No. There’s always a lot of confusion over WHMIS training renewal requirements, so let me sort things out.
First, WHMIS training isn’t certification. It’s just training that must hit all the points for workers with exposure or potential exposure to hazardous products. There’s also no shelf life for WHMIS training. You must provide BEFORE the initial exposure and as often as necessary after that in response to: i. Changes to work conditions that affect the hazards that the previous training didn’t cover; ii. New hazard information about the product becomes available; and iii. Indications that the previous training was ineffective or needs to be corrected or revised. Again, the frequency of the need for retraining is dictated by the events not a specific period of time. Thus, original WHMIS training can last for years or it can need refreshing after 24 hours if one of the above triggers occurs.
Also keep in mind that the WHMIS PROGRAM, including training, must be reviewed at least once a year. As part of that annual review, you may determine that the previous training is ineffective and needs to be refreshed. Then again, you may also conclude that the previous training is OK, in which case, you don’t have to refresh it unless and until you do the next annual review or one of the triggers occurs before that. Hope that helps. Glenn
