What You Need to Know About the New WHMIS Regulations in 2024

New WHMIS regulations will take effect in 2024. A bit of background is helpful to understand how they affect your WHMIS program and WHMIS training.

How WHMIS Works

The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is Canada’s national hazard communication standard for workplace hazardous products. The critical elements of the WHMIS system are:

1) Hazard classification

2) Cautionary labelling of containers

 3) The provision of safety data sheets, and

 4) Worker education and WHMIS training programs. 

See ‘7 Crucial Things You Need to Know About WHMIS’  for more information.

WHMIS is harmonized with the “Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals” (GHS).  The GHS is updated every two years and published as what is commonly known as the purple book. Legislation is much harder to change, and every so often, the Federal Government issues updates to keep up with the changes to the GHS.

What Has Changed with WHMIS in 2024?

New WHMIS regulations were passed in 2023. On January 4, 2023, Health Canada published amendments to the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) in the Canada Gazette, Part II, to align with the 7th revised edition and certain provisions of the 8th revised edition of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

The regulatory amendments provide a 3-year transition period, ending on December 14, 2025.

The 3-year transition period gives suppliers, employers, and workers time to adjust to the WHMIS changes and helps ensure consistency across Canada through coordination and alignment between federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions.

Critical Changes to The New WHMIS Regulation In 2024

Key changes resulting from the amendments include:
• Improved clarity and precision for certain provisions
• New information elements required on safety data sheets (SDS)
• Adoption of a new physical hazard class (Chemicals Under Pressure)
• Adoption of a new hazard category for non-flammable aerosols and new subcategories for flammable gases

What Should I Do as an Employer or Worker to Meet the New WHMIS Regulations in 2024?

Safety data sheets and labels for certain chemicals will be updated. Estimates are that over 90% of SDSs will need to be updated. The most affected categories are aerosols, chemicals under pressure, flammable gases and desensitized explosives. Companies using hazardous chemicals should obtain their suppliers’ most recent safety data sheets before the December 2025 deadline. Employers must train their employees on any changes to the hazard information found on the new safety data sheets.

If you manufacture, distribute or create chemical mixtures for sale, it is essential to review the changes to the Hazardous Products Regulations and adjust the classification, labels, and safety data sheets accordingly.

Will WHMIS Training requirements Change?

The changes are at a level of detail above what most companies and workers need to know. We have added a summary of the new information in the WHMIS training so that workers learn only what they need to know. WHMIS training requirements are set at the provincial level. The current program meets all the provincial requirements for worker education. If anything changes, we will update the training accordingly.

Our current WHMIS training program meets all the provincial requirements for worker education. We will update the training well before the deadline at aixsafety.com if changes are required. Stay tuned.

See Below for More Information on the Changes to WHMIS in 2024

Amendments to the Hazardous Products Regulations

Regulations Amending the Hazardous Products Regulations (GHS, Seventh Revised Edition): SOR/2022-272

Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS Rev. 9, 2021)