Chemicals

Today, Health Canada published a number of highly-anticipated amendments to the Canadian Hazardous Product Regulations (HPR) in Canada Gazette II that will make it easier for hazardous product suppliers to protect confidential business information (CBI) when disclosing ingredients on safety data sheets (SDSs) for the hazardous products they manufacture and sell. Prescribed concentration ranges, as […]

Health Canada’s implementation of GHS will follow a series of phased-in WHMIS 2015 compliance deadlines scheduled to occur during 2018, with requirements for suppliers coming into force June 1, and those for employers becoming effective December 1. While there are numerous differences between each group’s requirements, one which may be a point of significant confusion […]

It’s shaping up to be a big year for hazard communication in Canada. Health Canada’s alignment between GHS and the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS 2015) is scheduled for completion during 2018. The June 1 compliance deadline for suppliers is just around the corner, with deadlines for distributors and employers following shortly after. If […]

As 2017 draws to a close, it’s a perfect time to recap OSHA and Health Canada’s regulatory activities regarding GHS, HazCom 2012 and WHMIS 2015 that have occurred this year. Let’s take a look back at what has happened, and paint a picture for the future of hazard communication.  OSHA’s Top 10 List – OSHA […]

For many safety professionals, Management of Change (MOC) tends to conjure up thoughts of OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) Standard, EPA’s Risk Management Plan (RMP) Rule, or other complex regulations intended to help prevent major accidents or environmental releases involving hazardous chemicals. While certainly required by numerous safety and environmental regulations, the value of MOC […]

For operations involving hazardous processes, change management can be a matter of life and death. Operational failures resulting from insufficiently planned changes can cause catastrophic events such as explosions or chemical releases that endanger human lives, and the environment. That is why OSHA developed the Process Safety Management (PSM) of Highly Hazardous Chemicals Standard, which […]

On November 17, Health Canada published its Policy on Managing Incomplete Claims for Exemption Filed under the Hazardous Materials Information Review Act (HMIRA). The new policy is intended to prevent confidential business information (CBI) claims from being held up in the review process due to missing or incomplete claim information. Upon formal notice of incomplete […]

As the year winds down, now is a good time to review your current EHS programs and identify gaps that software can help fix. If you have remaining funds in your 2017 budget, there’s still time to “use it before you lose it,” and risk lower future budgets. You might also be able to tap […]

Record flooding in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, has caused a slew of secondary health and safety hazards. Among these issues is the high risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals in contaminated flood waters, including lead, arsenic, benzene, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. With damage to chemical manufacturing facilities, […]

OSHA just named the Top 10 most cited violations of 2017 at the annual National Safety Council (NSC) Congress and Expo. For those involved in chemical management, it comes as no surprise that Hazard Communication continues to maintain the No. 2 spot on the list, as questions and confusion resulting from the adoption of GHS and […]