Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is a nation-wide (Canadian) communications system that provides information about hazardous materials, which are produced, sold in, imported to, or used within workplaces.
The system has three components that provide you with information about the materials you work with, about the physical agents you are exposed to and the hazards that exist in the working environment.
• Labels
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Worker Education Programs
WHMIS was enacted federally in 1987, and has been implemented in all provinces and territories through a combination of federal and provincial legislation. In Ontario, WHMIS is a legislated requirement of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Because the school board is a workplace, the employer must ensure that employees are provided with information necessary to protect themselves when using hazardous products in the workplace.
Using the information provided by the WHMIS system, suppliers, employers and workers can work together to minimize the risks of hazardous materials in the workplace.
Objectives
In this course you will learn:
• The meaning of Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System and how it works
• The responsibilities of the supplier, employer and worker
• The classes of hazardous materials
• The effects of hazardous materials.
• Appropriate emergency responses for a variety of hazardous materials
• How to read and interpret standardized WHMIS labelling, marking and other identification methods
• How to read and interpret WMIS Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
• How to improve safe working conditions and safe work practices

Overview
This course is divided into seven modules:
Module 1 - What is WHMIS?
Module 2 - Hazard Classification System
Module 3 - WHMIS Labels
Module 4 - Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
Module 5 - Other Information
Module 6 - Safe Work Practices
Module 7 - Emergency Procedures
There is a self-test at the end of each module. When you have gone through all the modules, write the final exam. The results will be sent to Geet, who will decide whether you pass or fail! (In our case, you will complete the Assign 2 quiz, corrected by your instructor)

Module 1:
What is WHMIS?
WHMIS is a nation-wide legislated system of communication to provide information about the hazards of materials produced, sold in, imported to, or used within the workplace.

WHMIS requires manufacturers and suppliers of controlled products to provide information to employers and employees about:
• Whether a controlled product is hazardous • The associated risks • How the material should be stored, handled, used and disposed of safely
There are three key communication components of WHMIS:
Standardized Warning Labels
• A label displayed on each package or container of a controlled product used in the workplace. • Standardized warning symbols are part of the WHMIS Classification System.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
• Basic information about the specific material including: how it should be handled and/or stored, protective measures, and emergency procedures.

Employee Education
• Training programs such as this must be provided to every employee.

Stakeholder Responsibilities
Supplier -
• Classify all products intended for use in a Canadian workplace to determine if supplier labelling and MSDS requirements apply. • Provide hazard information through standardized labels and MSDS's on all controlled products or containers of controlled products.
Employer -
• Where the employer imports a product directly into the workplace from a source outside Canada, that employer is considered to be the supplier and has the classification responsibilities of a supplier. • Ensure that all containers of controlled products in the workplace have WHMIS labels, identifiers and MSDS's. • Ensure that MSDS's