Summary

This document provides an overview of WHMIS 2015, a Canadian system for regulating workplace hazardous materials.

Full Transcript

WHMIS The purpose of WHMIS  To provide information on the hazardous material used in the workplace.  To facilitate the process of hazard identification in the workplace.  The ensure the consistency of the hazard information in all Canadian workplaces.  Ensure that all workers are informed abo...

WHMIS The purpose of WHMIS  To provide information on the hazardous material used in the workplace.  To facilitate the process of hazard identification in the workplace.  The ensure the consistency of the hazard information in all Canadian workplaces.  Ensure that all workers are informed about hazardous products/chemicals in the workplace. Federal WHMIS Legislation Federal WHMIS legislation in administered by Health Canada, and includes:  The Hazardous Products Act (HPA): which requires the supplier to provide a label and a safety data sheet to the purchaser of the product.  The Hazardous Product Regulation (HPR): Which set out the criteria a supplier must use to assess and classify a product into prescribed hazard classes and categories. It also sets out in detail the information a supplier is required to put on a label and a safety data sheet. Federal WHMIS Legislation Federal WHMIS legislation in administered by Health Canada, and includes:  The Hazardous Materials Information Review Act (HMIRA): Which provides for the protection of confidential business information and defines the type of information that a supplier may claim an exemption from disclosing on a label or safety data sheet. It is the responsibility of Health Canada to determine if these requests are valid.  The Hazardous Materials Information Review Regulations (HMIRR): Which sets of the criteria Health Canada must use when assessing a claim for an exemption. Ontario’s WHMIS Legislation  Ontario’s WHMIS legislation applies to all workplaces covered by the OHSA, with the exception of farms. In Ontario the WHMIS requirements can be found in:  The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA): Requires employers to ensure that hazardous products are identified, to obtain safety data sheets and make them available in the workplace and the provide the instruction and training to workers. The OHSA also provides for the protection of confidential business information according to procedures set out in the federal HMIRA.  The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System Regulation (R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 860): Sets out in detail the employers duties respecting labels and safety data sheets for hazardous products and prescribes the content and delivery of worker education programs. It also sets out the types of confidential business information the employer may withhold from a label or safety data sheet. So who is responsible for hazardous materials in the workplace?  1. The manufacturer/supplier.  2. The employer.  3. The worker.  * All have shared responsibility for the safe usage of hazardous materials* The manufacturer/suppliers responsibilities Must supply proper product labels. Must supply Safety Data Sheets(Current within 3 years). Must classify the product correctly. Must supply labels to the Supplier. Must regularly update any information on the Material Safety Data Sheets. The employers responsibilities  Must provide worker education and training.  Must provide a workplace inventory of products.  Must supply workplace labels.  Must make SDS readily available to workers.  Must provide a workplace Hazard Assessment.  Must do all of the above in conjunction with the JHSC – Joint Health and Safety Committee. The workers responsibilities  Must participate in the training and education.  Apply the knowledge.  Work safely at all times!! Chemical States  Chemicals exist in three states: solids, gases and liquids. A single chemical can be found in all three states depending on several factors:  Temperature  Concentration  Catalyst  Humidity  Pressure Chemical Exposure  Some chemicals can cause immediate harm after a short exposure.  Other may cause harm that is no apparent until days, months of even years have passed.  There are several routes of entry a harmful chemical can enter you body.  Inhalation  Ingestion  Skin contact  Contact with eyes  Injected subcutaneously Controlling the risk of exposure  There are several way you can limit your exposure to a hazardous chemical.  Elimination of the use of the chemical.  Substitution of a less hazardous chemical.  The use of devices such as exhaust systems of ventilation hoods.  The use of administrative controls such as safe work procedures, training and exposure limitation.  The use of appropriate PPE. Changes to WHMIS  Many different countries have their own regulatory systems for the classifications of hazards and how these hazards are displayed and communicated.  Canada’s original WHMIS legislation was introduced in 1988.  Due to the different systems of there countries some chemicals are labeled and classified differently.  The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of classification and labelling of chemicals standardizes on an international level both the classification and the labeling of products, as well as the information that needs to be present on the safety data sheet.  The goal of GHS is to unify hazard communication globally. Changes to WHMIS  The Canadian government has passed legislation to adopt GHS provisions, and modified the existing WHMIS legislation.  The updated requirements have been branded as WHMIS 2015.  The implementation of WHMIS 2015 is occurring over multi-year transition period. Full implementation is to be completed by December 1st, 2018.  It is important to understand aspects of both WHMIS 1988 and 2015. Changes to WHMIS summarized  New classification rules.  New hazard classes and pictograms.  New supplier label requirements.  Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) will now be known as Safety Data Sheets (SDS). WHMIS 2015 Organization WHMIS 2015 GHS hazard groups Physical hazard groups (included in WHMIS 2015) Health hazard groups (included in WHMIS 2015) Physical hazard classes(19) Health hazard classes(12) Multiple categories Multiple categories Environmental hazard groups (not included in WHMIS 2015) WHMIS 2015 identifies two major groups of hazards.  Physical hazards: Is a type of occupational hazard that involves environmental hazards that can cause harm with or without contact.  Ergonomic hazards.  Radiation.  Heat and cold stress.  Vibration hazards.  Noise hazards.  Health hazards: Refers to a chemical for which there is statistically significant evidence based of at least one study conducted in accordance with established scientific principles that acute of chronic health effects may occur is exposed employees.  Environmental hazards: Is not being adopted by WHMIS 2015, but may appear on pictograms shown on products. Physical hazard classes (19) Health hazard classes (12) Hazard categories What is a hazard category? Each hazard class contains at least one category. The hazard categories are assigned a number (e.g., 1, 2, etc.) Categories may also be called "types". Types are assigned an alphabetical letter (e.g., A, B, etc.). In a few cases, sub-categories are also specified. Subcategories are identified with a number and a letter (e.g., 1A and 1B). Some hazard classes have only one category (e.g., corrosive to metals), others may have two categories (e.g., carcinogenicity (cancer)) or three categories (e.g., oxidizing liquids). There are a few hazard classes with five or more categories (e.g., organic peroxides). The category tells you about how hazardous the product is (that is, the severity of hazard). Category 1 is always the greatest level of hazard (that is, it is the most hazardous within that class). If Category 1 is further divided, Category 1A within the same hazard class is a greater hazard than category 1B. Category 2 within the same hazard class is more hazardous than category 3, and so on. Hazard categories There are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, for the Gases under pressure hazard class, the hazard categories are "Compressed gas", "Liquefied gas", "Refrigerated liquefied gas" and "Dissolved gas". These classes relate to the physical state of the gas when packaged and do not describe the degree of hazard. In addition, the Reproductive Toxicity hazard class has a separate category called "Effects on or via lactation". "Effects on or via lactation" was not assigned a specific numbered category. Reproductive toxicity also has Categories 1 and 2 which relate to effects on fertility and/or the unborn child. Effects on or via lactation is considered a different, but related hazard within the Reproductive toxicity class. Physical hazard categories. Physical hazard categories example. Health hazard categories. Health hazard categories example. Classification  WHMIS uses classifications to group chemicals with similar properties or hazards.  Each class uses an easily recognizable symbol to indicate the hazard that is present. WHMIS 2015 Pictograms Comparison between WHMIS 1988 and 2015 pictograms. Labels  Labels are a critical component of the hazard communication system as they alert the person handling the product about the major hazards, and outline the basic precautions they should use.  There are 2 types of labels.  1. Supplier Labels  2. Workplace labels Supplier Labels Comparison between WHMIS 1988 and 2015 supplier labels. Workplace label A workplace label is require when: A hazardous product is produced at the work place and used in that workplace. A hazardous product is decanted( transferred or poured) into a container. A supplier label becomes lost of illegible. Can be designed any way the employer prefers as long as the proper information is displayed. Comparison of workplace labels Safety Data Sheets  The term safety data sheets (SDS) replaces the previous term material safety data sheet (MSDS).  An SDS provides more detailed hazard information about the product than the label. They are an important detailed resource that can be used in the workplace to identify hazards and safe practices when using a hazardous product.  SDSs includes information on the identification of exposure symptoms, and what steps to take should an exposure occur. SDS sections Exclusions under WHMIS  Explosives (as defined in the Explosives Act)  Cosmetics, devices, drugs or foods (as defined in the Food and Drugs Act)  Pest control products (as defined in the Pest Control Products Act)  Consumer products (as defined in the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act)  Wood or wood products;  Tobacco or tobacco products (as defined in the Tobacco Act)  Nuclear substance that is radioactive (as defined in the Nuclear Safety and Control Act)  Manufactured articles  Hazardous waste; refers to hazardous product that is sold for recycling/recovery and is intended for disposal Threshold Limit Value  TLV (TWA) is an 8-hour time-weighted average believed to be the average concentration to which most workers can be exposed during an 8-hour workday, day after day, without harmful effects.  TLV (STEL) is a 15 minute “short term exposure limit”  Ceiling (C) is a maximum concentration never to be exceeded LD50  LD50 (Lethal Dose50) is the amount of a substance that, when administered by a defined route of entry (e.g. oral or dermal) over a specified period of time, is expected to cause the death of 50 per cent of a defined animal population. LC50  LC50 (Lethal Concentration50) is the amount of a substance in air that, when given by inhalation over a specified period of time, is expected to cause the death in 50 per cent of a defined animal population. Questions?

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