Canada’s WHMIS GHS regulations to be amended
On December 19th, 2020, proposed amendments were published regarding the Hazardous Products Regulations and Schedule 2 of the Hazardous Products Act.
The main regulation change is to align with the GHS Revision 7 criteria, instead of the currently used 5th version. This results in a new Non-flammable Aerosol hazard category and new Flammable Gases subcategories. Other changes include clarifications and modifications to better express SDS and label requirements.
Stakeholders may submit comments concerning the proposed Regulations and Order until February 27, 2021.
The amendments are expected to come into force at the beginning of 2021. A two-year transition period is anticipated giving suppliers until 2023 to update SDSs and labels.
The Canada Gazette publications can be found at the following links:
Regulations Amending the Hazardous Products Regulations (GHS, Seventh Revised Edition)
Order Amending Schedule 2 to the Hazardous Products Act
This amendment has been long awaited by industry stakeholders and now means that Canadian WHMIS SDSs and workplace labels will better align with hazards expressed on European Union CLP SDSs and labels. The US is also expected to follow suite to maintain international alignment as part of the Canada – United States Regulatory Cooperation Council
To discuss the impact on your product SDSs and workplace labels, contact us!