Products and Services FAQs

The following FAQs provide answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions about our many products and services. If you have a question that is not addressed here, please contact us.

Database FAQs

General

Why are your products subscriptions?

Chemical and other health and safety information changes regularly and new and updated records are frequently added to the databases.

By subscribing, you have access to most current information available in the database. After your subscription expires, so too does your access to that information.

Unlimited client and technical support is included with your subscription.

What are the system requirements for database access?

An Internet connection and a web browser is required, with JavaScript and cookies enabled. We recommend Google Chrome 92 and above, Mozilla Firefox 78 and above, Microsoft Edge 92 and above, Safari 14 and above, or Internet Explorer 11 (although it may not provide the best user experience).

Can multiple users access the databases?

Yes, subscription fees are calculated based on the number of licenses required. You can choose from a single license subscription up to an unlimited number of licenses.

Can I save the information into a database?

Although we do not support this function, some users will export information for their own use. Please note that when subscribing to CCOHS databases, you agree that information will not be re-sold or used for any commercial purpose or posted on a website. Please see our full terms and conditions.

Can I just print/save certain fields?

Yes, some of our products allow you to choose selected fields from the record's Table of Contents.

Do you offer discounts to educational institutions, or non-profit organizations?

CCOHS is a not-for-profit organization and provides its products & services at the lowest possible price. However, we do offer an Academic Support Program (ASP) designed specifically for colleges and universities.

I'd like to evaluate the product before beginning a subscription. Do you offer free trials?

Yes, we offer free trials on all database products. Contact us or to request a trial.

I want my staff 'up to speed' right away. Do you provide training to shorten their learning curve?

Yes, training can be arranged with one of our Account Managers. Contact us for details.

What is the difference between direct and bibliographic databases?

Direct databases provide discrete information on a specific substance (e.g. for gasoline: physical properties, LD50, fire hazards, environmental effects, safety procedures, etc.). Bibliographic databases list references and sometimes summaries of reports, journal articles, publications, on a particular topic. Sometimes the topic is a chemical. For example, searching on the subject of gasoline might provide a number of database records which reference printed sources on gasoline or topics related to gasoline (e.g. hazards of underground gasoline storage tanks, gasoline accident reports, incidents of gasoline poisoning).

Chemical

Which chemical database product is best for me?

SDS Database is best for users who need safety data sheets on specific chemical products used in their workplaces.

CHEMINFO provides detailed health and safe handling information on industrial chemicals and ingredients found in products.

CHEMpendium is best for users with a wider range of chemical data needs, such as for both workplace and environment safety, or for workplace, transport and emergency response. It contains numerous and distinct databases all searchable by the chemical name or CAS registry number.

RTECS is best for users who need specific toxicity data on a large number of chemicals. Summaries citing irritation, LD50s, carcinogenicity tests, plus some regulatory data like exposure limits are available for a very large number of chemical substances.

What is the difference between direct and bibliographic databases?

Direct databases provide discrete information on a specific substance (e.g. for gasoline: physical properties, LD50, fire hazards, environmental effects, safety procedures, etc.). Bibliographic databases list references and sometimes summaries of reports, journal articles, publications, on a particular topic. Sometimes the topic is a chemical. For example, searching on the subject of gasoline might provide a number of database records which reference printed sources on gasoline or topics related to gasoline (e.g. hazards of underground gasoline storage tanks, gasoline accident reports, incidents of gasoline poisoning).

SDS Database FAQs

The SDS Database contains a wide variety of English and French safety data sheets. You can subscribe to just the English or the French collection, or both.

Can I search by CAS number?

Yes. If the product itself has a CAS number, in most cases, this will be found in the Product Name/ID index. CAS numbers for individual ingredients often appear in the Safety Data Sheet index. Since many of the data sheets are for chemical products with several ingredients, only a small percentage have product CAS numbers.

Where do the data sheets come from?

Safety data sheets are obtained from manufacturers and suppliers, and they are responsible for the content of their safety data sheets.

Where can I find the lists of companies in the SDS Database?

You can find a list of manufacturers and suppliers in the search area on the left side of the page. You can also search by manufacturer or supplier name using the top search bar.

Some data sheets are older than 3 years. Is this permissible?

The requirement to update a material safety data sheet every three years, as was the case under WHMIS 1988, no longer applies. For WHMIS 2015, the safety data sheet must be accurate at the time of every sale or importation of the hazardous product. Suppliers have an ongoing responsibility to make sure safety data sheets and labels are accurate and compliant.

Do you have lab chemicals? Pesticides? Pharmaceuticals?

The SDS Database contains data sheets for all kinds of chemical products -- industrial products, consumer products, laboratory chemicals, paints, petroleum products, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, food additives, etc.

Can I use the SDS Database instead of keeping paper data sheets?

Yes. Online access to safety data sheets meets WHMIS regulations which require that safety data sheets be readily available in the workplace. However, not all products used in your workplace may be included in the SDS Database. For customized safety data sheet needs, our CANManage service may be a better option.

What makes CCOHS’ SDS Database different? Why should I use this database when there are safety data sheets freely available on the Internet?
  • There are many sources of data sheets available these days, and sometimes we’re asked to include miscellaneous collections of data sheets in the SDS Database. However, the quality and currency is often questionable, and we frequently already have more current information in the database direct from the original source.
  • Some other databases contain ”safety data sheets” for non-chemical products, such as pencils, desks, etc., and are not necessarily intended for health and safety purposes. Some contain many outdated data sheets, often decades old. Often there is no indication of how, or from where, the data sheets were acquired.
  • Some companies may make their own data sheets available online for their customers, each using their own search engine. If you have many different suppliers, it is more convenient and efficient to be able to access and search many collections of data sheets in a single place.
As a subscriber, how can I add my suppliers’ data sheets that are not currently in the SDS Database?

For customized safety data sheet needs our CANManage service may be a better choice. CANManage is a customized online solution that pulls all your safety data sheets into one central location to help you meet your compliance requirements.

CHEMINFO FAQs

CHEMINFO is provided through two CCOHS products - CHEMINFO and CHEMpendium. For more information on these products, also refer to the CHEMpendium FAQs.

Who writes CHEMINFO Profiles?

CCOHS staff write CHEMINFO Profiles. Scientists and professionals with expertise in toxicology, human health hazard assessment, chemistry, fire hazard assessment and control and occupational hygiene write and review CHEMINFO Profiles. These chemical profiles are currently an exclusive CCOHS product.

What sources do you use to write CHEMINFO Profiles?

CHEMINFO Profiles are written using rigorous procedures to ensure high quality. The hazard assessment sections (fire, reactivity and health) are written by scientific staff following extensive consultation of original literature, reliable reviews and textbooks. We rely almost exclusively on peer-reviewed, primary scientific data to write the hazard assessment sections in each CHEMINFO Profile. The key original literature is referenced. Some of the hazard control sections, for example Personal Protective Equipment, are written using specific sources which we feel set the industry standard for a particular type of information. Other hazard control sections, for example Storage and Handling, are written by scientific staff at CCOHS following consultation of relevant literature and a complete evaluation of the specific hazards and properties of a chemical.

A list of sources we commonly consult in developing CHEMINFO Profiles can be found in the database’s Help section. The original literature and other specific sources used are referenced in the bibliography of each record.

Why do you have short and long records?

Short records contain readily available information from sources which CCOHS has identified as being reliable and credible. Therefore, the short records require less evaluation by scientific staff, yet provide good quality, useful information for many important chemicals. Typically, these records contain identification information, physical and chemical properties, occupational exposure limits, methods for sampling and analysis, selected fire fighting information, carcinogenicity evaluations, respiratory selection guidelines, information on resistance of materials for glove selection, U.S. and Canadian transportation information and European Union classification information. As resources permit, short records are turned into long records based on our priority list.

In long records, the hazard assessment sections are completed following extensive consultation of original literature, reliable texts and reviews. The hazard control measures are determined based on the hazard assessment information and a complete summary is written. Development of long records takes more time because the hazards of each chemical are evaluated and summarized individually.

Do CHEMINFO records have exposure limits?

Yes, you will find exposure limits in the "Exposure Guideline" part of Section 8 - Exposure Control. In CHEMINFO, you will find:

  1. Threshold Limit Values (TLV) from the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).
  2. The Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL) from the United States government.
  3. The Workplace Environmental Exposure Level Guides (WEEL) from the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

CHEMpendium™ FAQs

The CHEMpendium collection provides complete chemical hazard information for your workplace and the environment in one convenient location.

Why are there so many different databases available in CHEMpendium?

All of the databases contain complementary chemical data and were selected for inclusion based on the scope of the information they provide. With ever-changing requirements in workplaces, many users need data outside the scope of workplace health and safety, such as transport or environmental data. This collection of databases was designed to meet these broad needs.

What types of databases are provided in CHEMpendium?
  • Databases on workplaces and the environment:
    • CHEMINFO - the best evaluated and summarized database for health and safety, on over 1,800 chemicals
    • NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards - NIOSH's most popular print publication, providing workplace exposure limits and respirator selections in an easy-to-use format
    • New Jersey Hazardous Substances Fact Sheets - general overview of hazards and safety precautions for 1000 important chemicals
    • CESARS - a unique and comprehensive database with emphasis on environmental toxicity data, containing reports over 50 pages long on chemicals of environmental concern (eg. DDT, Mercury, Lead),
    • HSDB - a source of health, safety and environmental data for 4,700 important chemicals, including medications, food additives, industrial chemicals and environmental contaminants. The records are very detailed with over 100 different information fields (many records over 50 pages in length).
  • Hazard data, emergency response and transportation guidance:
    • CHEMINFO - the best evaluated and summarized database for health and safety, on over 1,800 chemicals.
    • CHRIS - a guide to hazards and emergency response for 1,300 chemicals from the US Coast Guard
    • Transport TDG and Transport 49CFR contain key regulatory data on transport of hazardous materials in Canada and the USA, plus emergency response guidelines for thousands of materials
    • HSDB - a source of hazard, safety and regulatory data for 4,700 important chemicals. The records have an emergency or regulatory record format, which includes useful emergency response and transportation information.
  • Canadian environmental inventory:
    • DSL/NDSL - Canada's environmental inventory, the Domestic/Non-Domestic Substances List contains over 75,000 chemicals.
  • Tool to help you locate chemical information:
    • CHEMINDEX - exclusive directory of CCOHS databases provides one source to identify and locate chemical information. Over 200,000 chemicals are included from up to 20 databases or products.
How often is Environment Canada's Domestic Substances List/Non-Domestic Substances List (DSL/NDSL) database updated?

The database is updated as amendments are published in the Canada Gazette and are reflected in the next quarterly update of the product. Changes to the inventory are made through the New Substances Program under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act 1999 (CEPA, 1999), a shared responsibility between Environment Canada and Health Canada.

RTECS® FAQs

What kinds of substances are in RTECS?

Generally, RTECS includes drugs, food additives, preservatives, ores, pesticides, dyes, detergents, lubricants, soaps, plastics, extracts from plant and animal sources, plants and animals which are toxic by contact or consumption, and industrial intermediates and waste products from production processes. Users will not find Trade Name products representing compounded or formulated mixtures (pure chemical trade name products are listed).

There is a lot of detailed data in RTECS®. Is there a guide on how to use and interpret this information?

A tab called GUIDE in the database includes a publication called "RTECS - A Comprehensive Guide". This document provides information about the format, content and policies of the Registry. It can help you understand the meaning behind the content of each record (eg. the "Mild" category for the Skin Irritation tests means a well-defined erythema and slight edema (edges of area well defined by definite raising) and the reason for its inclusion.

What is the difference between RTECS and HSDB?

RTECS contains toxicity and regulatory information on over 194,000 chemicals, while HSDB has a wider range of subject coverage (over 100 fields) such as medical surveillance, first aid, emergency response, safety measures, health hazards, etc. for 6,000 chemicals. RTECS is a better choice if you need toxicity information on a very large number of chemicals, but HSDB is better if you need safety and other related details.

Bibliographic

What is the difference between direct and bibliographic databases?

Direct databases provide discrete information on a specific substance (e.g. for gasoline: physical properties, LD50, fire hazards, environmental effects, safety procedures, etc.).

Bibliographic databases list references and sometimes summaries of reports, journal articles, publications, on a particular topic. Sometimes the topic is a chemical. For example, searching on the subject of gasoline might provide a number of database records which reference printed sources on gasoline or topics related to gasoline (e.g. hazards of underground gasoline storage tanks, gasoline accident reports, incidents of gasoline poisoning).

OSH References FAQs

What is the focus and currency of the databases in OSH References?

Each bibliographic database has a different emphasis in coverage. Some of the databases are no longer updated and are archive files. See currency notes below:

OSHLINE is an archive database which provides references to international literature with an emphasis on peer-reviewed research literature. [Updated to 2007]

NIOSHTIC is an archive database which provides references to international literature spanning over 100 years. [Updated to 1998]

NIOSHTIC-2 provides references to NIOSH published or sponsored reports. [Updated to present]

Canadiana is an archive database which provides references to occupational health and safety documents published in Canada, about Canadian subjects, or by Canadian authors. [Updated to 2007]

HSELINE is an archive database which provides references to international references with an emphasis on publications from Europe, including the UK Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive. [Updated to 2018]

CISILO is an archive database which provides bilingual references to international literature with an emphasis on training and policy materials in many different languages. [Updated to 2011]

INRS Bibliographie provides references to international scientific and technical literature with an emphasis on French-language materials. [Currently updated]

PubMed Subset offers current references derived from the National Library of Medicine's PubMed service with a focus on biomedical and related topics. [Currently updated]

eLearning FAQs

What are e-Learning courses?

e-Learning refers to learning and supportive resources that are made available through a computer. Although there are many definitions and varieties of e-Learning, CCOHS' e-Learning courses are delivered via the web. The courses are user-friendly, with easy features such as a printable notepad, bookmarking, links to supplementary resources, and easy navigation to any section of the course. The programs offer a virtual tour to help e-learners get started and interaction with the course instructor is available for extra guidance.

All new and updated CCOHS e-courses feature an improved look and functionality to enrich your learning experience. Easily view your courses on tablets and phones, search by keyword, access all course resources in one place, instantly switch to an accessible format, and more.

What are the benefits of e-Learning?

For most working Canadians, learning about occupational health and safety is not only a benefit - it's a legislated requirement. Here are some reasons why many companies prefer e-learning as a way to train their staff, managers and supervisors:

  • People can learn at their own pace, and at their own convenience.
  • No waiting. The training is available on demand, 24/7.
  • Progress evaluation. The multi-user license includes reports on the users taking a particular course, and how well they're doing.
  • Money spent wisely. Every training dollar goes to actual training instead of airfare and hotels.
  • Everyone receives the same information and the same high standard of training.

For a description of the currently available courses, please visit our site at https://www.ccohs.ca/education/

Are the e-learning courses available in French?

Yes, the CCOHS e-learning courses are available in English and French. For more information on the French versions of the course, please check our web site at https://www.cchst.ca/education/.

What are the system requirements to take the course?

The minimum recommended requirements are:

  • Windows
    • 1024 x 768 screen resolution or higher
    • 4Mb/s Internet connection or greater
    • 4GB or more of RAM
    • Windows XP or higher
    • Internet Explorer v8 or later, Mozilla Firefox v17 or later, Google Chrome v27 or later
    • Adobe Flash 10.3 or higher
  • Mac
    • 1024 x 768 screen resolution or higher
    • 4Mb/s Internet connection or greater
    • 4GB or more of RAM
    • Mac OS X 10 or later
    • Google Chrome v17 or later

Note: For most courses, you will also need a sound card with speakers or headphones to use the audio features.

Going forward, all new and newly updated e-courses released by CCOHS will be in HTML5 and HTML5-accessible formats only. Over the coming months, we will be removing the Flash versions of our e-courses, in preparation for Adobe’s plan to discontinue Flash technology by the end of 2020. The HTML5 versions of our courses are accessible on computers, tablets and smartphones, and the HTML5-accessible versions meet federal government accessibility requirements.

The Flash Player can be downloaded from Adobe. If you are taking a Flash-based course and it doesn’t load properly, check the URL bar of your browser to see if the plugin is being blocked. Learn more about changing your settings to enable Flash in Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

I have purchased a single user access to one of your e-learning courses. When will my access expire?

Subscribers to the single-user version of the e-learning courses will have access for 90 days after purchasing the license. For multiple user corporate subscriptions, access is for 365 days.

Having completed my single user access to one of your e-learning courses, I would like to arrange for several of my colleagues to take the e-learning courses as well. What is the best way to proceed?

When two or more people will be taking the same e-learning course, whether in English or French, you could consider subscribing to the courses with multiple user access. This will provide your organization with access to CCOHS' Learning Management System, which will allow a facilitator within your organization to generate reports on your employees' access to the course(s). For more information on specific courses and pricing, please access the list of courses and click on the title of the course you are interested in.

My company is considering subscribing to the e-learning courses for multiple users. Is this possible?

Yes, all CCOHS e-learning courses have multiple and single user pricing. For more information, or to discuss the options available with a corporate subscription, please contact us.

What is the difference between a single seat and a multi-seat purchase?

Single seat purchasers have access to a course for 90 days while multi-seat purchasers (two or more seats) have access for one year. In addition, by purchasing multiple seats to a course, an organization will have access to CCOHS' Learning Management System. This allows a facilitator within your organization to generate reports to keep track of your employees' progress on the course.

How long does it take to complete the course?

The length of time needed to complete the course depends on the individual learner. Some people will try to complete the course in one session, where others will take the course over a longer period of time. The estimated time to complete the e-learning courses is indicated in the descriptions of the courses by going to our Web site at https://www.ccohs.ca/education/ and clicking on the title of the course you are interested in.

Is there an instructor available to help me?

Each module has an "Ask a Question" screen that links the learner to an e-mail form. The learner can ask a question that will be sent to Client Services by e-mail for response.

When I register to take an e-learning course, do I receive a manual in the mail?

No, there are no printed manuals available as part of the e-learning courses. You can, however, print various screens from the courses. To print a currently active screen, click CTRL-P (Windows) or Command-P (Macintosh).

Are there any tests in the courses?

Yes, each of the e-learning courses has a final examination.

Will there be any problems if I start taking the exam and have to leave my computer?

Yes, if you start the exam and then leave for 30 minutes or more, the system will time out your session and you will receive a failing grade for that attempt. You will also be timed out if you are in the e-learning course module and leave your computer. To begin again, just log back into the e-learning course.

Do I receive anything when I complete the course?

When you pass the examination, by receiving an 80% grade or higher, a new screen will appear displaying a certificate for successfully completing the e-course. You can print the certificate directly from your Web browser.

What happens if I don't get 80% the first time I take the examination?

If you do not receive a passing grade the first time you take the examination, you will have 2 more opportunities to take the examination. Questions in the examination are randomly generated from a question pool, so you may not get the same questions the next time you attempt the examination.

I have passed the examination. Do I still have access to the course?

Yes, you will continue to have access to the e-learning course until your subscription period expires. Please note that you will not be able to access the examination again once you have passed.

I have a pop-up blocker installed. Will this cause any problems?

Yes. Pop-Up blockers prevent windows from opening automatically. They can be useful to prevent the spontaneous appearance of annoying and inconvenient ads, however, the blocker will interfere with the CCOHS e-learning courses. For information on how to disable a pop-up blocker, please click here.

Do I have to disable popup blockers and if so how do I do that?

For the CCOHS e-learning courses, it is required that you disable any pop-up blockers currently installed on your computer. Listed below are some of the more popular pop-up blocking programs and the steps to disable them.

Internet Explorer Web Browser

  1. Open Internet Explorer
  2. Click on Tools
  3. Click on Pop-up Blocker in the menu
  4. Click on Turn Off Pop-up Blocker

Once you have followed the above steps, you should be able to use the e-learning courses.

Firefox Web Browser

To disable popup blockers in the Windows version of Firefox:

  1. Click on Tools
  2. Click on Options
  3. Click on Content
  4. Remove check mark from "Block pop-up windows" option
  5. Click OK

Toolbars

Various Web search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, etc., have a customized toolbar that can be downloaded from their site. In some cases, a Pop-Up blocker is available as part of the toolbar software.

The pop-up blocker may appear as a button on the toolbar that can be turned on and off by clicking on the button. If a button does not appear on the toolbar, you will need to disable it.

To disable the toolbars:

  1. In your Web browser, click on View, Toolbars
  2. Click on Web Features
  3. Click on the name of the toolbar you wish to disable.This will remove the checkmark next to the name.

Legislation FAQs

Canadian enviroOSH Legislation FAQs

What subjects are covered by the enviroOSH Legislation series?

The series includes a wide range of topics affecting the environmental and workplace health and safety of Canadians. Topics include environmental protection, hazardous products, workplace health and safety, WHMIS, transportation of dangerous goods, workers' compensation, pesticides, noise levels, cannabis, Canada Labour Code, and more.

Why should I subscribe to a Legislation series product?

The Legislation series provides critical information on the legal requirements for your workplace so you can stay in compliance. The series saves you valuable time by identifying the legislative information you require to remain current and in compliance. The series provides the most up-to-date, consolidated text of acts, regulations, and guidelines for all Canadian jurisdictions. Information on one or all jurisdictions is available instantly and you can print or read the complete text of every document. The Legislation series is invaluable for preparing for critical audits and due diligence.

Why use the EnviroOSH Legislation series when I can get legislation for free from other sources on the Internet?

Several provincial governments along with the federal government now make their legislation available on the Internet for free or at low cost. However, the CCOHS enviroOSH Legislation service makes environmental and occupational health and safety legislation from all jurisdictions available in one place. Users can easily cross-reference cited texts by clicking on hypertext links between documents, view and print graphics and tables, and easily capture data for downloading. Cross-jurisdictional comparisons are very easy. Legislation is updated as soon as amendments and new legislation are available. The Legislation Monthly Report, included with the subscription, helps you to monitor changes made to the legislation so you can implement them in your workplace. The enviroOSH Legislation PLUS standards series offers subscribers access to full-text CSA Group, the BC Workers' Compensation Board (BC WCB), and the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) standards cited in the collection.

How does the enviroOSH Legislation Service Help Meet Requirements Under ISO 14001?

Since the enviroOSH Legislation service includes the full text of environmental legislation from all jurisdictions across Canada, it helps organizations meet the requirements specified in section 4.3.2 of the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems Standard.

What are Acts and Regulations?

Legislation from the various Canadian jurisdictions includes Acts and Regulations. Acts are bills which are passed by the various parliaments (i.e., receive "Royal Assent"). Acts can be either new (original) Acts or amendments of existing ones. Regulations are laws under Acts, but do not require parliamentary approval (they are executive instruments of the governments). Like Acts, Regulations can be new (original) documents or amendments of existing Regulations.

What do legislative citations mean?

ACTS

Typically Canadian jurisdictions cite Acts in a similar way, by assigning a year and chapter number to them. Chapter numbers are assigned in the order in which statutes receive Royal Assent each year. For example, "S.C. 2001, c. 34" stands for "Statutes of Canada 2001, chapter 34" and indicates that this statute was the 34th statute to be enacted in Canada in 2001.

Some jurisdictions still issue "revised statutes" which simply consolidate the changes made by any amendments since the last revision. Revised statutes are also assigned a year and chapter number, however, the chapter number will often take the form of a letter and number combination based on the Act title and where it falls in the revision. For example, the Canada Labour Code, last revised in 1985, would be cited as "R.S.C. 1985, c. L-2" or "Revised Statutes, 1985, chapter L-2".

REGULATIONS

Regulations follow a similar pattern to Acts. Annual regulations are assigned a Regulation number in the order in which they are filed that year. For example, "Alta. Reg. 28/2012" was the 28th regulation filed in Alberta in 2012.

Revised or Consolidated Regulations are typically cited in a manner similar to revised statutes, with the year or volume of the Revision and a Regulation Number reflecting where the document falls in the revision. Alternatively, some jurisdictions cite their regulations using the chapter number of the statute that they fall under, instead of a revision year. For example, "R.R.S. c. E-10.2, Reg. 9" stands for "Revised Regulations of Saskatchewan, chapter E-10.2, Regulation number 9".

In enviroOSH Legislation service documents, the original document citation appears directly under the name of the document.

Example (Statutes of Ontario):
ENVIRONMENTAL BILL OF RIGHTS, 1993 --> Act title
S.O. 1993, c. 28 --> original citation

Example (British Columbia Regulations):
Waste Discharge Regulation --> Regulation title
B.C. Reg. 320/2004 --> original citation

How do I search for documents in specific jurisdiction(s)?

When you search using the search window at the top of the enviroOSH Legislation service home page, you are searching the entire legislation collection. To search for documents from a particular jurisdiction, use a filtered search by first clicking on the jurisdiction name found in the left-side menu on the home page and it will give you all the documents for that jurisdiction. Enter search terms using the search window on that filtered page to narrow your results to documents on a particular topic.

After a search, how can I begin a new search?

To begin a new search, you must first clear your previous search. To clear any search, remove your search term filter(s) by clicking on the “x” that is found beside each term (terms appear at the top of the page). Once you have cleared your search by removing all the search term filter(s), you can begin a new search by selecting new search term filters.

How do I find the latest amendments in an Act or Regulation?

When an act or regulation is amended, an amendment history is provided at the top of the document after the citation, for example "As amended by: S.C. 2012, c. 19". An amendment history to an individual section or schedule is also indicated immediately after the amended section or schedule.

The latest amendment to the document is highlighted by the CCOHS team of legislative specialists in purple in the amendment history at the top of the document. As well, throughout the document the amended text is highlighted in purple to indicate where amendments have been applied. To locate the amendments, you can scroll down the document looking for purple text, however, for large documents it is easier to perform a "Find" on the document (Ctrl + F) for the amendment number. For example, if the latest amendment is "S.C. 2012, c. 19", click Ctrl + F to search "2012, c. 19" and it will take you to the end of each section or schedule where this amendment takes place. Scroll up to see the purple amended text.

How is legislation selected for the EnviroOSH collection?

A CCOHS team of legislative specialists monitors official gazettes, legislative web sites and news services of Canadian jurisdictions to identify legislation in the field of occupational health, safety, and environment. Selection is based primarily on whether the legislation has a core occupational health, safety, and environmental characteristic.

Legislation relating primarily to fees, or with limited geographic scope is not generally included.

Does the series include the complete text of the legislation?

Yes, CCOHS provides the complete text of all Acts, Regulations, guidelines, and codes of practice in the enivroOSH Legislation service. As such, you can determine the context of your requirements and be certain of comprehensive coverage. In a very few cases, we may include excerpts of the legislation if only one or two sections are relevant to health, safety, and the environment.

How can I find out if a particular document is available?

At present, over 5,000 Acts, Regulations, and other documents including codes of practice, guidelines and Standards are available. Once you have logged into the service, use the search window at the top of the home page to search across the entire collection to find a specific document.

Do you have the National Fire Code and the National Building Codes in the Legislation series?

These documents are critical to many clients of the enviroOSH Legislation service, however we are currently unable to arrange with the National Research Council to reproduce them. You must contact the National Research Council directly for print or electronic versions.

I don't need the full national collection - what do I do?

The enviroOSH Legislation service is also available by some regional geographic areas including Ontario, Eastern Canada, and Western Canada. Each of these regional collections also contain all the federal legislation since it applies to all jurisdictions in Canada.

How do you keep the legislation information up to date?

A CCOHS team of legislative specialists reviews the latest gazettes from the jurisdictions for the most recent legislation and amendments. Legislation in the service is updated daily. Subscribers to the service receive a free monthly update report listing the progress of proposed legislation, amendments incorporated in the previous month, recently repealed legislation, and new documents added to the collection. Amended text is indicated in purple.

What is the difference between the enviroOSH Legislation series and the enviroOSH Legislation PLUS Standards product?

The enviroOSH Legislation PLUS Standards service includes all the legislation in the enviroOSH Legislation service and includes the full text of standards referenced in the legislation (with some exclusions). To date, over 1,500 standards from the CSA Group, the BC Workers' Compensation Board (BC WCB), and the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) are included.

Are Standards available with the regional service?

Yes, standards are also available with the regional collections.

How do you decide which Standards to add?

All CSA Group and Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) standards referenced in the legislation are included in the collection along with any amendments. Standards from the BC Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia have also been incorporated.

Why is the older standard in the database? Is the updated one available?

Standards are cited in legislation in various ways:

  • reference to a standard generally, for example the Canadian Electrical Code,
  • a specific version, "as amended from time to time",
  • or a specific version of a standard in legislation, for example, CSA Standard Z91- M1980 although there may be a newer version.

CCOHS acquires the cited versions as well the most recent version of a standard to ensure that all subscribers have access to the most recent information.

When CSA Group marks a Standard as “Reaffirmed,” what does this mean?

Reaffirmed indicates that the CSA Group has reviewed the standard and there have been no edits made to that edition. The enviroOSH Legislation service includes Reaffirmed standards if they continue to be cited in the collection.

Why is a CSA Standard marked as "withdrawn"?

A CSA standard marked as Withdrawn indicates that the product has been withdrawn from active sale on CSA's online store.

This status is used if:

  • The standard is withdrawn and not replaced
  • There has been a change in the product designation, e.g. if CSA A123-1990 is superseded by CSA 2345-2012
  • It is no longer supported by a CSA committee (interpretations, amendments or new edition)
  • CSA Group makes no claim as to its relevancy with regards to current technologies or practices

Note: CSA Group makes withdrawn standards available for informational purposes as special orders on their website.

How is Digital Rights Management (DRM) used with CSA Group Standards?

Digital Rights Management (DRM) has been implemented within the enviroOSH Legislation PLUS Standards service. DRM is a systematic approach to copyright protection for all CSA Group standards referenced in the enviroOSH Legislation service. DRM will prevent unauthorized redistribution of these CSA Group Standards and will restrict the ways clients can access this information. When clients subscribe to the enviroOSH Legislation PLUS Standards service, they have the following rights and restrictions:

Access Rights:

  1. enviroOSH clients have access to CSA Group Standards referenced within the legislation collection during the subscription period.
  2. Multiple users are authorized to access CSA Group Standards depending on the subscription type ordered (e.g. 5 user, 10 user).

Access Restrictions:

  1. Users are not authorized to download, print, copy or paste CSA Group standards upon accepting the enviroOSH Subscriber Agreement Terms of Use.
  2. Users are not allowed to recreate the document in any way without direct authorization from CSA Group.

Why is some of my information required to access enviroOSH Legislation PLUS Standards?

CCOHS licenses the standards from the CSA Group, who requires your company name, city, and province. No other personal information is provided to them, and this information is only shared with the CSA Group. No third parties have access. You would have to provide this same information if you were purchasing standards directly from the CSA Group. If you choose not to provide this information, we can provide you with access to the Legislation-only product.

What is Legislation By Topic? How do I use these documents?

Legislation by Topic documents are pathfinders prepared by CCOHS legislative staff to help guide users to specific legislative references on relevant health, safety, and environmental topics across all Canadian jurisdictions. In each topic document, subscribers can click through on the hypertext links to access the full text of the legislative references. These documents are tools that can help users save time searching on a topic, view the scope of legislative coverage on a topic, and easily start or help focus their legislative research. Find the Legislation by Topics under References in the left-side menu on the service home page. Topics range from ergonomics to first aid, from ladder safety to climate change legislation, and much more. Topics documents are updated at regular intervals.

Do you have French documents? How do I find these documents?

Yes, the enviroOSH Legislation service includes French documents where the legislation is available in both official languages from the jurisdiction. Most recently, for Ontario jurisdiction, core occupational health and safety legislation French documents have been incorporated into the service. To search across the French documents, use a filtered search by clicking on “French” under Language in the left-side menu on the service home page.

Publication FAQs

What topics do your publications cover?

CCOHS publications cover a range of occupational health and safety topics, from the fundamentals of a health and safety program to specific occupations and emerging issues. View the complete CCOHS publications list..

What can I use these publications for?

CCOHS publications summarize available information on a given topic or occupation using non-technical language. They can be used to develop employee awareness about safe work practices to prevent risk of injury and illness. As well, the publications serve as useful resources for training, posting in the workplace, and providing answers on technical subjects in easy-to-understand terms.

Can I borrow publications for review and return them if they do not answer questions on a topic?

As CCOHS publications are priced affordably, we do not lend them for review. The table of contents and sample pages for most of our titles can be viewed on our website to help you determine whether a publication is suitable for your work situation.

How often are your publications updated?

CCOHS publications are reviewed on a regular basis by CCOHS technical staff. Updates are made when there have been significant changes in the information available on the topic and the publication is then republished as a new edition number. If no changes are required after review, then the date included in the publication number does not change.

Who writes and reviews your publications?

Publications are written and reviewed by CCOHS technical staff and external subject specialists. Each publication produced by CCOHS undergoes several stages of review. As part of this review, representatives from government, employers, and labour are requested to comment on draft copies of CCOHS documents for technical accuracy and readability.

Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy and completeness of the information, it is understood that CCOHS makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of such information and assumes no liability for any damages or loss suffered as a result of any inaccuracy or incompleteness therein. CCOHS encourages the widest possible distribution of this material.

I live in the US. Are your publications relevant to my organization or are they specific to workers in Canada only?

The main focus of CCOHS publications is to provide guidance for safe work practices that apply to work done in any country. In some situations, the health and safety legislation may require implementation of certain specific controls. For this information, readers should consult the occupational health and safety legislation applicable to their workplace.

In what languages are your publications available?

All publications are available in both English and French. CCOHS has also worked in consultation/partnership with organizations to produce guides in other languages. For further information, contact us.

We would like to customize one of your publications specifically to our organization. Do you offer customization service? At what cost?

Our publications may be customized to include your organization name and logo. Contact us for additional details.

Are your publications copyright protected? Can I share copies?

CCOHS publications are protected by copyright. You cannot engage in any unauthorized sharing, duplication, reproduction, copying, distribution or sales in any format, including PDF. Please purchase the number of PDF copies you need for your organization. In some cases, permission for non-commercial reproduction may be provided. Contact us for details.

When will I receive my order?

PDF: You may access your PDF publication(s) immediately after you complete your order. You will have 7 days to download your publication(s). Due to copyright protection, digital copies must be purchased and downloaded according to the number of intended recipients.

Print: Delivery time varies depending on the shipping method you select, plus production time. Express shipping is approximately 2 business days, and regular shipping is approximately 4-10 business days. Please allow an additional 1-3 business days for production time.

Are quantity discounts available for publications?

Yes, quantity discounts are available for publication orders of 100 copies or more and apply to any combination of print and PDF publications made in a single purchase. Learn more about quantity discounts.

How is tax calculated?

There is a tax of 5% on print publications shipped within Canada. There is an additional tax on the shipping cost, which varies by province and territory as outlined in the GST/HST provincial rates table on the Government of Canada website. For international shipments, there is no tax on print publications or shipping.

Need more information on any of our products or services? Contact Us.