Guidance on the WHMIS supplier requirements: Executive summary

This guidance is for suppliers of hazardous products destined for Canadian workplaces. It provides information on the:

• Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) requirements of the Hazardous Products Act (HPA) and the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR)
• Hazardous Materials Information Review Act (HMIRA) and its regulations and the mechanism to protect confidential business information

This guidance does not cover employer and worker requirements of WHMIS. Each federal, provincial and territorial agency responsible for occupational health and safety has their own employer WHMIS requirements for their jurisdiction. For example, the Labour Program at Employment and Social Development Canada is responsible for workplaces under federal jurisdiction.

Table of contents

Introduction

Hazardous Products Act

Hazardous Products Regulations

• Part 1 Interpretation
• Part 2 Classification of a product, mixture, material, or substance
  • 2 - General
  • 2.1 - Material or substance
  • 2.2 - Mixtures
    • 2.2 - Classification
    • 2.3 - Bridging principles
    • 2.4 - Other principles
  • 2.7 - Product
  • 2.8 - Specific rules
• Part 3 Labelling
• Part 4 Safety data sheet
  • Annex 1 - Information elements on safety data sheet - Schedule 1 of the HPR
  • Annex 2 - Information elements on safety data sheet - Biohazardous infectious materials, Schedule 2 of the HPR
  • Annex 3 - Comparison of ingredient concentration disclosure and confidential business information protection requirements under the HPR, HMIRA, and the United States Hazard Communication Standard
• Part 5 Exceptions
• Part 6 Additional requirements
• Part 7 Physical hazard classes - Introduction
  • Subpart 1 - Explosives
  • Subpart 2 - Flammable gases
  • Subpart 3 - Aerosols
  • Subpart 4 - Oxidizing gases
  • Subpart 5 - Gases under pressure
  • Subpart 6 - Flammable liquids
  • Subpart 7 - Flammable solids
  • Subpart 8 - Self-reactive substances and mixtures
  • Subpart 9 - Pyrophoric liquids
  • Subpart 10 - Pyrophoric solids
  • Subpart 11 - Self-heating substances and mixtures
  • Subpart 12 - Substances and mixtures, which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases
  • Subpart 13 - Oxidizing liquids
  • Subpart 14 - Oxidizing solids
  • Subpart 15 - Organic peroxides
  • Subpart 16 - Corrosive to metals
  • Subpart 17 - Combustible dusts
  • Subpart 18 - Simple asphyxiants
  • Subpart 20 - Physical hazards not otherwise classified
  • Subpart 21 - Chemicals under pressure
• Part 8 Health hazard classes - Introduction
  • Subpart 1 - Acute toxicity
  • Subpart 2 - Skin corrosion/irritation
  • Subpart 3 - Serious eye damage/eye irritation
  • Subpart 4 - Respiratory or skin sensitization
  • Subpart 5 - Germ cell mutagenicity
  • Subpart 6 - Carcinogenicity
  • Subpart 7 - Reproductive toxicity
  • Subpart 8 - Specific target organ toxicity - Single exposure
  • Subpart 9 - Specific target organ toxicity - Repeated exposure
  • Subpart 10 - Aspiration hazard
  • Subpart 11 - Biohazardous infectious materials
  • Subpart 12 - Health hazards not otherwise classified

Appendix A: HMIRA: Mechanism to protect confidential business information

Appendix B: Developing a generic chemical name (GCN)