WHMIS

Objective

Workplace Hazardous Materials

Information System

To ensure the protection of workers

from the adverse effects of hazardous
materials through the promotion of
access to health and safety information
on Controlled & Hazardous Products

Canadas Hazard Communication Standard

Environmental Health & Safety

Quebec Legislation
No employer may allow the use, handling or
storage of a Controlled Product in a workplace
unless the product carries a label and a
material safety data sheet which meet the
requirements of this Act and the regulations and
unless the worker has received the training
and information required to carry out the
work entrusted to him safely
An Act respecting occupational
health & safety R.S.Q., S-2.1

WHMIS Key Elements

Worker training programs

Core (EHS)
Job Specific (Supervisor)

Cautionary labeling of containers

Supplier Labels
Workplace Labels
Laboratory Labels

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

WHMIS Classes &

Pictograms

Outline

WHMIS Classes

Risks
Precautions

Labeling
Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDS)

Class A
Compressed Gas

B1, B2,
B3, B4,
B5, B6

D1A
D1B

D2A
D2B

D3

Class A
Compressed Gas

Class A
Compressed Gas

Products under pressure or chilled

Class A
Compressed Gas
Risks

Compressed Gases
~ Helium
~ Oxygen
~ Argon

Fire and explosion hazards

~ Flammable gases
~ Cylinder can explode if heated
Sudden release creates a

Liquefied gases
~ Carbon dioxide
~ Liquid nitrogen
~ Cryogenic liquids

stream that can puncture skin

May rocket or torpedo if
damaged

Class A
Compressed Gas
Risks

Class A
Compressed Gas

Exposure
~ Toxic
~ Asphyxiation
Liquefied gases
~ Extreme Cold
Rapid frost burn

Precautions
Transport & handle with

care
Secure to a structural
component
Store away from heat
sources
Use proper regulator
Use proper protective
equipment

Cryogenic Fluids

Cryogenic Fluids

Characteristics

Precautions

Boiling points > -150C

Examples:

liquid nitrogen, slush

mixtures of dry ice with solvents

Wear appropriate personal protective equipment

when handling and transferring cryogenic liquids
Insulated gloves

Causes cold burns and frostbite

Small amounts produce large
volumes of gas by rapid
evaporation.
This can lower the available
oxygen in the immediate area
thus
creating
an
oxygen
deficient atmosphere

Safety glasses and face shield

Lab coat

Class B

Class B

Flammable & Combustible

Flammable & Combustible

Acetone

Fill containers to indicated

maximum level
Perform operations (pouring)
slowly

May burn, catch fire

or explode when
exposed to heat,
sparks or flames

University of California Santa Cruz

Methanol

11-Jan-2002 Depart. of Molecular, Cell

and Developmental Biology

Class B

Flammable & Combustible

Class B

Flammable & Combustible

B1 Flammable gases
Methane

B2 Flammable liquids (Flashpoint < 37.8C)

Flammable
Burns at room temperature
~ ethyl ether, acetone,
ethanol

Ethanol, Methanol, Toluene, Xylene, Ethyl Ether

B3 Combustible liquids (37.8C Flashpoint 93.3C)

Acetic acid glacial, Isoamyl alcohol, -Mercaptoethanol

B4 Flammable solids

Nitrocellulose, Paraformaldehyde

Combustible
Burns when heated
~ Kerosene, varsol

B5 Flammable aerosols
Spray paint

B6 Reactive flammable materials

Potassium, Lithium Hydride, Magnesium, Sodium

Class B

Flammable & Combustible

Class B

Flammable & Combustible

Demonstration

Demonstration

Flammable Material

Combustible Material

1-litre Ethyl Ether

Kerosene at room
temperature

Class B

Flash Point

Flammable & Combustible

The

lowest temperature at which a liquid

produces enough vapour to ignite in the
presence of a source of ignition.

Demonstration
Combustible Material

The lower the flash point,

the greater the risk of fire.
Kerosene at an elevated
temperature

Class B

Flash Point

Flammable & Combustible

Which
presents the
greatest risk
of fire?

acetone
ether (diethyl)
natural gas
ethyl alcohol
methyl alcohol
gasoline
varsol

- 18C
- 45C
- 88C
13C
11C
- 43C
40C

Precautions
Keep from heat sources
~ Flammable Storage Cabinets
Avoid incompatibilities
~ Class C Oxidizing Materials
Permissible container size
Use fume hood
Use proper protective

equipment

Class B

Flammable & Combustible

Class B

Flammable & Combustible

Precautions
Unattended

experiments
Do not store
flammables in
domestic
freezers or
refrigerators

Montreal Neurological Institute

1 Dead in lab explosion

Mulhouse, France March 24, 2006

In setting up a reaction, a hotplate with an

acetone bath on it was inadvertently turned
on. The acetone caught fire and was rapidly
extinguished by a colleague.

EXPLOSION
1 professor killed
1 student severely injured
$130 million in damage

Closer to home
9-Nov-06 Dept. of Chemistry

CAUSE
Residue of flammable gas in a

What factors contributed to the event?

pressure vessel

Source: NATURE Vol. 441.1 June 2006

Photo: AP Photos

Not monitoring the procedure

Inappropriate choice of apparatus

Class C
Oxidizing Material

Class C
Oxidizing Material

Causes other materials to burn or

explode by providing oxygen

Demonstration

Gases, liquids or solid

~ Ammonium nitrate
~ Nitric acid
~ Perchloric Acid Solutions
~ Oxygen
Organic Peroxides
~ Extremely hazardous

* Source of ignition not always necessary

Class C
Oxidizing Material

Health Hazards
May be toxic or corrosive

Precautions
Keep away from heat sources
Incompatibilities
~ Class B - Flammable & Combustible Material
Use fume hood if required
Use proper protective equipment

Class C
Oxidizing Material

Peroxide-forming chemicals
Form explosive peroxide crystals that can violently

detonate under thermal or mechanical shock

~ When stored
Isopropyl ether, vinylidene chloride
~ When concentrated
Ethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, p-dioxane

Risk

when concentrated

~ Evaporation & Distillation

Expiry Dates
~ Do not handle the container

Texas Tech University

15-Jan-01

Class D - Division 1

Class D

Materials Causing Immediate &

Serious Toxic Effects

Poisonous & Infectious Materials

Division 1
Materials Causing Immediate

and Serious Toxic Effects

Division 2
Materials Causing Other Toxic

Effects

May cause immediate death or serious

injury if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed
through the skin
D1A & D1B
~ Hydrogen cyanide
~ Carbon monoxide
~ Sulfuric acid

Division 3
Biohazardous Infectious Materials

Class D - Division 2

Materials Causing Other Toxic

Effects

Products whose health effects generally

appear over time following one or several
exposures
D2A & D2B
~ Acetaldehyde
~ Lead
~ Calcium chloride
~ Triethanolamine
~ Formaldehyde

Class D
Division 1 & 2

Health Hazards
May irritate eyes, skin and

respiratory tract

~ Leading to sensitization and/or

chronic lung problems

May cause major organ damage,

cancer, birth defects, mutagenic,

sterility, etc.
May cause permanent injury and
death

Class D
Division 1 & 2

Location

Class D
Division 1 & 2

Liquids
~ Storage Cabinets

Precautions: Minimize exposure!

Use fume hood if required
Use proper protective equipment

Flammables

No food or drink in work areas

Corrosives

Good personal hygiene

~ Wash hands after handling and
before leaving

~ Laboratory Shelves

Solids
~ Laboratory Shelves

Class D, Division 3

Class D, Division 3

Biohazardous Infectious Material

Biohazardous Infectious Material

Organisms or their toxins that

can cause disease in people or
animals
Bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa)
Viruses (Hepatitis B, HIV)
Recombinant nucleic acid
Fungi (Candida albicans)
Toxins (Botulinum)

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Class E
Corrosive Material

Class D, Division 3

Biohazardous Infectious Material

Precautions

Protect skin and eyes

Handle in designated areas
~ Culture Rooms
~ Biological Safety Cabinets

Will burn respiratory tract if inhaled

Disinfect your workspace

Hydrochloric Acid

No food or drink in work areas

Sodium Hydroxide

Advise supervisor of medical conditions

Phenol

Labeled storage - refrigerators and freezers

Class E
Corrosive Material
Precautions

Class E
Corrosive Material

Use in fume hood if required

Pour chemicals properly

~ Pour acid into water

Incompatibilities within Acids

Organic Acids
~ Acetic Acid

Use proper protective equipment

~ Protect skin and eyes
Store appropriately
~ Store acids and bases in
separate areas
~ Not under the sink!

Can attack other materials,

including metal
Sulfuric Acid

Practice good personal hygiene

Cause severe burns to skin, eyes

and other tissues

Oxidizing Acids
~ Nitric acid

Special consideration
Perchloric acid
Hydrofluoric acid
Picric acid

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Class F

Class F

Dangerously Reactive Material

Unstable and react quickly and dangerously

Dangerously Reactive Material

Water, heat, pressure, impact, exposure to light

Risks
May combust under conditions of shock, friction

or itself

or increase pressure or temperature

~ Sodium

~ Organic peroxides

~ Vinyl Chloride (monomer)

~ con. Hydrogen peroxide

~ Dry picric acid

May produce dangerous

gases

~ Water & alkali metal

cyanides

Class F

31-Oct-05

School of Electronics and Computer Science

Class F

Dangerously Reactive Material

Demonstration

University of Southampton

Dangerously Reactive Material

Precautions
Store away from the conditions

1 oz (28.3 g)
Sodium Metal

that can set it off

Isolate to avoid shock and
friction
Use proper protective equipment
Expiration dates
Monitor containers

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Lab Safety
Chemical Storage

Lab Safety
Chemical Storage

Ethanol
20 liters

Lab Safety
Chemical Segregation
Nitric
acid

Methanol

Lab Safety

Sulphuric
acid

Hydrochloric acid

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Lab Safety
Personal Protective Equipment

Routes of Entry

Skin Absorption

Skin Protection
Gloves

Inhalation

Eye Protection
Safety glasses
Goggles
Face shield

Injection

Appropriate Clothing
Lab coat
Closed shoes
No exposed skin

Ingestion

McGill Policy
Personal Protective Equipment

Downtown Campus
July 2008

Student splashed in the eye with agarose

solution containing ethidium bromide.

Student splashed in the eye with tissue culture.

Root cause:

Corrective actions:

Improper use of equipment

and manipulation
Be more careful
Buy new equipment

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Downtown Campus
July 2008

Why wear PPE?

WEAR SAFETY GLASSES

Courtesy of
University of Ottawa

Unexpected poison leaves 1 dead

June 1997
Dartmouth College

Courtesy of University of Ottawa

Lab Safety
Personal Protective Equipment

A toxic-metals expert spilled a couple of drops of

dimethyl mercury on her hand and quickly
cleaned it up and assumed that her latex gloves
had stopped the toxic chemical reaching her
skin.
Five months after the accident, she was having
difficulty walking and her speech started to slur.
Tests later showed that she had 80 times the
lethal dose of mercury in her blood. After
losing her vision and hearing, she slipped into a
coma and died in June 1997, aged 48.
Source: Edited from NATURE|Vol 441|1 June 2006

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WHMIS Labeling
Suppliers

WHMIS Labeling

Labels

Original container
Workplace

Labels

Created at workplace

Supplier Label

Workplace Labels

Product
Name

Risk
Phrases

Precautions

First Aid

Supplier Info

WHMIS
Pictogram

Required
On controlled products

produced and used in the

workplace
If the supplier label becomes
illegible or defaced
When transferring into another
container

MSDS
Reference

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Workplace Label
Precautions

Product
Name

Toluene

Workplace Labels
Research Laboratories

Product Name
Abbreviations NOT permitted

Keep container in a wellventilated place, away from

heat and all sources of ignition.
Wear eye protection.
Avoid contact with skin.
Do not inhale vapours.

Label Requirements

Reference to
MSDS

Additional Requirements
MSDS must be available
Not to be transported out of

laboratory

For more information refer to products

Material Safety Data Sheet

Workplace Labels
Research Laboratories

Safety Information

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Material Safety Data Sheets

Suppliers prepare and provide
Employers ensure:

Available and accessible to ALL

workers
Up-to-date (3 years)

Important:
Bring to doctor in the event of

exposure

Material Safety Data Sheets

Material Safety Data Sheets

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

Product and Company Identification

Composition / Information on Ingredients
Hazards Identification
First Aid Measures
Fire Fighting Measures
Accidental Release Measures
Handling and Storage
Exposure Controls / Personal Protection
Physical and Chemical Properties
Stability and Reactivity
Toxicological Information
Ecological Information
Disposal Considerations
Transport Information
Regulatory Information
Other Information

Material Safety Data Sheets

McGill Emergency Number:

Downtown ext. 3000; Macdonald ext. 7777 or MNI ext. 55-555

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Material Safety Data Sheets

Material Safety Data Sheets

Material Safety Data Sheets

Material Safety Data Sheets

McGill Emergency Number:

Downtown ext. 3000; Macdonald ext. 7777 or MNI ext. 55-555

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Material Safety Data Sheets

Material Safety Data Sheets

Material Safety Data Sheets

Material Safety Data Sheets

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Permissible Exposure

Material Safety Data Sheets

Threshold Limit Value (TLV)

Defined concentrations which most workers can

be exposed to without harmful effects.

Time-Weighed Average (TWA)
~ 8 hour workday

Short-term Exposure Limit (STEL)

~ 15 minutes
Ceiling Value (C)
~ Maximum concentration never to be exceeded

LD50 & LC50

Material Safety Data Sheets

Lethal Dose: LD50

The amount of a substance that, when

administered (oral or dermal) over a specified

period of time, is expected to kill 50 per cent of
a defined animal population.

Lethal Concentration: LC50

The amount of a substance in air that, when

inhaled over a specified period of time, is

expected to kill 50 per cent of a defined animal
population.

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Material Safety Data Sheets

Material Safety Data Sheets

Contact Hazardous Waste Management

(5066)
MNI See MNI Lab Safety Manual

Material Safety Data Sheets

Material Safety Data Sheets

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Material Safety Data Sheets

http://www.mcgill.ca/ehs/forms/references/links/

www.mcgill.ca/ehs/mylab

Material Safety Data Sheets

Infectious Substances
http://www.mcgill.ca/ehs/forms/references/links/

www.mcgill.ca/ehs/mylab

Web based compliance tool

Maintains hazardous material
inventories
Allows shared inventories
Inventory linked to MSDS service
(3E Inc.)
Critical emergency response
information

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Globally Harmonized System (GHS)

Will replace WHMIS

New system for classifying hazardous chemicals
Groups chemicals into 3 groups:
Physical Hazards
Health Hazards
Environmental Hazards
Appearance of labels & MSDS will change but not
the content
Aimed at: workers, transport workers, emergency
responders and consumers.

Questions?

ehs@mcgill.ca

www.mcgill.ca/ehs

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