WHMIS
What does it stand
for?
WHMIS Stands for:
• Workplace
• Hazardous
• Materials
• Information
• System
WHMIS – Why?
• WHMIS provides us with
information on the safe use,
storage, handling and disposal
of hazardous materials at
Canadian workplaces.
• WHMIS uses symbols to indicate
materials that may be harmful
to us.
The WHMIS Symbols:
What do all of these
symbols mean?
Class A: COMPRESSED
GAS
• Chemicals such as oxygen or
acetylene that are kept under
pressure in a container.
• Hairspray, any aerosol cans
Class B: FLAMMABLE AND
COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL
• Materials and chemicals that
will easily ignite.
• Rubbing alcohol, hairspray,
propane, butane lighters, bug
spray
Class C: OXIDIZING
MATERIAL
• Chemicals that are usually not
combustible by themselves but they
contain oxygen which helps other
materials burn.
• Eg. Chlorine for pools, oven cleaner,
hydrogen peroxide
Class D1 – POISONOUS or
INFECTIOUS MATERIALS
• Will cause immediate poisoning,
sickness or death in a short
period of time
• Eg. Rat poison, rubbing alcohol
Class D2 – POISONOUS or
INFECTIOUS MATERIALS
• Will have long term effects on health
• Effects may not show up for years –
poisoning over time. Eg. cancer,
emphysema
• Eg. Insecticides, Herbicides,
Terpentine
Class D3 –
BIOHAZARDOUS
INFECTIOUS MATERIAL
• May contain germs or viruses that
could infect you and cause disease.
• Eg. waste from a hospital,
needles, bandages, vaccines
etc.
Class E – CORROSIVE
MATERIAL
• Such as acid which may attack
metal or skin
• Eg. ammonia, hydrochloric acid,
draino
Class F – REACTIVE
MATERIAL
• May react violently causing
explosion or sudden release of
gases. May do so when mixed with
other materials.
• Eg. Sodium, epoxy resins (strong
glue), acetylene torches (welding)
POP QUIZ
Do you remember the
symbols??
Class D1 – Poisonous
and Infectious Materials
Class A – Compressed
Gas
Class D3 – Biohazardous
and Infectious Materals
Class E – Corrosive
Material
What is an MSDS?
• Material
• Safety
• Data
• Sheet
When do we use an
MSDS?
• Every product that may be
hazardous MUST have an MSDS
that tells us the dangers of the
material and how to safely
handle and dispose of it.
What are the parts of an
MSDS
•
An MSDS has 9 sections:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Product Identification and Use
Hazardous Ingredients
Physical Data
Fire and Explosion Data
Reactivity Data
Toxicological Properties
Preventative Measures
First Aid Measures
Preparation Date of MSDS
1. Product Identification
and Use
•
Manufacturer's name
•
Supplier's name
Hazardous Ingredients
• List any that are in the product
Physical Data
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Physical Data
Colour
Form
Solubility
Melting and boiling points
Vapour pressure
Specific gravity
Fire and Explosion Data
• Flammability
• Flashpoint
• Fire fighting procedures
Reactivity Data
• Stability and Hazards
Toxicological Properties
• Threshold Limit Values (TLV)
• Effects of exposure
• Carcinogenicity (does it cause
cancer?)
Preventative Measures
• Protective clothing
• Protective equipment
• Spill and handling procedures
First Aid Measures
• How to administer first aid if an
accident does occur with the
product
Preparation Date of
MSDS
• When the product was
packages and the MSDS was
prepared.