WHMIS, GHS & You

Prepare for GHS with free e-courses from CCOHS and Health Canada

With the expected adoption of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) in Canada, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) and other labelling systems will change.

As Canadian federal and provincial regulators work toward adopting GHS, employers and the suppliers of chemicals and other controlled products must prepare to comply with the revised rules for hazard communication.

Developed by CCOHS in partnership with Health Canada's National Office of WHMIS, two new free e-courses introduce employers, workers and suppliers to the expected impacts of GHS.

WHMIS After GHS: An Introduction provides a general overview of potential changes to WHMIS after GHS adoption. This 20-minute course also includes links to useful resources such as WHMIS after GHS Infosheets.

Chemical suppliers will also want to take the more detailed WHMIS After GHS: How Suppliers Can Prepare course, which introduces the impacts on hazard classification and preparing (Material) Safety Data Sheets and labels. This 60-minute course also links to a variety of resources.

Both e-courses are free but require registration since they will be updated once regulatory changes are full known. CCOHS will contact registered users about future course updates.

Learn more about WHMIS After GHS: An Introduction

Learn more about WHMIS After GHS: How Suppliers Can Prepare

Pick Up Tips to Lift Safely

New CCOHS poster available

If your work involves lifting, you are likely at some risk for injury, especially to your lower back. In fact, lifting is the most common cause of low back pain at work in Canada.

Visually remind workers about the importance of preparation, planning, and proper lifting methods by displaying this poster wherever they may be lifting objects at the workplace.

All CCOHS posters are double-sided, with English on one side and French on the other. They are available as free PDF downloads, or for purchase as glossy 16"X 25" prints.

View and get the poster

Meet Your Responsibilities

New online course for senior executives

In Canada, the employer is ultimately responsible for health and safety in the workplace. And usually the employer is the owner or the most senior executive in the organization.

Learn how you can build and maintain an effective health and safety program in Health & Safety for Senior Executives: Legislation and Liability. This new online course from CCOHS outlines your responsibilities and provides examples of the recommended and required activities to help reduce liabilities, increase compliance, and improve health and safety.

"Overall the course was very informative, and contained the basic key elements required to provide management/executives the guidelines needed to get started," said Daryl Calvert, HESS Representative at CHC Helicopter Corporation.

Learn more about this course

Exposing the Link Between Chemicals and Hearing Loss

Watch our on-demand webinar

Exposure to noise in the workplace can permanently damage our hearing. But for some occupations and industries, there are other factors that can negatively affect a worker's hearing, including chemical exposure.

Learn about the connection between ototoxic industrial chemicals and hearing loss during a recorded webinar from CCOHS. In Listen Up: Chemical Exposure and Hearing Loss in the Workplace, Dr. Thais Morata of NIOSH discusses the effects of chemical agents, the interaction between these agents and noise, and strategies for preventing work-related hearing loss.

The webinar fee is $69, and includes a copy of the presentation slides. Register now and watch anytime.

Last Chance to Save $100

Forum III early bird rate ends December 15

How does leadership, at any level, impact health and safety in the workplace? Explore this issue and discuss your experiences at CCOHS Forum III, to be held March 8 and 9, 2010, in Gatineau, Quebec.

Sessions will focus on leadership and responsibility, workplace violence, participatory ergonomics, and training and knowledge transfer. Forum III will also feature case studies, panel discussions, and an innovation and best practices showcase. Plus, participants will help to identify new strategies and solutions through interactive workshops.

Visit the Forum III website for complete information on the program. Register now and save $100.

Write and Win

Now's the time to apply for the Dick Martin Scholarship

It's a fact of life. Students are almost always in need of money. Help those in your life by telling about the Dick Martin Scholarship Award. Established by CCOHS in 2002, this scholarship is open to any student enrolled in an occupational health and safety related course or program leading to a certificate, diploma or degree, in Canada.

There are three $3,000 scholarships up for grabs. To apply for the award, post secondary students are invited to submit a 1000-1200 word essay on a topic that best describes their aspirations in the field of occupational health and safety. The deadline for entries is January 31, 2010.

Learn more and apply for the Dick Martin Scholarship

Reducing Toxins in the Workplace

What organizations need to know

The Toxics Reduction Act, 2009, passed by the Ontario Legislature in June, is Canada's first comprehensive law aimed at reducing toxic substances. The Act is the cornerstone of Ontario's Toxic Reduction Strategy, which aims to reduce exposure to toxic substances in the air, land, water, and products while fostering a green economy.

What do workplaces that use or create toxic and hazardous substances need to know? Learn more about who's affected, what will be required, and how this regulation could potentially affect jurisdictions outside Ontario.

Reducing Toxins

The Toxics Reduction Act, 2009, passed by the Ontario Legislature in June, is Canada's first comprehensive law aimed at reducing toxic substances. The Act is the cornerstone of Ontario's Toxic Reduction Strategy, which aims to reduce exposure to toxic substances in the air, land, water, and products while fostering a green economy. What do workplaces that use or create toxic and hazardous substances need to know? Read more about who's affected, what will be required, and how this regulation could potentially affect jurisdictions outside Ontario.

What is toxic?

In Phase 1 of the draft regulation, 47 substances were identified as priority toxics. The remaining substances in Schedule 1 of the National Pollutant Release Inventory Notice (NPRI) will be adopted in Phase II.

Who will be required to comply?

It is estimated that the Act will affect at least 2000 facilities throughout Ontario. These include manufacturing facilities in sectors under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes 31, 32 and 33, as well as mining and mineral processing facilities under code 212.Workplaces employing as few as 10 people will be required to comply where minimum thresholds are exceeded. The proposed thresholds are generally the same as NPRI thresholds.

What will be required?

Designated facilities will be required to develop reduction plans for each toxic substance held in excess of minimum thresholds. Reduction plans must include:

• identification of the substance to be reduced
• overall objectives and reduction targets for the facility
• descriptions of each process that uses or creates the toxic substance
• descriptions and analyses of the options considered
• an outline of the strategy chose, future steps to be taken, and a timetable
• projected reductions

What about other jurisdictions?

Other jurisdictions are also looking to reduce exposure to toxins. This summer the federal government proposed regulations and amendments which will ban phthalates and reduce lead in children’s toys. Workplaces should be prepared to adopt new practices to meet changing standards.

Even if your workplace is not legally required to reduce its use of toxic materials, reducing these potential hazards helps to bolster safety. Can toxic materials be eliminated from your workplace or substituted with non-toxic substances, or substances that are less toxic? Remember to plan for changes in processes and procedures that will be needed to eliminate or substitute hazardous materials. This may include additional training and education to ensure continued workplace safety.

Where can I find more information?

Ontario's Toxics Reduction Act, 2009 and other legislation is available as part of our Canadian EnviroOSH Legislation plus Standards service.

Proposed regulations under the Toxics Reduction Act, 2009

Substitution of Chemicals: Considerations for Selection, from CCOHS

Toxic Materials and Very Toxic Materials, from CCOHS