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Monday, January 24, 2011

What Is WHMIS?

By Paula C. Anderson

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is a requirement for proper labeling of hazardous materials in Canada. It is a national system that has been implemented since 1988 and combines federal and provincial legislation, namely the Controlled Products Regulations and the Hazardous Products Act. The two introduced the new national standard on how hazardous materials should be classified.
The main objective of the WHMIS regulation is to set the criteria for chemical hazards while ensuring the protection of Canadian workers from adverse hazard effects, such as acute and chronic health conditions. This is because some of the hazardous materials may lead to skin sensitization, carcinogenicity, and even respiratory tract disease when improperly used. Suppliers of hazardous materials are required by the Federal and provincial occupational safety and health legislation to provide MSDSs and label products as a condition of their sale and importation.

With the application of WHMIS, employers will be able to protect confidential and important business information on the processing of used resources, and at the same time keep their employees in the loop about the information, warnings, and trainings they need to be aware of. Possible appeals and claims that may arise can also be solved with the help of the provided mechanisms and guidelines of WHMIS.
Another benefit of WHMIS is to ensure hazardous and controlled materials are not misused by businesses in their workplace in order to protect the health of Canadian workers. In terms of adverse effects, WHMIS is one of the largest information providers on hazardous materials.

One thing to consider about WHMIS is that it strives to bring awareness to all the interests of the stakeholders while reaching out a consensus agreement to the workforce, industry, and agencies of the government. The consensus agreement is considered by all involved parties as a shared responsibility to preserve the environment and promote safety in workplaces.

The agreement introduced the National WHMIS Compliance Policy, which outlines the principles of fair and consistent government enforcement. The policy establishes the responsibilities and roles of organizations, employees, and the government that also require support and buy-in from all parties involved.
Canadasafetycampus.com offers certified affordable WHMIS Training and TDG Training.

1 comment:

  1. Companies or organizations shouldn't really worry anymore about things like expensive trainings or time consuming programs because whmis training is available online. Those programs are as good as those in traditional classroom training but they are more convenient and cheaper. People can take it anytime they desire as long as there is an internet connection.

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