIS Reg.].

WHSC training supports compliance and competence

Like all WHSC programs, Globally-Harmonized WHMIS training is highly interactive and applies adult learning principles to ensure learning is engaging, relevant and achieved. Such is the difference between our program and other free WHMIS initiatives, which are not training at all, but merely online information. Employers must consider this when selecting a training partner and delivery model. After all, 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.].

Upon successful completion of WHSC WHMIS training, we issue a WHMIS certificate of training and maintain student records for any future requirement.
 
Further still, the WHMIS Regulation requires employers to provide workplace-specific training to workers, including product-specific procedures for the safe use, storage, handling and disposal and what to do in an emergency situation. WHSC can help with this too. 

Unsure about your WHMIS training obligations or want further clarification about the mandatory transition to GHS WHMIS? Don’t see a course in your community and/or want to investigate bringing training onsite?

Visit:   www.whsc.on.ca/Resources/Publications/WHMIS-Resources
Call:    1-888-869-7950 and ask to speak to a training services representative
Email: contactus@whsc.on.ca