WHMIS

WHMIS TRAINING INFORMATION SHEET

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System

Section 42-(1) of the Occupational Health & Safety Act requires that:

"an employer shall ensure that a worker exposed or likely to be exposed to a hazardous material or to a hazardous physical agent receives, and that the worker participates in, such instruction and training as may be prescribed."

The WHMIS program is a 4-hour training session, designed to provide your employees with the ability to recognize controlled products, identify their hazards and know how to handle, store and dispose of them safely. Each participant will be provided with a WHMIS training manual, pocket guide and symbol card, two sample MSDSs, a test, a training certificate and a WHMIS trained decal.

To conduct this training in-house, it would be helpful to have supplier labels from products that are used regularly in your facility. For in-house training, we need a quiet room, classroom style with a flip chart.

The WHMIS certificate is valid for one year, following which a refresher course is required. Full WHMIS training is required if annual refresher training is not done.

WHMIS - ESL (English Second Language)

First Response also offers a 2-hour training session for people for whom English is their second language or for workers who have low literacy skills.

This session is a general introduction to WHMIS. Through video and picture workbooks, participants will be able to understand why we have a WHMIS and learn how to recognize hazardous products in the workplace. They will be introduced to workplace and supplier labels and MSDS's and will be able to recognize WHMIS symbols. Although it is unlikely that they will be able to read an MSDS, they will have a basic understanding as to their location and who to ask for help in reading an MSDS.

For in-house training, we need a quiet room, classroom style with an overhead projector, TV & VCR, flip chart.