The Ontario Ministry of Labour is proposing amendments to safety laws as part of a broader national and international initiative to implement the “Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals”, known as “GHS”, which is a worldwide system of classifying and providing information about hazardous workplace chemicals.

The proposed amendments are to the Occupational Health and Safety Act provisions that relate to the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), and to certain provisions of the WHMIS regulation.

The MOL notes that the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, China, Japan and South Korea are already in the process of implementing the GHS.

In Canada, the federal government has taken steps to implement the GHS.  The MOL says that, “All provinces and territories must amend their WHMIS requirements to reflect the changes to WHMIS legislation and regulations”.

The MOL is proposing that new requirements would come into force on June 1, 2015, but that there would be a lengthy transition period until June 2017 for full implementation of the GHS.

The MOL’s consultation period runs from November 3, 2014 to December 19, 2014.

For more information, click here.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has released two online courses on WHMIS 2015, which implements the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

One course is for managers and supervisors, and is intended to help them understand their duties under the WHMIS 2015 (GHS) legislation.  The other course explains the purpose of safety data sheets and the information contained in them.

The law provides for a transition period to GHS.  By December 1, 2018, the transition to GHS must be complete for all parties, including employers.  By that date, employers should have no hazardous products with old WHMIS labels and safety data sheets.

More information on the training courses may be found here.

The Government of Canada has announced that new Occupational Health and Safety regulations under the Canada Labour Code, which are intended to better protect federally regulated workers who use, handle and store hazardous products in the workplace, will be published in Part II of the Canada Gazette.

As we have written about in our previous blog posts, these amendments are part of a national and international initiative to implement the “Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals”, known as “GHS”, which is a worldwide standard of communicating the hazards associated with workplace hazardous chemicals. The Government notes that, in addition to Canada, the United States, Australia, the European Union, and China, among others, are already in the process of implementing the GHS.  Applying an international standard for workplace hazardous chemicals will streamline hazard information among suppliers from many of Canada’s trading partners, which will, among other things, facilitate trade and reduce compliance costs associated with shipment of products across borders.

The Government also notes that the creation of an international standard for the classification and labelling of hazardous workplace chemicals will serve to increase the health and safety of workers in Canada while also improving their overall health and safety of workers by providing clear and consistent information on how to safely use hazardous materials in the workplace.

The amendments are contained in the following 5 Occupational Health and Safety regulations under Part II of the Canada Labour Code:

• the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations;
• the Maritime Occupational Safety and Health Regulations;
• the Aviation Occupational Safety and Health Regulations;
• the On Board Trains Occupational Safety and Health Regulations; and
• the Oil & Gas Occupational Safety and Health Regulations.

For the Government of Canada’s announcement, click here.

Health Canada and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have announced that they are seeking public input on aligning hazard communication regulations in Canada and the United States.

The Regulatory Cooperation Council, a joint group set up by the U.S. and Canada, held initial discussions in the United States and Canada in late 2015.  The mandate of the Regulatory Cooperation Council is to collaborate on implementing the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) in Canada and the U.S., and to coordinate efforts in any future developments of the GHS.

Health Canada and OHSA will now be hosting a webinar on March 3, 2016.  The webinar will present an updated “work plan” and provide the opportunity for stakeholders to provide input on aligning U.S. and Canadian hazard communication regulations. Any person interested in attending the webinar should check the Regulatory Cooperation Council section on OHSA’s Hazard Communication website.

Health Canada and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have announced that they will “continue their partnership” to “align United States and Canadian regulatory approaches regarding labelling and classification requirements for workplace chemicals through the Regulatory Cooperation Council.”

In 2013, Health Canada and OSHA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote ongoing collaboration on implementing the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling (GHS) in both countries.  Countries around the world are adopting GHS, which provides a consistent international system for chemical classification and labelling.

OSHA and Health Canada say that they intend to reduce inconsistencies among hazard communication regulations and to provide concise information to protect workers exposed to hazardous chemicals.  The two countries intend to implement a system allowing the use of one label and one safety data sheet that would be compliant in both countries.

In February 2015, the Government of Canada published in the Canada Gazette, Part II the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) which modified the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) 1988 to incorporate GHS.

While those amendments came into force February 11, 2015, there will be a transition period during which suppliers and employers can comply with either the old WHMIS system (WHMIS 1988) or the new WHMIS system (WHMIS 2015) (the transition period rules and periods differ for employers and suppliers).

For further information on the transition, in Canada, to WHMIS 2015, click here.

The federal government has announced certain amendments to the federal Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) legislation which covers suppliers of hazardous chemicals in Canada. The purpose of the amendments is to align with the Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The GHS is being adopted by countries around the world and provides a consistent international system for chemical classification and labelling.

While the amendments came into force February 11, 2015, there will be a transition period during which suppliers can comply with either the old WHMIS system (WHMIS 1988) or the new WHMIS system (WHMIS 2015).

Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Code, 2009 (OHS Code), Part 29 contains the applicable WHMIS requirements for employers and workers in Alberta and is in the process of being amended to align with the federal legislation and the GHS. It is anticipated that there will also be a transition period during which Alberta employers can comply with either or both WHMIS systems.

Further information about these changes can be found on the Work Safe Alberta website or the Health Canada website.