Record Of Verbal Request for Safety Data Sheet (SDS)/WHMIS Label to Supplier

WHMIS rules require employers to have an SDS and supplier label for the hazardous products they use, handle, and store in the workplace. While you can prepare those materials yourself, most companies obtain them from the firm that supplied the product. Suppliers should furnish new SDSs and labels when they first ship the product as well as updated or corrected versions thereafter as necessary without being asked to do so. However, it may be necessary for employers to initiate the process by requesting the materials. In this situation, employers need to create a paper trail documenting that they made “reasonable efforts” to obtain the documents they needed so they don’t get cited for WHMIS violations if the SDS/label is missing, incomplete, inaccurate, or out of date. While putting the request in writing is the preferred approach, verbal or phone requests to the supplier for SDSs/labels are okay as long as you document the request in writing. Here’s a Documentation of Verbal Request template that you can adapt.

MODEL DOCUMENTATION OF VERBAL/PHONE REQUEST TO SUPPLIER FOR SDS/WHMIS SUPPLIER LABEL

 

Date of Contact:

 

Name of Supplier Company:

 

Supplier Phone Number Contacted:

 

Name and Title of individual spoken to/or contact at Supplier:

 

Chemical for which SDS/Supplier Label requested:

 

Date Chemical Shipment received:

 

Reason for request:

 

__________ SDS not supplied.

__________ SDS supplied but incomplete or otherwise defective (explain).

__________ Supplier label not supplied.

__________ Supplier label supplied but incomplete or otherwise defective.

 

 

Missing information or problem with SDS/supplier label (For SDS refer to Section # and/or relevant subheading):

 

Supplier response to request:

 

State below the name and title of the individual making request

 

Signature of Individual making request: