According to the Ontario Health & Safety Act every employee has the right to know about all hazards they may be exposed to on the job, this is done through providing WHMIS training and a Safety Data Sheet (Ontario Ministry of Labour).

The Ontario Health & Safety Act does not specify exactly who should deliver WHMIS training, although the “Ministry of Labour regards the principle of workers training other workers as a good one,” (Ontario Ministry of Labour). At most organizations, WHMIS training is given by the training manager or supervisor, or Human Resources staff.

The answer depends on if you have the budget to purchase a module from a third party. "A generic worker training course is also available online, for a small fee, from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) (Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development "Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)").

In addition, other third party vendors offer pre-made general WHMIS training modules.

However, it is important that they comply with the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System and Ontario Health and Safety Act regulations. According to the regulation, organizations still need to train employees if they are using a specific hazardous chemical and how to follow guidelines on the Safety Data Sheets, (Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development "Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System"). So whichever you decide, it is important that your employees have all the information on the chemicals they are using.

1. Read and follow instructions on product labels and safety data sheets,

2. Follow procedures established for the workplace, including the use of personal protective equipment,

3. Participate in instruction and training,

4. Ask a supervisor if unsure about how to use or handle a particular product, and

5. Report to the employer or supervisor any contraventions of the legislation or hazards, such as the absence of a safety data sheet for a new product, or a label that can no longer be read.

(Ontario Ministry of Labour)

Employees should be trained on the meaning of WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System), and how chemicals can impact them. This is crucial so that your organization will understand the importance of a WHMIS system, and how they can ensure that employees are knowledgeable on preventing future illnesses and injuries.

What does WHMIS Mean?

Employees should understand that WHMIS stands for "Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System". It is a government mandated regulation for all employers to follow and it can be broken into sub-components necessary to provide employees with knowledge of their rights and responsibilities, as well as a general guide for all employees to follow including SDSs (Safety Data Sheets) in compliance with Ontario Ministry of Health WHMIS training standards according to the Ontario Health & Safety Act.

Your handbook is required to be updated every year.

How can chemicals impact the employee?

Chemicals can…

· Cause burns

· Cause blindness

· Cause rashes

· Make it hard to breathe

· Cause cancer

· Damage internal organs

· Damage your brain

· Cause death or illness

It is necessary to know how chemicals impact us, so we know why it is important to take the proper steps to eliminate hazards that we do not want to occur in the workplace (AIXSafety).

Identifying Hazardous Chemicals and Materials

Some hazardous materials in your workplace may include:

· Bleach

· Acids & alkaline

· Gasoline

· Silica

· Paints

· Glue & adhesives

· Dishwashing Detergent

· Cleaning Supplies

· and more.

(Concordia University)

Always make sure that employees are aware of the types of hazardous materials used in their specific workplace.

Supplier Labels

Below are some examples of supplier labels you may see at your workplace. It is the supplier's duty to "ensure the appropriate classification of hazardous products, label the hazardous product or container, provide a safety data sheet (SDS)," and "clearly identify the hazardous ingredients, the supplier, the hazards and precautionary measures on the label," (Avmor).

(Work Safe BC)

Safety Data Sheets can be found online or directly from your supplier. Your supplier should provide the safety data sheets when shipping any chemicals to your organization. These should be displayed for employees to have easy access to. You should train employees on where to find the safety data sheets also.

Below is a quick video providing an example of how to Google Search for your supplier's safety data sheets.

This example uses the chemical supplier company Avmor, who have made their safety data sheets readily accessible online for their dish detergent called "Yellow Stuff". If you cannot find safety data sheets, you should create a workplace label with the requirements listed above.

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