All County of Simcoe staff must review this presentation.

1. W.H.M.I.S.
Workplace Hazardous Material Information System
Updated: September 2014

2. What is WHMIS?
WHMIS is an acronym, which stands for
Workplace Hazardous Materials Information
System. WHMIS is commonly referred to as
“Right to Know” legislation.

3. What is WHMIS?
WHMIS was implemented on
October 31, 1988 as a result
of Bill C-70, to provide
information about the safe
handling, storage, and use of
controlled products across
Canada.

4. What is WHMIS?
“Controlled product”
is another name for a
hazardous substance or
chemical that falls
under WHMIS.

5. Controlled
Product List
• Compile a
list at each
work site of
Controlled
Products
used in the
workplace,
and each
work site
must
provide site
specific
training on
them.
MSDS
• Ensure that
current
Material
Safety Data
Sheets
(MSDS) are
available for
all
chemicals
being used,
and advise
employees
of their
location.
Labeling
• Have a
procedure
in place to
ensure the
correct
labeling of
all
workplace
containers
containing
controlled
products.
Training
• Provide a
WHMIS
training
program for
all
employees,
and ensure
that the
training is
updated
annually.
Employer’s Responsibilities
Employer (County of Simcoe) must:

6. Apply what
you learn.
Be able to
understand
a MSDS,
and know
where to
find them.
Get trained
in WHMIS
and get
updated
training
annually.
Know how
to use
WHMIS to
protect
yourself
and your
co-workers.
Be aware
of the
potential
hazards of
all the
controlled
products
you work
with.
When in
doubt ASK!
Employee’s
Responsibilities
Employees (of the County of Simcoe) must:

7. “Right to Know”
WHMIS legislation gives everyone in a
workplace the right to know about the
hazards of materials being used.

8. “Right to Know”
The three main components of WHMIS are:
Training
Labels
MSDS

9. WHMIS Symbols
The system requires the classification of hazardous
materials into one or more of SIX CLASSES.
Each of these classes is represented by a symbol with
the exception of class D which is broken into three
divisions and each division has its own symbol.

10. Compressed Gas
The class A symbol must appear on all Compressed
Gas cylinders.
This symbol indicates that the cylinder contains a gas
under pressure.

11. Compressed Gas
Main hazard: The cylinder could
explode if heated or impacted.
Examples: Propane or hydrogen
cylinders.

12. Flammable and combustible materials
The class B symbol appears on all
Flammable and Combustible Materials.

13. Flammable and combustible materials
Main hazard: These
materials can catch fire if they
are exposed to a heat source
or ignition source such as a
spark or flame.
Examples: Kerosene,
gasoline.

14. Oxidizing materials
The class C symbol must appear on all
Oxidizing Materials.

15. Oxidizing materials
Main hazard: These materials
present a fire or explosion risk
when near other flammable or
combustible materials. They also
have potential to cause burns to
the skin.
Examples: Chlorine, bleach,
hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid.

16. Poisonous and infectious
Class D materials are poisonous and infections.
This class is divided into three divisions, each
with its own hazard symbol:
Class D
Division 1
Class D
Division 2
Class D
Division 3
All the materials in this class must be handled
with extreme caution, and safe work practices
and procedures must be strictly adhered to.

17. Materials Causing Immediate
and Serious Toxic Effects
Class D1 Materials Causing Immediate and
Serious Toxic Effects symbol is represented
by the universally recognizable skull and cross
bones.
A single exposure to any of the materials in this
division can be fatal.

18. Materials Causing Immediate
and Serious Toxic Effects
Main hazard: These
materials could cause
immediate serious or fatal
toxic effects.
Examples: Carbon
monoxide, sodium cyanide,
sulphuric acid.

19. Materials Causing Other Toxic Effects
Materials classified with the D2 symbol have
toxic effects, but these effects are not
immediately life threatening.

20. Materials Causing Other Toxic Effects
Main hazard: These material
could cause immediate effects
such as temporary irritation.
Long Term exposure to these
materials may lead to
permanent health damage or
even death.
Examples: Asbestos,
benzene, ammonia.

21. Biohazardous and Infectious Materials
A class D3 Biohazardous Infectious Material is
a material that contains organisms, which can
cause disease. Included in this division are
viruses and bacteria.

22. Biohazardous and Infectious Materials
Main hazard: These materials could cause
serious disease resulting in illness or death.
Examples: Blood contaminated with hepatitis
or HIV.

23. Corrosive Materials
The symbol for Class E Corrosive Material
is a picture of two test tubes pouring a
corrosive liquid on a bar (piece of metal)
and a hand.

24. Corrosive Materials
Main hazard: These materials
can cause severe burns to skin
and other human tissues, and
can attack clothes and other
materials including metal.
Examples: Sulfuric acid,
caustic soda.

25. Dangerously Reactive
Class F Dangerously Reactive materials are
highly unstable controlled products that can
react to other products, heat, light, or sudden
movements.

26. Dangerously Reactive
Main hazard: These
materials can react violently if
exposed to energy sources.
The results can include fire
and explosion and/or the
release of toxic gas.
Examples: Picric acid,
styrene, some rocket fuels.

27. Can you spot the hazards?

28. Can you spot the hazards?
Answer: Containers with controlled
products are not labelled.

29. WHMIS Labels
Containers of controlled products must be labeled to clearly
indicate and identify the contents and the hazards of the
material.
The two WHMIS labels are:

30. Supplier Labels
The supplier or manufacturer of the
controlled product provides supplier labels
and MSDS's.
The supplier label will have the following
information:
1. the name of the product,
2. name of the company that supplied,
3. reference to MSDS,
4. hazard symbols,
5. risk phrases,
6. precautionary measures,
7. first aid measures,
8. a distinctive "hatch mark" border, and
9. the text must be in English and French.
Example of a supplier label
for Methanol

31. Workplace labels are used when the product
is being transferred from its original supplier
container to a different one. It is also used
when the supplier label is illegible,
accidentally removed or if the product is
produced in the workplace.
Workplace labels must contain the following
information:
1. the name of the product,
2. information of the safe handling of the
product, and
3. a reference to a MSDS.
Workplace Labels
Example of a workplace label
for Methanol

32. What is a MSDS?
A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a document
prepared by the supplier or manufacturer of the
material that contains information on the potential
hazards (health, fire, reactivity and environmental)
and how to work safely with the chemical product.

33. A MSDS also contains
information on the use,
storage, handling and
emergency procedures
all related to the
hazards of the material.
MSDS

34. MSDS
A MSDS should be consulted before using a
controlled product and occasionally to review hazard
and precautionary information.

35. MSDS Categories
There are nine categories of information that must
be present on a MSDS in Canada.
These categories include:
1. product information,
2. hazardous ingredients,
3. physical data,
4. fire or explosion hazard data,
5. reactivity data,
6. toxicological properties,
7. preventive measures,
8. first aid measures, and
9. preparation information.

36. Material Safety Data Sheets location
Many Material Safety Data Sheets are accessible through Corporate
intranet. Material Safety Data Sheets can be located by clicking the
“MSDS Database” link located on the right side of the main Corporate
intranet webpage under the “Quick Links” section.

37. How controlled products can hurt
us
A fire or explosion is one of only three ways that we can
become injured or ill when dealing with controlled products.
The other two ways are by having direct physical contact
with controlled products and by having controlled products
entering the body.

38. How controlled products can hurt
us
The most frequent problem, and frequently the
most serious, when using controlled products
in the workplace, is when products actually
enter the body.

39. How controlled products can hurt
us
And, this can only occur in one of four
ways:
By absorption of the substance through
the skin,
By injection of the substance most
commonly via a needle,
By ingestion, most usually as a result of
bad hygiene and contaminated food,
and
By inhalation or simply breathing the
substance, which is by far the most

40. Personal Protective Equipment
Personal Protective
Equipment or PPE for short, is
the equipment we wear to
protect ourselves from physical
and chemical hazards. If we
know about the chemical we are
using we can protect ourselves
against the possible hazards.

41. Personal Protective Equipment
Refer to the appropriate MSDS to find out what
personal protective equipment is required to
handle the chemical safely.

42. Personal Protective Equipment
Remember it is the employer’s responsibility to
provide the required PPE, but it is your
responsibility to ensure it is worn when working
with the controlled product.
Safety Glasses Safety Boots Face Mask Gloves
Ensure all equipment is in good repair, if it is not,
report it to your supervisor immediately.