New WHMIS Certificate
There is a new set of WHMIS regulations in effect in Canada and for a transition period the old WHMIS regulations MAY still apply to you. This means it is important to know how the hazardous products you have in your workplace are labelled to ensure you have the correct version of WHMIS training for your employees and are able to provide them with the respective new WHMIS certificate when they complete their training.
The Federal Government adopted the WHMIS 2015 name to distinguish it from the original WHMIS implemented in 1988. The transition to the GHS has been completed, and the HPR is now aligned with a more recent version of the GHS (transition in progress). To distinguish the current version from the previous 2015 version, it will simply be referred to as WHIMIS.
On January 4, 2023, Health Canada published amendments to the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) in the Canada Gazette, Part II, to align with the 7th revised edition, and certain provisions of the 8th revised edition, of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The amendments came into force on December 15, 2022.
The regulatory amendments provide a 3-year transition period, ending on December 14, 2025.
- The 3-year transition period gives suppliers, employers, and workers time to adjust to the changes, and helps ensure consistency across Canada through coordination and alignment between federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions.
- During the 3-year transition period, regulated parties can choose to comply with either the former HPR or the amended HPR, but not a combination of both. The hazard classification and safety data sheet (and label, if applicable) of a hazardous product must be fully compliant with the version of the regulation chosen.
- You should be ready to demonstrate which version of the HPR your product complies with upon request.
If you have any questions about which version of WHMIS you need, please contact us and we will gladly discuss your situation with you.
