What is WHMIS? A Complete Guide to Canada’s Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System

What does WHMIS stand for?

WHMIS stands for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. It is Canada’s national standard for how hazard information is classified and communicated in workplaces that use, handle, store, or dispose of hazardous products.

WHMIS standardizes three core elements across the country:

• Labels: quick, at-a-glance warnings with pictograms, a signal word, hazard statements, and precautionary statements.
• Safety Data Sheets (SDS): detailed, 16-section documents that describe risks, safe handling, personal protective equipment (PPE), first aid, storage, and disposal.
• Worker education and training: general WHMIS awareness plus site-specific instruction so employees can recognize hazards and act safely.

The goal is straightforward: every worker accesses the right information at the right time so routine tasks remain safe and compliant.

Why WHMIS matters for Canadian workplaces

A strong WHMIS program does more than meet legal requirements. It protects people, operations, and your brand.

• Protects employees: clear labels and accessible SDS reduce exposure risks, injuries, and near misses.
• Reduces operational risk: fewer incidents mean less downtime, lower claims, and more resilient operations.
• Supports culture and retention: a visible commitment to safety builds trust and accountability.
• Enables compliance: WHMIS is embedded in federal and provincial/territorial OHS frameworks. Documented training, proper labelling, and current SDS demonstrate due diligence during inspections or audits.
• Supports sustainability: correct storage, use, and disposal reduce environmental harm and waste.

Kalium Solutions helps organizations translate WHMIS requirements into practical routines that fit real workflows, from onboarding to contractor management.

Protect your team and stay compliant with WHMIS.

From worker training to SDS management, Kalium Solutions helps your organization meet Canadian WHMIS standards with confidence.

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WHMIS 2015 at a glance

WHMIS was modernized in 2015 to align with the UN Globally Harmonized System (GHS), and amended in 2022. The update refined hazard classes and categories, introduced standardized pictograms and signal words, and adopted a universal 16-section SDS format. For employers, the amended WHMIS means clearer information, easier training, and better consistency across suppliers and sites. A national transition to the amended rules runs until December 15, 2025.

What changed with WHMIS 2015

• Terminology and scope: moved from “controlled products” to hazardous products with updated criteria.
• Classification: revised hazard classes and categories to reflect GHS.
• Pictograms and signal words: consistent icons plus Danger or Warning to indicate severity.
• Standardized statements: required hazard statements and precautionary statements for clarity and consistency.
• SDS format: universal 16-section layout replaced legacy MSDS variations.
• Label content: supplier labels follow consistent rules; workplace labels must supplement or replace damaged or decanted labels.
• Training focus: stronger emphasis on helping workers interpret labels and SDS in the context of their tasks.

Alignment with GHS

• Global consistency: hazard information from international suppliers maps cleanly to Canadian requirements, simplifying purchasing and inventory control.
• Recognizable visuals: GHS pictograms are widely understood, improving hazard recognition for mobile or multilingual workforces.
• Made for Canada: WHMIS retains Canadian legal responsibilities for suppliers, employers, and workers. Supplier labels and SDS must be bilingual (English and French), and enforcement occurs under Canadian jurisdictions.

What employers need to update

Use this practical checklist to keep your WHMIS program tight and inspection-ready:

1. Inventory: maintain a current list of every hazardous product on site, including locations and quantities.
2. Labels: verify supplier labels are intact and legible. Create workplace labels for decanted or relabelled containers.
3. SDS library: obtain a current SDS for each product in the 16-section format. SDS must be current at the time of sale or import, and updated within 90 days when significant new data becomes available. Labels must be updated within 180 days of significant new data. Ensure easy access for all shifts and locations.
4. Training: deliver general WHMIS education and site-specific procedures. Train new hires, temporary staff, and contractors. Refresh when products, tasks, or conditions change, and as required by your jurisdiction.
5. PPE selection: map SDS Section 8 to task-level PPE, then train on fit, use, care, and limitations.
6. Procedures: develop written instructions for handling, storage, and disposal using SDS Sections 7 and 13.
7. Emergency readiness: align spill, fire, and first aid plans with SDS Sections 4, 5, and 6. Run drills and post quick-reference guides.
8. Documentation: keep records of training, attendance, quizzes, inspections, and corrective actions.
9. Purchasing controls: require SDS and classification details from vendors before products arrive on site.
10. Program review: audit labelling, SDS access, storage, and training at least annually or whenever operations change. Involve your Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) or health and safety representative.

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Need a hand implementing this across multiple sites or shifts? Kalium Solutions can audit your current program, streamline your SDS and labelling workflows, and build training that sticks.

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Roles and Responsibilities: Who does what in WHMIS compliance

WHMIS operates on a model of shared responsibility. Suppliers, employers, and workers each play a distinct role in making the system effective.

The role of suppliers: classify and communicate

Manufacturers, importers, and distributors must classify products under WHMIS criteria, supply accurate bilingual supplier labels and SDS, and keep information current when significant new data arises.

The employer’s mandate: implement and maintain

Employers are responsible for implementing WHMIS in the workplace. This includes ensuring hazardous products are properly labelled, maintaining a current SDS library with easy access, delivering comprehensive training, and establishing safe work procedures for handling, storing, and disposing of hazardous materials.

The worker’s responsibility: learn and apply

Workers must participate in training, follow safe work procedures, and know how to find and interpret information on labels and SDS. They must also report concerns such as missing labels or inaccessible SDS to a supervisor.

Collaborative safety: JHSCs and representatives

Joint Health and Safety Committees and representatives help develop and review the WHMIS program, promote awareness, and resolve health and safety concerns related to hazardous materials.

Understanding hazardous products and their classification

WHMIS classification relies on the intrinsic properties of a product.

What counts as a “hazardous product” under WHMIS?

Any product, mixture, material, or substance that meets the criteria for one or more hazard classes under the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR). This includes common cleaning agents, solvents, industrial chemicals, and compressed gases.

Hazard classes and categories: physical vs. health

• Physical hazards: tied to physical or chemical properties such as flammability, reactivity, explosivity, or corrosion of metals.
• Health hazards: tied to effects on human health such as acute toxicity, skin corrosion or irritation, carcinogenicity, or respiratory sensitization. Each hazard class is subdivided into categories or subcategories to indicate severity.

Practical examples

• Flammable liquids (physical): gasoline or acetone may ignite readily, posing fire or explosion risks.
• Acute toxicity (health): substances like ammonia can cause serious harm after short-term exposure.
• Skin corrosion or irritation (health): strong acids or bases, for example sodium hydroxide, may cause severe burns or irritation.
• Gases under pressure (physical): oxygen or propane cylinders can rupture if heated or damaged.

Products not covered by WHMIS (exclusions)

Some products are regulated under other legislation and are therefore excluded from WHMIS supplier labelling and SDS requirements. Common exclusions include:

• Consumer products, cosmetics, tobacco, pest control products, explosives
• Nuclear substances
• Manufactured articles
• Wood and products made of wood
• Hazardous waste

Important: even when supplier WHMIS labelling or SDS are not required, employers still must assess hazards and train workers on safe use under applicable OHS laws.

Developing an effective workplace hazardous materials program

A successful WHMIS program is more than a binder on a shelf. It is an active, integrated part of your safety culture.

Building your hazard communication program

• Assign responsibility: designate a competent person or team to own the program.
• Inventory hazardous products: maintain a complete, current list by location.
• Obtain SDS: ensure every product has a current SDS and that updates are captured when significant new data arises.
• Label everything: verify supplier labels and apply workplace labels where needed.
• Develop safe work procedures: clear instructions for handling, storage, and use.
• Train workers: comprehensive training with records and refreshers as operations change.
• Establish emergency procedures: spills, exposures, fires, and first aid aligned to relevant SDS sections.
• Review and update: audit and improve the program regularly, and whenever products or conditions change.

Ready to strengthen WHMIS at your workplace?

Kalium Solutions designs practical WHMIS programs that work in the real world. From training to SDS libraries and audits, our team can tailor a solution to your operations.

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FAQs About WHMIS

What is the purpose of WHMIS?

The purpose of WHMIS is to keep Canadian workers safe by standardizing how hazards are identified and communicated in the workplace. It requires consistent classification, labelling, Safety Data Sheets (SDS), and worker training, so employees can use, handle, store, and dispose of hazardous products safely. WHMIS aligns with the UN Globally Harmonized System (GHS) and includes bilingual requirements in Canada.

What is a WHMIS certificate?

A WHMIS certificate is proof that a worker completed WHMIS training. It is not a government-issued licence, and there is no single national certificate. By law, employers must ensure workers are trained and competent for the hazardous products on site, and many employers or training providers issue a certificate of completion to document that requirement.

Is WHMIS required?

Yes. WHMIS is required in Canada wherever hazardous products are present. Suppliers must meet the Hazardous Products Act/Regulations for classification, labels, and SDS, and employers must provide compliant labels, accessible SDS, and WHMIS training under provincial or territorial OHS laws. Training should be refreshed when products, tasks, or conditions change, and workers must be able to apply the information on their job.

What are the three main components of WHMIS?

The three core components are supplier and workplace labels, Safety Data Sheets (SDS) in a standardized 16-section format, and worker education and training. Together, they ensure workers receive consistent information about hazardous products and how to manage them safely.

How often should WHMIS training be refreshed?

Refresh training when hazardous products, tasks, procedures, or conditions change, and as required by your jurisdiction. Many employers also schedule periodic refreshers to maintain competency, update knowledge, and meet due diligence expectations during inspections or audits.

Are WHMIS labels and SDS required in both English and French?

Yes. Supplier labels and SDS must be bilingual, English and French. Employers must ensure workers can understand and access the information during their shifts and at all work locations, including remote or field sites.