WHMIS — Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, covering training, labels, SDSs, and employer obligations.
Answers to common questions about the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, covering training, labels, SDSs, and employer obligations.
WHMIS stands for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. It is Canada's national hazard communication standard for hazardous products used in the workplace. WHMIS gives workers the right to know about the hazards and safe-handling requirements of the materials they work with through three core elements: labels, safety data sheets (SDSs), and worker education and training.
Not exactly, but they are linked. The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) is an international "rulebook" for classifying chemicals. Canada adopted GHS to create the current version of WHMIS. Think of GHS as the international language and WHMIS as the Canadian law that speaks that language.
As of 2026, the year "2015" has been dropped. Because WHMIS is now an evergreen standard that updates periodically (such as the recent alignment with GHS Revisions 7 & 8), it is now simply referred to as WHMIS.
WHMIS 2015 updated the original 1988 system to align with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of classification and labelling of chemicals. Key differences include:
- Standardized hazard classes and categories replacing controlled product divisions
- New pictograms (replacing supplier and worker symbols)
- Standardized 16-section SDS format replacing the old MSDS format
- Standardized signal words: Danger and Warning
Federally, WHMIS 2015 is implemented through the Hazardous Products Act and the Hazardous Products Regulations.
WHMIS applies to hazardous products that are intended for use, handling, or storage in a Canadian workplace and that meet the criteria of one or more hazard class. This includes both physical hazards (e.g., flammable liquids, compressed gases, explosives) and health hazards (e.g., carcinogens, respiratory sensitizers, skin corrosives).
Some products are exempt from WHMIS, including wood, wood products, tobacco products, consumer products regulated under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, and nuclear substances regulated by the Nuclear Safety and Control Act.
WHMIS is a shared responsibility:
- Suppliers: Must classify products and provide labels and SDSs to customers.
- Employers: Must ensure all hazardous products are labeled, provide up-to-date SDSs, and train workers.
- Workers: Must participate in training, follow safe work procedures, and report missing labels or damaged containers.
Technically, consumer products sold in retail stores are partially exempt from WHMIS labeling requirements because they fall under the *Consumer Chemicals and Containers Regulations*. However, if you use these products **in the workplace**, the employer is still responsible for training you on their hazards and ensuring you have access to safety information.
A supplier label must include:
- Product identifier — name of the product
- Initial supplier identifier — name, address, and telephone number of the Canadian supplier
- Pictogram(s) — GHS hazard pictograms in a red diamond border
- Signal word — *Danger* or *Warning*
- Hazard statement(s) — brief standardized descriptions of the nature of the hazard
- Precautionary statement(s) — measures to minimize or prevent adverse effects
- If applicable: supplemental label information and reference to the SDS
This FAQ provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. WHMIS requirements may vary by jurisdiction. Always refer to the applicable provincial or territorial OHS legislation and consult a qualified health and safety professional for guidance specific to your workplace.
A workplace label is created by the employer (not the supplier). It is required when:
- A hazardous product is produced in the workplace
- A hazardous product is transferred from its original container to another container or product
- A supplier label becomes illegible or is removed and must be replaced
A workplace label must include at minimum: the product identifier, safe-handling information, and a reference to the SDS. Full GHS pictograms are not mandated on workplace labels but are recommended.
The nine GHS pictograms used in WHMIS 2015 are:
- Flame — flammable materials, self-reactive substances, pyrophorics
- Flame over circle — oxidizing materials
- Exploding bomb — explosives, self-reactive substances, organic peroxides
- Gas cylinder — gases under pressure
- Corrosion — corrosive to metals, skin, or eyes
- Skull and crossbones — acute toxicity (severe)
- Exclamation mark — irritants, less severe toxicity, narcotic effects
- Health hazard — carcinogens, reproductive toxins, respiratory sensitizers
- Environment — aquatic environmental hazards (not yet mandatory in Canada)
- Biohazard — bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and toxins that harm animals or humans (unique to Canada)
Every SDS under WHMIS 2015 must follow a standardized 16-section structure:
1. Identification
2. Hazard identification
3. Composition / information on ingredients
4. First-aid measures
5. Fire-fighting measures
6. Accidental release measures
7. Handling and storage
8. Exposure controls / personal protection
9. Physical and chemical properties
10. Stability and reactivity
11. Toxicological information
12–15. Ecological, disposal, transport, and regulatory information
16. Other information (including SDS preparation date)
*Sections 12–15 are required to be present but the information within them is not currently regulated under federal WHMIS legislation.*
Under most provincial and territorial OHS legislation, employers must keep an SDS for the duration of the time that the hazardous product is in the workplace, plus an additional period after use ends — typically 30 years for products that may have caused occupational disease or long-term health effects (e.g., carcinogens, sensitizers). Requirements vary by jurisdiction; always consult your applicable provincial or territorial OHS regulation.
Retain SDSs even after a product is no longer in use. Latent health conditions may not appear until years after exposure.
The supplier of a hazardous product is responsible for preparing and providing the SDS. The supplier must update the SDS whenever significant new health or safety information becomes available or there is a change in product classification — generally within 90 days of obtaining new information. Employers who produce hazardous products in the workplace may also be required to prepare a workplace SDS or equivalent documentation under applicable OHS legislation.
WHMIS education and training must give workers the knowledge and skills to work safely with hazardous products. At minimum, training should cover:
- The purpose and content of labels and SDSs
- The hazard classes and GHS pictograms
- How to obtain, interpret, and use label and SDS information
- Procedures for safe use, storage, handling, and disposal of specific hazardous products in the workplace
- Procedures for emergency response, including spills and first aid
Training must be site- and task-specific; generic WHMIS awareness training alone does not satisfy the requirement.
There is no single universal renewal period across all Canadian jurisdictions; requirements vary by province and territory. As a general best practice, employers should review and update training:
- When a worker changes job tasks or is exposed to a new hazardous product
- When new health or safety information becomes available about a product in use
- When there is reason to believe training was not effective
- Annually or as required by the applicable OHS regulation
Online training can satisfy part of the WHMIS requirement — specifically, general hazard awareness education. However, it does not replace site-specific and job-specific training, which must address the actual hazardous products present in the specific workplace and the tasks workers perform. An employer must supplement online modules with hands-on, workplace-specific instruction and verify worker comprehension. Employers are responsible for ensuring the training is adequate regardless of the delivery format.
Employers have the following key obligations:
- Obtain SDSs for all hazardous products before they are used in the workplace and make them readily accessible to workers at all times
- Ensure proper labelling of hazardous products, including applying workplace labels when required
- Educate and train workers in the hazards and safe-handling requirements of the products they work with
- Update SDSs received from suppliers and ensure they are current
- Consult workers when developing and implementing WHMIS procedures
- Review and evaluate the effectiveness of education and training programs
Yes — a supplier may apply for a Confidential Business Information (CBI) exemption through Health Canada to protect trade secrets such as exact chemical identity or concentration ranges. If an exemption is granted, the supplier may omit or mask that information on the label and SDS. However, the generic chemical name must still appear, and full hazard information must always be disclosed. A supplier claiming CBI protection must note on the SDS that an exemption has been applied for or granted.
Even with CBI exemptions, employers must still be able to provide full chemical information to health professionals in a medical emergency.
Health Canada administers the Hazardous Products Act and Hazardous Products Regulations, governing supplier requirements (labelling and SDS preparation).
Provincial and territorial OHS authorities enforce employer workplace obligations (worker training, SDS accessibility, workplace labelling) for most workers.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) enforces workplace WHMIS obligations for federally regulated workplaces under the Canada Labour Code.