The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is Canada’s established framework for managing information on hazardous products in workplaces. This comprehensive framework communicates safe handling practices for hazardous materials and the risks involved.
But why is WHMIS training so necessary? The primary purpose of the WHMIS training and certification is to ensure that all workers are informed about the potential dangers and risks associated with handling different materials and chemicals in a workplace.
It covers identifying, labeling, and classifying hazardous products. It trains and informs workers with crucial safety data to support a culture of proactive risk management across industries.
WHMIS training is critical to maintaining a safe working environment for workers handling or being exposed to these materials.
WHMIS training validity is essential, although the authority does not set a WHMIS validity or expiry date. This blog post will help you discover why you or your employees require retraining even though the WHMIS certification expiry is vague and not documented clearly.
Let’s see what factors you can rely on to self-decide your or your employees’ WHMIS certification expiry, helping you decide whether to retrain.
Why is WHMIS Retraining More Crucial Now?
In December 2022, Canada amended its WHMIS legislation to align with the latest global standards, specifically the 7th and specific provisions from the 8th revised edition of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).
These updates streamline the classification and labeling requirements to align with safer and updated international practices for consistency and clarity across Canadian industries.
With the latest amendments, workplaces must update their WHMIS training programs to reflect the latest standards. This will help workers understand new classifications, symbols, or label changes (if any).
This will ensure ongoing compliance and prepare workers to handle hazardous products safely and effectively.
These legislative updates mean retraining individuals with older WHMIS certifications may be necessary to stay current with the new requirements.
The amendments impact the information workers receive and how it is presented. Therefore, up-to-date training is crucial to ensure every worker understands the latest hazard classifications and safety protocols.
Organizations can continue to meet legal compliance standards and help create a safer workplace by ensuring WHMIS retraining. This eventually benefits both the workers and the organizations they work for.
Let’s quickly look at the amendments made in the legislative framework to understand the contextual validity of WHMIS.
WHMIS Amendments
The December 2022 amendments to WHMIS introduced several critical updates to improve safety communication around hazardous products.
One significant aspect of this amendment is that it redefines WHMIS to align with newer, globally recognized standards, enhancing clarity and consistency for Canadian workplaces.
As a result, the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) have been divided into "former" and "amended" versions to distinguish between the earlier WHMIS 2015 regulations and the updated standards.
This helps ensure all stakeholders know which guidelines are in place for specific products during the transition period.
*Suppliers have until December 14, 2025, to ensure that their safety data sheets (SDS) and labels meet the new, amended WHMIS requirements.
During the transitional period given to suppliers, regulated parties can follow either the former HPR or the amended HPR, depending on their readiness to implement the new changes.
However, this flexibility comes with a new requirement.
- If a company chooses to classify a hazardous product under the amended WHMIS guidelines, its SDS and label must comply fully with the amended version.
- Similarly, if the former WHMIS regulations are followed, the SDS and label must align entirely with those former standards.
This means that mixing elements from both versions on a single product is not allowed, as it could create confusion and potentially misrepresent hazard information. For example, a product classified under the new WHMIS needs a data sheet that follows the older WHMIS 2015 format.
Full compliance with one regulation version maintains the integrity of hazard communication. It helps workers and suppliers uphold the safety requirements for handling hazardous products without redundant practices or loopholes.
This approach supports a smoother transition and helps minimize the risk of safety discrepancies during this regulatory shift.
This document outlines the requirements for WHMIS suppliers as set by federal legislation under the Hazardous Products Act and Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR).
The requirements included are based on the regulations as of December 15, 2022, and the updates introduced on that date are now in effect.
If your or your employees’ latest certification is older than the amendment and you need WHMIS retraining, now is the time to take advantage of our online WHMIS training certificate, designed by industry experts to align with contemporary legislative and regulatory requirements.
Does WHMIS Training Expire?
In Canada, WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) training does not have a specific expiration date as set by legislation.
Instead, employers are responsible for ensuring their employees remain knowledgeable and up-to-date on WHMIS standards and safety protocols.
While there is no formal "expiration," ongoing WHMIS education is essential for workplace safety, as it helps employees stay current on any changes to hazardous products or regulations that impact their roles.
When people ask, "Does WHMIS expire?" or “How long does WHMIS certification last?” they often need clarification on WHMIS training validity to know whether their knowledge is still valid. This question typically arises in scenarios such as:
- Their employers or clients ask them to confirm their WHMIS knowledge.
- They are starting a new contract or job and are confused about the validity of their WHMIS training as if their previous WHMIS training still meets current requirements.
So, does WHMIS expire? Not practically, but your WHMIS knowledge needs to be refreshed regularly to ensure safety and stay compliant with employer expectations.
For instance, as part of an employer's routine WHMIS review, they must assess any changes to controlled products and determine if retraining is needed to maintain employees' knowledge.
The objective is to cultivate a safer workplace and material handling practices that align with Canadian legislation and prioritize employee awareness.
Although a retraining schedule is not fixed or defined, it depends on the age of your certification and the last training session. The December 2022 amendments to WHMIS legislation further stress the importance of ongoing WHMIS training.
Employees must understand these revisions, which include updates such as new hazard classifications and additional information on safety data sheets and labels.
Therefore, there’s no set WHMIS certification expiry date. However, updating, unlearning, and relearning through advanced and updated WHMIS training validity is crucial for staying informed, contemporary, and competent.
Factors Impacting WHMIS Retraining
If you are confused about how long your WHMIS is valid, don’t worry; we compiled the factors as a critical matrix to help you self-evaluate whether you need WHMIS training now or can delay it further.
The same factors can help organizations evaluate the need to ask their employees to refresh their training and get a recognized online WHMIS training certificate to validate their skills.
Let’s have a look at these one by one.
1. Workplace Changes
Changes in workplace conditions, SOPs, and contracts or the procurement of new chemicals and equipment naturally necessitate additional WHMIS training to address updated safety needs.
Your organization's procurement of new equipment, procedures, or chemicals completely alters your workplace's risk profile, requiring you to adjust to new hazards and safe handling practices.
Getting advanced and updated online WHMIS training is your way of getting informed about these changes so you can respond appropriately.
Organizations can ask their employees to validate their WHMIS certification to curb the risk of incidents related to hazardous products.
2. Annual Reviews
This is the perfect way for employers to understand the need for their employees to retrain. Organizations annually review their WHMIS programs to assess their effectiveness and relevance to current workplace conditions.
This yearly review precipitates the need for refresher courses, mainly if adjustments have been made to the materials and chemicals used in the facility. This activity automatically verifies that the employees know the latest WHMIS guidelines and protocols for ongoing compliance and safety.
3. Regularly Reviewing Employee Knowledge
It is necessary to occasionally conduct reviews instead of waiting for annual reviews to ensure employees have a firm grasp of WHMIS principles and procedures for a safe working environment.
The quicker way to conduct regular reviews is to design a QA survey form to ensure Employees can answer critical questions about the hazardous products they may encounter, including:
- How to read labels
- How to interpret safety data sheets
- What are the necessary precautions
Once the gaps in employee knowledge are identified, the next step is to register them for retraining and offer WHMIS refresher courses to address these issues.
By doing so, facilities can ensure that all their employees are updated with the potential hazards and safety measures related to WHMIS.
4. Introduction of New Chemicals
This is the sub-category of workplace changes that we discussed above. Procuring new chemicals into the workplace requires systematically integrating them into existing WHMIS protocols.
Employers must assess:
- New chemical's relevant safety hazards
- Update safety data sheets, labels, and relevant procedures.
- Cross-check whether the employees are skilled in handling new chemicals
If there is a gap, immediate retraining becomes mandatory, as employees need to be fully informed of the associated hazards and safety precautions to maintain compliance and safety.
5. Changes in Regulations or Standards
This is the loudest notification bell to start thinking about retraining and refreshing WHMIS. We have discussed above how regulatory changes can directly impact WHMIS training requirements and raise the need for updated training to inform employees about the latest standards.
The December 2022 WHMIS amendment, which includes new classifications, labeling requirements, and hazard categories, is a recent legislative change that impacts how certain products are managed in the workplace.
Such updates significantly impact the degree and specifics of employee qualification, as workers must now understand the new classifications and safety requirements for handling products under the amended standards.
Organizations must stay informed of such regulatory changes, as compliance depends on employees’ awareness and understanding of the latest obligations related to hazardous materials.
Validity of WHMIS Certificates Across Jobs
A WHMIS training validity (in terms of “WHMIS certification expiry”) remains unshackled when switching jobs as long as it’s up-to-date with the current standards and regulations.
However, your organization may have specific hazards or controlled products that differ from your employee’s previous job. Therefore, as an employer, you must ask for additional, site-specific WHMIS training to address unique safety considerations in your work environment.
For example, if an employee were previously trained in a manufacturing facility that dealt primarily with flammable chemicals, their WHMIS certification would still be valid when starting a new job at a construction site.
However, suppose the construction site uses hazardous materials, like corrosive agents or pressurized gases. In that case, the employer should consider WHMIS retraining for new hires to handle these chemicals safely.
This is a foolproof, no-risk practice to ensure the employee’s knowledge fully aligns with the risks they’ll encounter in the new role.
Conclusion
So, does WHMIS expire? Theoretically, no. However, WHMIS certification expiry is more of a logical aspect rather than something defined by regulatory authorities.
Ongoing education is vital for maintaining a safe work environment, particularly in high-risk jobs. The goal is to ensure employees are knowledgeable about workplace-specific risks and capable of upholding compliance with safety standards.
If any of the above factors make you think you or your employees need retraining, check out our online WHMIS training certification. This is all you need to stay updated and current with the evolving workplace demands.