// WHMIS/GHS/SDS

WHMIS - Laboratories

Important Information Canada has aligned the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

Important Information

Canada has aligned the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). This document discusses the WHMIS requirements as regulated by federal legislation – the Hazardous Products Act and the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR). This document reflects the Hazardous Products Regulations requirements as of December 15, 2022. Health Canada is the government body responsible for the overall WHMIS supplier-related laws. Note that WHMIS is also regulated in the workplace by the provinces, territories and federal governments (for federally regulated workplaces) under their occupational health and safety legislation. While these jurisdictions based their WHMIS regulations on the common model, small variations between jurisdictions may exist. Suppliers and employers must use and follow the new WHMIS requirements for labels and safety data sheets (SDSs) for hazardous products sold, distributed, or imported into Canada. Please refer to the following OSH Answers documents for more information about WHMIS:

Does WHMIS apply in laboratories?

Yes. WHMIS applies to hazardous products that are used, handled, or stored in all Canadian workplaces, including those found in laboratories. However, there are some unique circumstances that can apply to hazardous products in a laboratory setting. Some of these situations are treated differently with respect to hazard communication requirements – each of the following situations will be discussed in this document: Other situations may also be relevant in a laboratory. For situations not covered by this document, please consult the WHMIS regulations and/or your jurisdiction for more information. Note that while in certain circumstances, some hazardous products may be exempt from the WHMIS requirements for a label or SDS, employers must still provide education and training on the hazards, safe use, and storage of these products.

What should I know about products purchased for laboratories?

What labelling requirements apply to small containers?

What requirements apply when labelling decanted products?

Decanting is a common laboratory practice where a hazardous product may be transferred or poured into another container. A workplace label is required: The following information must be present on a workplace label: More information on labels is available in the OSH Answers WHMIS - Labels.

What should be done when hazardous products are developed in a laboratory?

What requirements apply to laboratory samples?

For hazardous products sent to the laboratory for analysis or for products that are in the process of being developed, exemptions could apply if certain conditions are met. A laboratory sample is defined in the Hazardous Products Regulations as a sample of a hazardous product that: Examples of laboratory samples include: Laboratory samples do not require an SDS if they are transferred for a specific purpose to a laboratory without ownership change ("bailed") and: "Bailed" means transfer of possession without transfer of ownership. In this situation, the laboratory does not own the laboratory sample but has possession of the sample while conducting testing on behalf of the owner. Reduced information on the label of a laboratory sample that is transferred without transferring ownership (bailed) is accepted when the sample is: At a minimum, a laboratory sample must be labelled with the following information (see also Figure XYZ): Figure 2 – Example of a Laboratory Sample Label

What are the requirements for Biohazardous Infectious Materials (BIMs)?

WHMIS has a hazard class for biohazardous infectious materials (BIMs). BIMs are micro-organisms (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites), nucleic acids, or proteins that cause or probably cause infection in people or animals. In Canada, hazardous products that meet the criteria for classification in this hazard class must have a nine-heading appendix to the SDS to provide information specific to the biohazard (see Table 1). This hazard class was retained from WHMIS 1988. There are variations and exceptions that apply to labels and SDSs for BIMs used in the laboratory. BIM SDS A full supplier label and a 16-section SDS with a 9-section appendix are required when a laboratory receives a hazardous product that is classified as a BIM. This requirement applies to a hazardous product that is only classified as a BIM or that is classified as a BIM and another hazard class. The requirement is the same whether the BIM product was purchased, imported into the lab, or bailed from an owner. Laboratory workers should be aware that there are Pathogen Safety Data Sheets available for pathogens at the Public Health Agency of Canada website. These pathogen safety data sheets are technical documents that describe the hazardous properties of the pathogen and provide recommendations for work involving these agents in a laboratory setting. Note that work involving pathogens in Canada may require compliance with international, national, and provincial laws and guidelines.

What are the requirements for laboratory samples that are biohazardous infectious materials?

There are exemptions that apply if the biohazardous infectious materials (BIM) is a laboratory sample (see Table 1). Biohazardous infectious material laboratory samples have different SDS or label requirements in these situations: * Note that this exemption does not apply to cross-border shipments. The reduced label requirements for a laboratory sample that is sold or imported and is only classified as a BIM are: Hazardous wastes that are contaminated by BIMs are still treated as hazardous wastes and are exempt from WHMIS labels and SDS requirements. For more information, see Part 5 (Exceptions) of Health Canada's Guidance on the WHMIS supplier requirements.