Consumer and Hazardous Products Safety Directorate (CHPSD)

The Consumer and Hazardous Products Safety Directorate (CHPSD) in the Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch of Health Canada helps to protect the health and safety of Canadians by identifying, assessing, managing and communicating health and safety risks posed by consumer products, cosmetics and workplace hazardous products. CHPSD administers two Programs — the Consumer Product Safety Program (CPSP) and the Workplace Hazardous Products Program (WHPP) — with our partners.

What We Do

Consumer Product Safety Program (CPSP)

The CPSP is co-administered by CHPSD and the Consumer Products and Controlled Substances Directorate of the Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch. Together, we prevent, detect and respond to health or safety risks posed by consumer products and cosmetics. Our work includes:

The CPSP carries out its mandate through the authorities of the following legislation:

Workplace Hazardous Products Program (WHPP)

WHPP plays a key role in ensuring workers are protected from health and safety risks posed by the use, storage or handling of hazardous products in workplaces by establishing hazard classification and communication requirements for these products. Our work includes:

The WHPP carries out its mandate through the authorities of the following legislation:

WHPP coordinates the administration and governance of WHMIS in collaboration with federal, provincial and territorial occupational health and safety agency (FPT) partners. As a shared responsibility, WHPP regulates industry (i.e., manufacturers and suppliers) and our FPT partners regulate the workplace.

How We Do It

CHPSD's work is carried out within the following:

Director General's Office (DGO)

The Director General's Office manages shared accountability functions and provides oversight and management for the work within the Directorate under the two programs — CPSP and WHPP. The DGO works closely with the Directors of the bureaus; chairs the Directorate Management Committee; and leads the Directorate's strategic and integrated planning, and performance measurement.

Assessment, Information and Engagement Bureau (AIEB)

The AIEB primarily supports the work of the CPSP. The Bureau undertakes risk assessment and hazard analysis to assess emerging hazards, identify and assess product trends — including the establishment of methodologies, approaches and priorities to assess these risks. AIEB is also home to information and data services (this work also supports the WHPP) and is responsible for external relations. More specifically, the Divisions within AIEB include:

Risk Management Bureau (RMB)

The Risk Management Bureau supports the work of the CPSP. The Bureau undertakes centralized scientific risk management services to help minimize Canadians' exposure to non-compliant products and those that pose a danger to human health or safety. The Bureau focuses on the development of regulatory requirements, national and international standards and the identification of appropriate risk management tools, including compliance and enforcement activities.

The Divisions within RMB include:

Workplace Hazardous Materials Bureau (WHMB)

The Workplace Hazardous Materials Bureau is responsible for Health Canada's WHPP that administers the HPA, the HMIRA and their associated regulations. WHPP regulates Canadian industry (including importers and suppliers) and requires them to communicate hazards associated with workplace hazardous products through the provision of WHMIS labels and SDSs. This hazard communication standard forms one aspect of WHMIS, which is implemented through coordinated federal, provincial and territorial legislation. The implementation of WHMIS relies on a complex system of interactions between partners, including federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions, and other stakeholder groups, such as suppliers of workplace chemicals, employers, and workers. WHMB provides advice and guidance on requirements in Canada, and coordinates national compliance and enforcement activities.

The Divisions within WHMB include:

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2022-02-07