Alert First Aid
Questions about WHMIS
Online WHMIS Training Course - FAQs
What is WHMIS?
WHMIS is a Canadian Federal regulation requiring all employees who come in contact with hazardous materials to be fully trained.
Who needs WHMIS Training in Canada?
Federal Regulations require that WHMIS training be conducted for all employees exposed or likely to be exposed to a hazardous material or controlled product present in the workplace.
In addition, if a worksite has WHMIS products on-site then all employees must be trained in WHMIS. Those involved in delivering or moving WHMIS products must also receive Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) training.
The employer must ensure that his or her staff is properly trained in WHMIS. Ensuring workers are trained and the manner in which training is conducted is the responsibility of the employer.
How often is WHMIS Training needed ?
The regulations state that the employer must review the education program at least once a year in consultation with workers (typically the health & safety committee), or more often if conditions in the workplace change or if new information about a controlled product becomes available. OLE recommends retraining employees every year.
What about WHMIS is Federal workplaces?
Provincial WHMIS legislation does not apply to federal workplaces such as banks, post offices and airports. Instead, certain sections of the Canada Labour Code and the Canada Occupational Safety and Health Regulations implement WHMIS in federal workplaces.
What is the difference between WHMIS and TDG (transportation of dangerous goods?
WHMIS is about controlled products for industrial use and deals with the effects to workers of hazardous materials. TDG Regulation deals with controlling the immediate hazards of exposure to hazardous materials in the event of a spill or leak during transportation.
Do US OSHA Suppliers Lables meet Canadian Requirements?
No. The WHMIS supplier label contains much more information than is specified for OSHA. Also the information on the Supplier Label must be in both English and French and enclosed within a "hatched" border as discussed in our course.
What Federal Acts and Regulations govern WHMIS?
Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (SOR/86-304), Part X, Hazardous Substances
Controlled Products Regulations
Hazardous Products Act (HPA)
Hazardous Materials Information Review Act
Does Alert First-Aid WHMIS course meet the reglations for training?
Yes, our course has been prepared in accordance with the guidelines published for WHMIS training courses by The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. There is more information on WHMIS available in the four controlling regulations referenced in the previous paragraph.
What is the GHS?
The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals or GHS is an internationally agreed upon system set to replace the various different classification and labeling standards used in different countries. It is expected that the WHMIS requirements established under the Hazardous Products Act and associated Controlled Products Regulations will need to be amended to incorporate the new harmonized criteria for hazard classification and requirements for hazard communication; i.e., for MSDSs and labels. Information about the schedule for implementing the GHS can be found at: http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_welcome_e.html
Upon completing a WHMIS training course employees should be able to answer these questions:
How can I tell if this is a controlled product?
What do the WHMIS Symbols mean?
Where can I get information about it?
What are the hazards associated with this product?
How can I protect myself from it?
What should I do in an emergency?
What training records must be retained?
Employers are required to retain written records of employee education on WHMIS to ensure proof of compliance with the Regulations. The Learning Management System provides a Certificate upon successful completion of our WHMIS program and is maintained in our database to prove due diligence.
How long will it take me to complete the WHMIS training course?
Between 1-2 hours.
What do I do if I forget my password?
Give us a call or drop us a email.
Can I leave the course open in the background while I do other work?
Yes, no problem.
What do I do if I run out of time? Do I have to complete in one session?
You can take the our online courses in as many sessions, and as long as you like. The system will just time you out if there is no activity for a while, but you can just log in again and continue the course from where you left off.
What happens if I do not pass the final test?
You are allowed to repeat any or all sections of the course as many times as you need. You can take the final test up to 3 times to achieve the passing grade of 80%.
What if I lose my proof of training certificate of wallet card?
Your adminstrator can reprint your certification for you.
Once I have complete the course do I get do I get a certificate proving I have completed the course.
Yes the administrator can print a training certificate once you pass the final test.
What happens if I fail, do I have to pay again?
Not at all. You are allowed to take the final test 3 times.
How can I pay for the course?
You can pay online or give us a call we take Visa or Mastercard over the phone.