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This guide will help you decide whether your
employees require WHMIS training or not. Please remember
that WHMIS training requires both:
General Training: WHMIS regulations, which products are controlled,
labels, MSDSs, hazard symbols, classes of controlled
products etc. and
Site-specific
Training: Which controlled products do we work with? Where do we
keep our MSDSs and personal protective equipment?
Listed below are various types of jobs or industries
where WHMIS training is either frequently required or
it's unclear if the training is necessary. This
list is for example purposes only and is NOT an
exhaustive list. If your job function or industry is not
listed here, it does not mean you don't require WHMIS
training. If you are unsure, please ask your Supervisor
or contact YOW Canada at 1-866-688-2845.
Cleaners/Janitors
Most employees in this industry require WHMIS
training since they deal with chemicals and hazardous
materials on a daily basis. Industrial strength floor
and window cleaners are just some examples of controlled
products. YOW Canada has a
WHMIS for Janitors
program. For more information on this program,
click here.
Contractors
The list of jobs in this category is endless, so we
won't try to list them all. However, be aware that a lot
of contractors work with controlled products. Some
examples include Driveway Sealers, Air Conditioning
Contractors, Paving
Companies and many more. If you are part of this group,
you should evaluate if your employees work with any
controlled products and provide training as needed.
Automotive
Many mechanics
use cleaners, lubricants and fluids (eg. for brakes,
steering, coolant, A/C, transmission, engine oil). Some
of these are controlled products and require WHMIS
training.
Summer
Students / Co-op Students
Even though these
temporary employees
aren't working for you very long, they're still under
your employment and require WHMIS training if they come
into contact or may come into contact with controlled
products at the workplace.
Retail / Food Industry
Workers in retail or the food industry often require
WHMIS training for the cleaning products they work with.
Industrial strength gum cleaner, floor cleaner, oils and
compressed gas are just some examples of
controlled products they may come into contact with.
Volunteers
This may vary from
province to province.
For example, in Ontario,
WHMIS applies to all workplaces covered by the
Occupational Health and Safety Act, and to all federal
government workplaces. Legally, WHMIS training is required only for
workers under the Occupational Health & Safety Act.
Because volunteers do not meet that definition of a
worker, they do not legally require WHMIS
training. Having said that, it's usually a good idea to
offer the training regardless to ensure that they know
how to safely work with controlled products.
However, in Alberta, the
OH&S Act refers to workers, not just employees; this
means that volunteers (unpaid workers) are also covered
by the legislation.
Students / Teachers
Amongst others, Chemistry and Shop teachers often
work with controlled products and would require WHMIS
training. Students, however, are similar to volunteers.
Since they are not paid employees, they don't legally
require WHMIS training. However, many schools choose to provide
WHMIS training to their Chemistry and Shop students to
ensure they are dealing safely with controlled products
and know what to do in case of an emergency. Co-op
students also often take the training to prepare them
for the workforce. YOW Canada has a
WHMIS for Schools
program. For more information on this program,
click here.
Healthcare / Laboratories
If you handle and transport laboratory samples such
as contaminated tissues or HIV samples, you probably
require WHMIS training. You most likely use
laboratory labels, which are one of the three types of labels covered under the WHMIS regulations.
Office Staff
Many companies neglect to offer WHMIS training to
their office staff. This could be dangerous. Office
workers who deal with industrial cleaning products and/or
some ink cartridges require WHMIS training.
Make sure you clearly identify what products your office
workers deal with and train them accordingly.
Factory Workers
Many factory workers deal with cleaning
products, gasoline and lubricants, which are controlled products.
If you're unsure if you
or your employees need WHMIS training, please ask your
Supervisor or contact YOW Canada at 1-866-688-2845.
Also, for
more of your WHMIS questions answered, please visit our
WHMIS FAQ section. |
