Contents
As a requirement for CHEM1001, we have to complete WHMIS training before our first lab. These are the notes I took (because, you know, safety is important).
1. What is WHMIS?
1.1. Introduction to WHMIS
WHMIS: Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems, also known as “Right to know” legislation because you have a right to know about the hazardous materials you work with.
The information about these hazardous materials comes from the supplier, is delivered to your employer who makes it available to you. It comes in three forms:
- Supplier labels on product containers – they provide basic safety information;
- Material safety data sheets (MSDS); and
- Education and training supplied by your employer.
Purpose: to reduce the likelihood of disease or injury caused by hazardous materials while on the job.
1.2. History of WHMIS
WHMIS became law in Canada in 1988; it guarantees that you have the right to know the hazards of the materials that you work with and how to protect yourself from them. This applies only in the workplace.
Controlled Products: products classified under WHMIS laws.
Federal Law: covers the importation and sale of controlled products; this includes the Hazardous Products Act and the Controlled Products Regulations. All hazardous materials must have distinctive WHMIS labels and MSDS’ must be available to purchasers.
Provincial Law: covers the storage, handling and use of controlled products in the workplace. Your employer is responsible for:
- Educating and training employees on the safe handling, use and storage of all controlled products in the workplace;
- Labelling and identifying WHMIS products; and
- Providing employees with easy access to MSDS’ for each controlled product in the workplace.
Partially or Completely Exempt Products: certain products are regulated under other laws and have their own specialized types of labels. Regardless, you have a right to know the hazards of the products in your workplace.
- Example of partially exempt: medical devices, explosives and radioactive materials.
- Example of completely exempt: wood, tobacco products and hazardous wastes.
3. Hazard Symbols
These are found on supplier labels and are not the same as the ones found on ‘consumer labels’.
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Compressed Gas: compressed, dissolved and liquefied gases; they are usually transported in metal cylinders.
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Flammable/Combustible: solids, liquids and gases that catch fire/explode easily – flammables burn more easily than combustibles.
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Oxidizing: increase the risk of fire if they come into contact with flammable/combustible materials; they may also burn your eyes and skin on contact.
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Immediate Toxic: can cause death or serious injury from exposure to small amounts.
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Other Toxic: poisonous materials that may cause immediate skin or eye irritation, permanent injury or death through repeated exposure to small amounts over a long period of time.
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Bio-hazardous Infectious: materials that contain germs and micro-organisms that may cause a serious infection resulting in illness or death.
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Corrosive: caustic materials and acids which can destroy your skin or eat through metals. The vapours from these materials may also burn your lungs.
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Dangerously Reactive: materials that undergo dangerous reactions if subjected to heat, shock, pressure to contact with water.
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3.1. Consumer Symbols
Your employer is discouraged from bringing these into the workplace; if they are poured out of their bottle, WHMIS labels must be applied.
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Poison: may be fatal or cause serious and permanents effects. Can be very toxic, toxic or just harmful.
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Corrosive: causes burns to skin, eyes and lungs; may form dangerous vapours if mixed with other substances. Can be very corrosive, corrosive or just irritant.
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Flammable: may ignite if exposed to a spark or flame. Can be very flammable, flammable or spontaneously combustible.
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Explosive: contents under pressure may explode if heated; hazardous contents will escape if ruptured. Can be very toxic, toxic or harmful.
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4. Supplier Labels
Supplier labels must be labelled before they are delivered to your employer; don’t handle improperly labelled products! They contain 7 types of information:
- Product name: common code or chemical name.*
- Risk phrases: warn of hazards.
- Precautionary statement: tell you what action to take to avoid injury.
- Hazard symbols: quick visual warning of dangers.*
- First aid measures: outlines first aid measures.
- Reference to MSDS*
- Supplier name*
All supplier labels are surrounded by a cross-hatched border for easy identification.
Note: Only the product name, hazard symbols, reference to MSDS and supplier name are required on containers that contain 100ml or less.
Using new products: when a new product arrives, read all sections of the supplier label thoroughly. You may want to refer to your work procedures, MDSDS or contact the supplier directly for more information. Pay particular attention to the risk and precautions section.
If an accident occurs: first review the First Aid section of the supplier label and then the spill and leak procedures of the MSDS – if the MSDS is missing, contact the supplier directly.
4.1. Lab Labels
These may not contain the hazard symbols or supplier name. They may also not have the cross-hatched border around the information.
4.2. Lab Samples
If your company sends our lab samples, then you’re considered the supplier. You must supply a standard supplier label and MSDS sheet. If the properties of the sample are unknown and the MSDS label cannot be created, you must label it with a “Hazardous Lab Sample” label; if they are being analyzed for Research and Development, they must include the phrase: “Research and Development Sample. For Laboratory use only.”
4.3. Workplace Labels
These are labels created in the workplace by your employer or you – this often happens when you are transferring materials from a supplier container to a workplace container. If you are using the product immediately and completely, you don’t need to label it. If you are using it completely but over a long period of time, you must label it with the product name. If you are using the product throughout your shift or your coworkers are using it, it must be fully labelled.
If your supplier label is damaged, you can replace it with another supplier label or a workplace label.
You must include: product name, precautionary statements and reference to MSDS. You can include any other information you think is important.
Other means of identification: placards, codes, tags posters or colours are used when it’s not practical to place labels on the containers (such as in tanks or pipes). Examples include:
- Controlled products without containers (such as piles of sulphur);
- Controlled products just produced but not yet packaged and labelled;
- Controlled products being made ready for export; and
- Stored hazardous wastes which contain controlled products.
Your employer is responsible for labelling these.
4.4. Data Sheets
MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet): a printed technical bulletin containing detailed hazard, precautionary and emergency information on a controlled product.
These include 9 sections (foreign products may contain 16 sections):
- Production Identification and Use: identifies manufacturer and gives emergency contact information.
- Hazardous Ingredients: only contains the hazardous ingredients contained in the substance.
- Physical Data: tells you about the look, smell, boiling point, evaporation and specific gravity (where applicable).
- Fire and Explosion Data: intended for fire-fighters and management for planning purposes.
- Reactivity Data: provides information on the stability of the product and whether it may react when mixed with other chemicals. Refer to this section before using or storing the product near other products.
- Toxicological Properties: provides information on the health hazards of the product and the damage it can cause to your body. Refer to this section for detailed view of the Risk Phrases.
- Preventive Measures: provides information on preventive measures to take to prevent injury to your body from this product, how to clean up spills and waste disposal. Refer to this section for detailed view of Precautionary Statements.
- First Aid Measures: you may refer to this after an accident occurs – you may want to provide medical personnel a copy of the MSDS.
- MSDS Preparation Date: this date must be less than 3 years old.
5. Responsibilities
Suppliers must:
- Send an MSDS on the first order of a product;
- Create supplier labels and MSDS’;
- Send an updated MSDS if production information changes; and
- Attach supplier labels to containers before shipping.
Employers must:
- Ensure supplier labels are attached to products delivered to the workplace;
- Ensure labels are maintained and in good reading condition;
- Ensure workplace labelling is done;
- Ensure MSDS’ are up-to-date and readily available to all employees;
- Provide education and training on the controlled products in the workplace and reviewed once a year; and
- Provide safe work procedures for controlled products used in the workplace.
Employees must:
- Apply the education, training and WHMIS information provided by your employer to protect yourself.
- Notify your employer of any circumstances where you do not have adequate information.
- Create a workplace label when necessary.
The Government must:
- Administer and enforce WHMIS policies;
- Surprise inspections may be done (What are the hazards of the product? What precautions are required for the safe use of this product? What do you do in case of emergency? Where can you get further hazard information?)
- Non-compliance can result in fines and employer imprisonment.
5.1. Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG)
When a controlled product is at the supplier or your workplace, WHMIS laws apply. When it’s in transit, TDG laws apply.
6. Working Safely
If exposure to chemicals is unavoidable, you must use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Chemicals can enter your body through 5 ways:
- Eye/Face: you must wear eye and face gear when you are working with liquid chemicals, gases, vapours, molten metal, certain types of light radiation and where the danger of flying particles exists. Hard hats must be worn if the potential for head injury exists.
- Hands: hand protection is required whenever there is a risk of chemical absorption through the skin, cuts or punctures to hands, chemical burns and extreme heat or cold;
- Leather gloves are good for protecting against cuts, abrasions and heat/cold.
- Chemical resistant gloves offer protection from chemicals.
- Skin/Body: skin and body protection is required if there’s a risk of exposure to dangerous chemicals, extreme heat or cold, flying particles, or radioactivity. Protection includes chemical overalls, aprons, and leggings; full body suits; leather outerwear; firefighting suits.
- Feet: foot protection is required if there is a risk of chemical spillage, absorption from wet floors or puddles, or physical damage from heavy objects.
- Respiratory: respiratory protection comes from either air respirators or self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA); you must choose the proper respirator for the chemicals you are using.
The supplier label will tell you what protective gear to wear.
6.1. Decanting Flammable Liquids
Static electrical charge is created when there is any movement with flammable liquids. If the charge is not dissipated, flammable vapours may be suddenly ignited resulting in a fire or explosion. Before transferring flammable liquids, you must equalize static electricity by grounding and bonding containers.
Grounding cables conduct electrical charge to the ground.
Bonding cables equalize the electrical potential between the containers.
We use welding cables and alligator clamps to connect the ground rod to the dispensing container, and the dispensing container to the receiving container. Only then can you insert the transfer pump – try to minimize the free fall and sloshing of the liquid.
If there is no grounding rod available, attach a bonding cable from the dispensing container to the receiving container.
Plastic funnels and non-conducting metals can increase the generation of static electricity. Don’t use combined plastic/metal containers as they can hold different static charges for extended periods of time.
Use a long spout and if possible, keep the nozzle below the liquid to limit free fall and sloshing.
6.2. Unusual Situations
Follow your employers’ emergency safety guidelines; they take precedence over the information in this section.
- Mixing Chemicals: avoid mixing chemicals; always read instructions and mix chemicals in well ventilated areas away from heat sources and open flames.
- Spills: ensure the safety of you and your coworkers; immediately advise your supervisor and follow established company procedures.
- Decanting Flammables:
- Fugitive Emissions: review your company’s procedures for guidance on how to deal with fugitive emissions.
- Emergencies: follow your company plan; advise your supervisor, evacuate and call the fire department.
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