Health Canada Releases Phase 2 Guidance for WHMIS 2015 Compliance

Suppliers of hazardous chemicals to Canadian workplaces can now access additional guidance for complying with new WHMIS requirements, which were modified in 2015 to incorporate the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

Health Canada has published this new content as Phase 2 of its Technical Guidance on the Requirements of the Hazardous Products Act (HPA) and the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) document, to help suppliers further understand their obligations prior to the fast-approaching June 1, 2017 deadline – the date by which manufacturers and importers must include WHMIS 2015 compliant labels and safety data sheets with hazardous products.

The newly released Phase 2 guidance focuses on physical hazard and health hazard classification. It follows the release of Phase 1 on June 29, 2016, which covers classification principles, hazard communication and Confidential Business Information (CBI). Copies of the consolidated document are available by request via the Health Canada website.

For additional information on WHMIS 2015, attend our upcoming webinar, Canada’s Adoption of GHS: What to Expect from WHMIS 2015, on January 5, 2017 from 11 am – 12 pm (CST). Click here for more details and to register.