WHIMIS

• HHPS (Household Hazardous Product Symbols) were developed for people buying and using hazardous materials around the home
• In an HHPS symbol, there is a picture and a frame
• The picture tells you the type of danger
• The frame tells you whether it is the contents or the container that poses a hazard
• WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) is a Canada-wide information system set up in 1988 to protect all Canadian workers and employers
• Clear and standardized labels must be present on the product's container and must be added to other containers if the product is transferred
• All workers must be educated on how to use WHMIS, what hazardous materials are on site, and how to handle them properly
• The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) was developed by the United Nations
• It provides health and safety information on labels and safety data sheets (SDSs)
• The goal is for this system to be adapted and used worldwide
• WHMIS 2015 divides hazards into two different groups: Physical Hazards and Health Hazards
• Physical Hazards are based on the physical or chemical properties of the product
• Health Hazards are based on the ability of the product to cause a health effect
• There are 10 different WHMIS pictograms, each identified by a red diamond-shaped border
• Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) provide information about hazardous products and safety precautions
• An SDS tells you the hazards of a product, how to use it safely, what to expect if recommendations are not followed, how to recognize exposure symptoms, and what to do in emergencies