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As you saw in Activity 1, safety symbols are needed on household products to warn of potential dangers. The workplace also needs safety symbols. In this activity, you will learn about the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS).

The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is Canada's national hazard communication standard.

The key elements of the system are hazard classification, cautionary labelling of containers, the provision of material safety data sheets (MSDS), and worker education and training programs. If you decide to work at a job where there are any hazardous materials around, WHMIS will be a very important part of your job!

In Canada, the law requires that all controlled products in schools and workplaces have WHMIS labels so that workers are aware that the products can be dangerous. The WHMIS label includes some of the most important information about the product, including the hazard symbol. The MSDS (material safety data sheet) must also be available in the workplace because it contains more details about the product that can't be included on the label. You will learn more about the material safety data sheets below.

A WHMIS label provides immediate information that you need to handle a hazardous material safely and the precautions to be taken with it. The label may be a sign, stamp, sticker, or tag that is legible and is attached to the controlled product or container.

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Employers who require employees to use hazardous products are responsible for providing training to the employees. This is so that the employees are aware of how to deal safely with these chemicals and of the risks of working with them.

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) gives both employers and employees important information about the products they are dealing with.
The details are given on Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). A sheet must be available for all potentially dangerous chemicals in the workplace.

What Is a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)?

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a document that contains information on the potential hazards (health, fire, reactivity, and environmental) and how to work safely with the chemical product. It also contains information on the use, storage, handling, and emergency procedures all related to the hazards of the material.

The MSDS contains much more information about the material than the label. MSDSs are prepared by the supplier or manufacturer of the material. It is intended to tell what the hazards of the product are, how to use the product safely, what to expect if the recommendations are not followed, what to do if accidents occur, how to recognize symptoms of overexposure, and what to do if such incidents occur.

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Suppliers are also required by law to provide WHMIS labels on all controlled substances. A supplier label can be identified on a hazardous material by its unique hash-marked border. A supplier label must be in both English and French and may be any size, format, or colour as long as it has this distinctive border.

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The supplier label must contain the following pieces of information:

1. Product Identifier: the name of the product, which can be its common name, brand name, code name, number

2. Applicable Hazard Symbol: one or more of the eight hazard symbols that apply to the product

3. Risk Phrases: briefly telling you of any hazards (e.g., “dangerous if inhaled")

4. Precautionary Measures: statements on proper storage; what to do to avoid injury or illness (e.g., "avoid inhaling” or “wash thoroughly after handling”)

5. First-Aid Measures: explains how to treat a person who has been over-exposed to the product

6. A Reference to the MSDS: a statement advising additional information is available on the MSDS

7. Supplier/Manufacturer Identifier: name and location of the product’s supplier and manufacturer

Click on the Play button to watch a video that further explains the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS).