WHMIS Handbook - University of Manitoba

2019

WHMIS Handbook

University of Manitoba 1 WHMIS Handbook 2019

Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 2 WHMIS at the University of Manitoba ........................................................................................................... 3

Responsibilities ................................................................................................................................ 3

Hazardous Products Controlled under W H M I S ............................................................................................... 4

WHMIS Hazard Groups and Classes ................................................................................................ 5

WHMIS Pictograms ........................................................................................................................................ 8 Exemptions ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 WHMIS Labels ................................................................................................................................................ 9

Supplier Labels ............................................................................................................................... 10 Workplace Labels ........................................................................................................................... 11 Preparing a Supplier or Workplace Label ...................................................................................... 12

Workplace Hazard Information Placards (WHIPs) ....................................................................................... 13 WHMIS Training ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Laboratory Inspections ................................................................................................................................. 15 Contact Us .................................................................................................................................................... 15


Introduction

The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) was created in 1988 as a response to a workers “right to know” about both the safety and health hazards associated with the hazardous products, they might use at work. The purpose of WHMIS is to protect your health and safety by providing you with i m p o r t a n t information by identifying potential hazards you may be exposed to in the workplace. WHMIS provides information for the safe storage, handling and disposal of hazardous products.

In February 2015, Canada aligned WHMIS with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals.

Although the WHMIS legislation does not apply to household chemicals, when these chemicals or hazardous products are brought into or used in the workplace, WHMIS legislation applies.

The WHMIS hazard communication is possible through the following relationship illustrated in figure 1.

Figure 1. WHMIS Communication System. The safety information on hazardous products flows from the suppliers to the University of Manitoba and then on to the user faculty, staff and students/workers.

Exposure to hazardous products may cause or contribute to a variety of health concerns such as irritation, burns, sensitization, heart ailments, lung, kidney and liver damage, birth defects, skin disease and cancer. Some materials also have the potential to cause fires, explosions and other serious accidents if they are not handled and stored properly.


WHMIS consists of three key elements:

• Labels on containers of hazardous products to alert you to the dangers of the material and basic safety precautions;

• Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are technical bulletins, which provide more detailed hazard precautionary information on the product. WHMIS requires suppliers to label and prepare SDS for products they manufacture, import, package or process (that meet the hazards criteria set out in the legislation).

• Worker Education - The University (as the employer) is required to set up programs to provide instruction on the content, purpose and significance of labels and SDS. This program will provide training in safe work procedures in the use, storage and disposal of hazardous materials.

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As a student/worker working with or near hazardous products you must be able to locate, obtain and use the information provided under WHMIS to protect yourself and others in the workplace.

WHMIS at the University of Manitoba

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) identifies University departments and units where hazardous products are used, stored or handled. WHMIS is implemented these Departments/Units through WHMIS Departmental Coordinators appointed by the Deans/Department Heads/Directors at the request of the Vice-President (Administration). In addition, EHS provides online WHMIS training through UMLearn. Staff and students can self-register for the training and print out a certificate upon successful completion. Units can also provide their own department-specific WHMIS training that is compliant with regulation.

Responsibilities The Employer (Principal Investigator, Department Head, Dean, Director, and President) must:

• Ensure all hazardous products are inventoried and have Supplier or Workplace labels

• Provide access to SDS’s of hazardous products to employees and update them as necessary

• Educate workers on how to read and recognize supplier or workplace labels and SDS’s

• Train workers on how to handle, use, and store hazardous products, and, if required, use personal protective equipment

• Develop safe work procedures (SWPs)

• Prepare SDS’s and labels as needed

The University has a web-based inventory database system that is managed by Environmental Health and Safety. It is designed for Departments, Principal Investigators, Supervisors and their personnel and students to maintain an inventory of hazardous products in their labs or work areas. For more information, contact EHS at 204-474-6633.

WHMIS is a Performance-Based System

Your active participation is required for the system to function effectively


Refer to the University of Manitoba’s Chemical Safety Guideline for information on the use, storage and handling of WHMIS hazardous products in laboratories or work areas.

http://umanitoba.ca/admin/vp_admin/risk_management/ehso/chemical_safety/5603.html

The Worker (Faculty, Support Staff and Students) must:

• Participate in the education and training programs provided by the employer

• Follow prescribed safe work procedures

• Identify and control hazards

The Supplier’s responsibilities under WHMIS are to:

• Determine “hazardous” products and classify them appropriately under regulatory standards

• Establish health and safety information regarding a hazardous product

• Label products with GHS (supplier) labels

• Prepare and provide Safety Data Sheets to customers

Hazardous Products Controlled under W H M I S

Hazardous products are materials, products, or substances that meet any of the criteria for one or more of the 32 GHS Hazard Classes as defined in the Federal Hazardous Products Regulation.

The hazard classes are grouped into:

• Physical Hazards

• Health Hazards

Each of the above classes contain categories, subcategories, or types to further describe the hazards associated with the products (see figure 2).



WHMIS Hazard Groups and Classes

Table 1: Physical Hazard Classes – These groups are based on both physical and chemical properties of a given product

Physical Hazard Classes

Flammable gases Flammable aerosols Oxidizing gases

Gases under pressure Flammable liquids Flammable solids

Self-reactive substances and mixtures

Pyrophoric liquids Pyrophoric solids

Self-heating substances and mixtures

Substances in mixtures which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases

Oxidizing liquids

Oxidizing solids Organic peroxides Corrosive to metals

Combustible dusts Simple asphyxiates Pyrophoric gases

Physical hazards not otherwise classified

Table 2: Health Hazard Classes – These groups are based on products that have the ability to result in a health related issue

Health Hazard Classes

Acute toxicity Skin corrosion/irritation Serious eye damage/irritation

Respiratory or skin sensitization

Germ cell mutagenicity Carcinogenicity

Reproductive toxicity Specific target organ toxicity – single exposure

Specific target organ toxicity – repeated exposure

Aspiration hazard Biohazardous infectious materials Health hazards not otherwise classified


High Hazard Low Hazard 1A 1B 1C

Figure 2: Hazard Categories Each of the classes has at least one hazard category. The categories are assigned a number with a subcategory depicted by a letter. The categories can also be referred to as “types”. The lower the category number, the higher the hazard. However the subcategories depicted by letters are less hazardous as you proceed up the alphabet.

Table 3: Physical Hazard Class Descriptions Hazard Class(es) Description

Flammable gases; Flammable aerosols; Flammable liquids; Flammable solids

Products can readily ignite, creating hazard for fire or explosion

Oxidizing gases; Oxidizing liquids; Oxidizing solids Oxidizers that can cause a fire or explosion or intensify a fire

Gases under pressure Gases under high pressure in a cylinder or container that have potential to explode and cryogenics that can cause severe burns

Self-reactive substances and mixtures Products which may react to create a fire or explosion, or upon heating cause a fire or explosion

Pyrophoric liquids; Pyrophoric solids; Pyrophoric gases

Products that ignite spontaneously in the presence of air

Self-heating substances and mixtures Products that can ignite in the presence of air after a duration of time

Substances and mixtures which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases

Products that react with water to release a flammable gas

Organic peroxides Upon heating, products that can cause a fire or explosion Corrosive to metals Products that are corrosive to metals Combustible dust Finely divided particles that, if in air, can catch fire or

explode upon ignition

Simple asphyxiates Gases that displace air, causing suffocation

Physical hazards not otherwise classified Products that, based on their physical and chemical properties, can result in serious injury or death of a person


Table 4: Health Hazard Class Descriptions Hazard Class(es) Description

Acute toxicity Products that are fatal, toxic, or harmful if they come in contact with the skin, are inhaled, or swallowed

Skin corrosion/irritation Products that can cause severe skin burns or irritations

Serious eye damage/eye irritation

Products that can cause severe eye damage or irritations

Respiratory or skin sensitization Product that may cause asthma or allergy like symptoms or difficulty breathing

Germ cell mutagenicity Products that may cause or are suspected to cause genetic defects

Carcinogenicity Products that may cause or are suspected to cause cancer

Reproductive toxicity Products that may cause damage or are suspected to damage one’s fertility or an unborn baby

Specific target organ toxicity – single exposure

Products that can cause damage to organs following a single exposure

Specific target organ toxicity – repeated exposure

Products that can cause damage to organs following prolonged or repeated exposures

Aspiration hazard Products that are fatal if swallowed or inhaled

Biohazardous infectious materials

Biohazardous materials (microorganisms, nucleic acids, proteins) that can cause infection, with or without toxicity, in humans and animals

Health hazards not otherwise classified

Products that may cause health hazards following single or repeated exposures, including risk of injury or death


WHMIS Pictograms


Exemptions

The following are exempt from the supplier responsibilities of WHMIS (no label or SDS required):

• Consumer restricted products: products sold in stores that already have labels in accordance with the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act

• Explosives: covered by the Explosives Act

• Cosmetics, drug, food, or devices: covered by the Food and Drugs Act

• Pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides: covered by the Pest Control Products Act • Radioactive materials: covered by the Nuclear Safety and Control Act

• Wood and wood products

• Manufactured articles that will not release chemicals

• Tobacco or tobacco products

• In-house generated hazardous waste

• Hazardous materials transported under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act (TDG)

If another Act exists, WHMIS may not be applicable. The employer is still responsible for training employees on the safe use, handling, and storage of these products.

WHMIS Labels

All hazardous products in a lab or workspace must have WHMIS labels.

The purpose of a WHMIS label is to identify the product and alert workers or handlers to the hazards and safe handling procedures. A WHMIS label is just a first alert; the amount of information in it is limited by its size. The SDS provides information that is more detailed.

Labelling requirements differ depending on whether the products are in supplier or workplace containers; whether the containers contain laboratory products, laboratory samples for analysis or non-laboratory products; and the size of the containers.

Two types of labels prescribed under WHMIS legislation are: 1. Supplier Label is intended for use with hazardous products distributed to labs or work areas; 2. Workplace Label is to be used in some circumstances during the storage, handling and use of the hazardous

products in labs or work areas.


SUPPLIER LABELS

The supplier who may be a manufacturer, importer, packager or processor affixes a “Supplier Label” to the container of a hazardous product. For hazardous products imported by the University without the intermediary of a Canadian supplier, the University is responsible for attaching a Supplier Label.

A Supplier Label must be in both English and French

Figure 3: Example of a WHMIS Supplier Label

Product Identifier- name exactly as it appears on the container and SDS. Hazard Pictograms - are determined by the hazard class. Signal Word – “Danger’ or “Warning” used to emphasize hazards and their severity. Hazard Statements - standardized statements of all hazards based on the WHMIS 2015 hazard classification of the product. Precautionary Statements –- standardized phrases that describe measures to be taken to minimize or prevent adverse effects resulting from exposure to a hazardous product or resulting from improper handling or storage of a hazardous product. Includes protective equipment, emergency measures, first aid. Supplier Identifier - company that made or packaged the product, and is responsible for the label and SDS/MSDS information. The pictogram(s) signal word and hazard statement(s) must be grouped together on a label.

Product Identifier

Signal Word

Precautionary Statement

Supplier Identification

Hazard Statement

Pictogram


WORKPLACE LABELS

There are no WHMIS requirements for the design of a workplace label. However, it is important that the label is easily identified and readable, and placed where it can be seen by the workers, in the language of choice at the workplace. Hazard symbols and hatch-mark WHMIS borders are optional. The Workplace Label must be attached to the containers of controlled products when the controlled product is:

• Produced and used in the University workplace;

• Decanted or transferred from the original supplier container to a workplace container;

• In a container on which the supplier label has become illegible or has been accidentally removed.

A Workplace Label is less detailed than a supplier label but must contain the following information:

• Product Identifier or Product Name;

• Safe Handling Information;

o This section will contain precautions that must be taken to minimize the risks of adverse health effects and injury. This would include any personal protective equipment such as a particular type of gloves, goggles, face shield, respirators, etc., to be worn, or other control measures to be taken.

Figure 4: Example of WHMIS Workplace Label


PREPARING A SUPPLIER OR WORKPLACE LABEL

When preparing a label, use a pen or marker with permanent ink.

Locate the SDS for the product and look for the information needed in completing the label.

• Under the heading "Product Identifier" on the label, print the name of the product as it appears on the SDS.

• Attach hazard symbol(s) or print the WHMIS pictogram of the product.

• Under the "Precautionary Measures", "Risks" and "First Aid Measures", check appropriate statements corresponding to those found in the SDS.

• Attach the label to the container in a visible location. Self-adhesive acetate or transparent tape can be used to cover the label if there is a chance of liquid spilling over the label and making it illegible.

• In some cases, it may be necessary to attach the label to a tag and fasten it to the container.


Workplace Hazard Information Placards (WHIPs)

To meet the intent of the Manitoba Fire Code and the requirements of Parts 35 and 36 of the Workplace Safety and Health regulation, laboratories and rooms where hazardous products are stored, used or decanted shall have signage posted at the entrance in order to provide hazard and emergency contact information.

Environmental Health and Safety, in consultation with the University of Manitoba’s Chemical Safety Committee, has produced a Chemical Safety Permit system. Information provided on the chemical safety permit application will be used to populate a Workplace Hazard Information Placard (WHIP) that will be posted at the entrance of the laboratory or work area.

The Workplace Hazard Information Placard (WHIP) will offer a descriptive account of the laboratory or work area, in terms of quantities and types of chemicals or hazardous products used. In addition, it will provide information for first responders in the event that emergency access is needed.

To complete the chemical safety permit questionnaire, you will need to access the Environmental Health and Safety Assistant (EHSA) database with your UMNetID and password:

http://umanitoba.ca/admin/vp_admin/risk_management/ehso/ehs_db/index.html

Figure 5: Example of a Workplace Hazard Informational Placard (WHIP)

http://umanitoba.ca/admin/vp_admin/risk_management/ehso/ehs_db/index.html


WHMIS Training

As the employer, the University of Manitoba is to provide training to all students and staff (including Principal Investigators and visiting scientists) who work with or are in close proximity to hazardous products. All Staff and students must receive WHMIS training. The training is workplace specific and is to take place prior to commencement of work in the lab or space. The regulation requires an annual review of the WHMIS training program, which may necessitate refresher training.

If there is no change in the regulation or hazard information in the workplace, refresher training is not required.

In addition to WHMIS, all staff and students must receive the workplace specific training on a continual basis as new products are introduced and there is a change in work process, equipment and conditions.

At the University of Manitoba, Departmental WHMIS Coordinators and Principal Investigators are responsible for ensuring that any person storing, handling or using Hazardous Products receives the proper training and is done in accordance to Part 35 of the Workplace Safety and Health regulation.

Those working with hazardous products must receive training to ensure competency in handling these materials.

* “Fugitive emission” means a gas, liquid, solid, vapour, fume, mist, fog or dust containing a controlled product that escapes from process equipment, emission control equipment, or product or a device in the workplace

WHMIS training at the University of Manitoba will be accessed and completed through UMLearn.

For more information on WHMIS training or how to self-register, visit the following link


WHMIS requires that staff and students to be instructed on the following with regard to hazardous products (this may include fugitive emissions* or hazardous waste):

•Content, purpose and significance of supplier and workplace labels;•Content, purpose and significance of Safety Data Sheets;•Procedures for the safe use, storage, handling and disposal of hazardous products. This includes hazardous products contained or transferred in piping systems, a process vessel, a reaction vessel and a tank car, tank truck, ore car, conveyer belt or similar conveyance;

•Procedures to be followed in case of an emergency involving a hazardous product;•Any other information about the hazardous product the Departmental WHMIS Coordinator shall be aware of. This means the Departmental WHMIS Coordinator may need to search for more information than what is available on the Safety Data Sheet.



Laboratory Inspections

The identification of hazards, assessment of risks and the development (use) of safe work procedures should be carried out in laboratories and work areas at the University of Manitoba. This process should be followed to help mitigate hazards that may exist and cannot be eliminated.

Every laboratory or work area should conduct regular inspections. These inspections can be carried out with a peer group (consisting of the Principal Investigator or lab designate) and recorded with observations and corrective actions.

Departments using hazardous products shall conduct these inspections, by using Environmental Health and Safety’s Self Inspection Checklist.

Environmental Health and Safety will conduct regular inspections of laboratories or work areas where hazardous products are used, stored or handled. These inspections cover items that are mandated by relevant regulatory bodies for Chemical, Biological, Radiation, Animal Care and Fire & Life Safety areas.

For further information, visit the EHS Chemical Safety Program hub page below:

http://umanitoba.ca/chemsafety

Contact Us

For further questions or assistance contact us

Environmental Health and Safety

191 Extended Education Complex

204-474-6633

[email protected]

umanitoba.ca/chemsafety

http://umanitoba.ca/chemsafety

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

WHMIS Handbook - University of Manitoba