Chemical Safety (WHMIS)
The Chemical Safety Program promotes a healthy workplace as well as compliance with legislative requirements. Guidance and direction is included to ensure the level of exposure to chemicals in the workplace does not exceed the established regulatory occupational exposure limits.
Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System - WHMIS is designed to ensure that a standard method of identifying controlled products is used throughout Canada. The program was developed to provide employees with information to protect their health and safety from contact with controlled products in the workplace.
Three Key Elements
Labels
Controlled products must have a supplier or workplace label to alert employers and employees to the hazards and basic safety precautions of the product.
SDS
Safety Data Sheets are technical documents that provide detailed information on such items as first aid, fire hazards and health affects associated with controlled products.
Employee Education
Education programs must be available to employees to provide them with instruction on the hazards and safe work procedures of controlled products at their worksite. The following WHMIS Handbook presentation can be used as a basic employee education. Departments must still ensure employees have specific training on the WHMIS controlled products used in their work area.
Train the trainer course
Being held May 14th, 2020 9:00am till 4:00pm. Education rooms 1 & 2 NS Rehab Centre. Registration can be completed on the Provincial LMS.
Non-Controlled Products
Non-controlled products refer to products that do not fall within the six WHMIS classifications. For non-controlled products on the online database, the words 'NOT CONTROLLED' will appear after the SDS#. Non-controlled products from the previous database have a SDS# in the 20,000 range.
A SDS for non-controlled products will not appear on the online database for retrieval to view or print. Only a SDS for controlled products can be retrieved from the database.
Non-controlled products do not have to be listed on your department inventory, nor is it necessary to keep a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for non-controlled products in your binder, unless desired. Many suppliers and manufacturers provide a SDS on their web-sites.
Policies
For WHMIS Policy contact:
Jacqueline Inder (SRO)
902-464-3006
jacqueline.inder@nshealth.ca
Janet MacInnis (SRO)
902-464-3007
janet.macinnis@nshealth.ca
Fact Sheets
Training
To assist the WHMIS trainers, a WHMIS 1988 2015 course has been created on LMS (Search WHMIS).
This course does not take the place of department specific training.
Resources
Contact
Jacqueline Inder, Safety Response Officer, Safety & Injury Prevention
Purdy Building, Room B-64
Nova Scotia Hospital
Tel: 902-464-3006
Fax: 902-461-8073
jacqueline.inder@nshealth.ca
Janet MacInnis
Safety Response Officer, Safety and Injury Prevention
Purdy Building Room B-65
Nova Scotia Hospital
Tel: 902-464-3007
Fax: 902-461-8073
janet.macinnis@nshealth.ca