Providing Digital Access to SDSs’
An electronic SDS is OK under WHMIS as long as you ensure the information is “readily available”. The Safety Data Sheet (SDS) furnishing essential information about a hazardous product, the dangers […]
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Top Safety Compliance Hazards – Special Report
Always be thinking about workplace safety. Almost all injuries are preventable but not thinking and not paying close attention are the leading cause of all workplace injuries. Watch out for […]
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Contractor Management: How to Secure Safety Buy-in
Demand for safety in the workplace has never been higher. In the wake of high-profile accidents and increasing regulation, companies are under immense pressure to create and maintain a safe […]
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4 Critical Questions to Ask When Transporting Dangerous Goods
Various regulatory bodies and different jurisdictions makes it challenging to remain in compliance while transporting dangerous goods. It's been said that no matter what you do for work, the most dangerous […]
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Hazards & Operations that Require Special OHS Training
The OHS laws impose 2 kinds of safety training requirements. The first is a general requirement that employers provide whatever training workers need to do their jobs safely. The second […]
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The Top 5 Workplace Summer Safety Hazards (and What You Can Do About Them)
It's time for warm weather, long weekends, and backyard cookouts. But the summer season also brings unique workplace hazards. Staying safe during the hot weather means understanding and managing the risks. […]
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Work Refusals Special Report
Refusing to perform assigned work is normally an act of insubordination for which a worker can be disciplined. But OHS laws create a special exemption that allows workers to refuse […]
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Whom To Call To Report a Spill or Discharge
Every jurisdiction has an “emergency spill hotline” that you can call to report a spill or release of a hazardous substance. Here’s where to report such incidents in each part […]
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Which Hazardous Spills Must You Report to the Government? – Ask The Expert
QUESTION Which kinds of chemical spills do we have to report to the Ministry of Environment? ANSWER It depends on the kind of spill and jurisdiction you’re in. EXPLANATION Companies that discharge or spill products […]
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Hazardous Spill Reporting Form
As with any health and safety incident, prompt reporting of spills is crucial to effective response. Here’s a template you can adapt to capture the essential details about the spill […]
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Spills Reporting – Know The Laws Of Your Province
Environmental laws require companies involved in discharging or spilling substances that have the potential to harm the environment to report the incident to the government. But the laws vary significantly […]
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Don’t Teach my Mother WHMIS
My mom works in a highly hazardous occupation. She belongs to a class of workers who are the most injured in British Columbia. According to WorkSafeBC’s 2020 annual report, people […]
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WHMIS Training – Compliance Game Plan
Take 6 steps to ensure workers exposed to hazardous substances get proper WHMIS training. Many if not most workplaces contain chemical, biological and other substances (called “hazardous products”) that pose health […]
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How Often Must WHMIS Training Be Renewed? – Ask The Expert
There’s no shelf life on the freshness of WHMIS training. QUESTION Does WHMIS training have to be renewed every year? If not, how often is renewal training required? ANSWER No, and it depends. EXPLANATION There’s a […]
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Quiz: WHMIS Supplier Labels & Multi-Container Shipments
SITUATION A mine worker suffers serious burns as a result of misusing cleaning solution containing hydrofluoric acid (HF). OHS investigators discover that the bottle containing the solution didn’t have a […]
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Compliance Alert: COVID-19 Cleaners from U.S. Temporarily Exempt from WHMIS
It’s imperative to have ample supplies of Health Canada approved COVID-19 cleaning and disinfecting products in your workplace. But with domestic products in short supply, you may have to rely […]
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OHS Quiz: Welding & WHMIS Labels
SITUATION A plant supervisor instructs a worker to use a hot torch to cut an empty steel drum that previously contained an oil lubricant. The drum has a WHMIS supplier label […]
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WHMIS Training Review Program Checklist
The WHMIS laws don’t require annual training, they require annual review of WHMIS training programs. (They also require more frequent review in response to significant changes in work conditions and […]
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WHMIS Supplier Label Pictograms Graphic
INTRODUCTION: HOW TO USE THIS TOOL The old-school WHMIS supplier label is on its way out. Starting Sept. 1, 2018, supplier labels provided by suppliers of hazardous products must comply with […]
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WHMIS Supplier Label Inspection Checklist
INTRODUCTION: HOW TO USE THIS TOOL WHMIS requires employers to ensure that hazardous products used in the workplace have a proper supplier label. The new GHS rules keep supplier labels in […]
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WHMIS 2015 Pictogram Quiz
BENEFITS Canada is transitioning from the old WHMIS system (WHMIS 1988) to WHMIS 2015, which reflects the GHS and includes new requirements for labels and safety data sheets. Federal WHMIS laws […]
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Must Suppliers Disclose ‘Confidential Business Information’ on SDSs?
SITUATION In June 2016, a supplier develops a new chemical solution for cleaning machine parts. The formula for the solution contains an ingredient that the supplier’s competitors haven’t yet discovered. But […]
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When Must an SDS Be Updated under WHMIS 2015?
SITUATION An employer buys a hazardous product from a supplier. The supplier provides a safety data sheet (SDS) compliant with WHMIS 2015 requirements for the product. This sale is the only […]
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WHMIS 2015 Implementation Checklist
BENEFITS Canada is in the process of transitioning from the old WHMIS system (WHMIS 1988) to WHMIS 2015, which reflects the GHS and includes new requirements for labels and safety data […]
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