WHMIS training: what new workers need to know

Many first jobs involve products that can hurt you if you use them the wrong way: strong cleaners, sprays, fuels, and some products on store and warehouse shelves. WHMIS is how Canadian workplaces warn you about them.

WHMIS stands for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. It is a Canada-wide system. Its main parts are (Health Canada):

• sorting hazardous products by the type of hazard
• warning labels on containers
• safety data sheets (SDSs)
• worker education and training

We checked these facts on October 12, 2026. Follow the links to the official pages for the latest details.

Who does what

• Suppliers, the companies that sell or import hazardous products, must label them and provide a safety data sheet.
• Employers must make sure products are labelled, make safety data sheets available to workers, and educate and train workers on the hazards and safe use of the products at work.
• Workers must take part in the training, protect themselves and their coworkers, and tell the employer when a label is missing or can't be read (WorkSafeBC).

The federal government sets the rules for suppliers. Each province sets its own WHMIS rules for employers, so the details differ a little between BC and Ontario.

How to read a WHMIS label

A supplier label is the label a product arrives with. It must be in English and French and show six things (CCOHS):

1. Product identifier: the product's name
2. Supplier identifier: the name, address, and phone number of the Canadian maker or importer
3. Pictograms: black hazard symbols, most of them inside a red diamond-shaped border
4. Signal word: "Danger" or "Warning". "Danger" is used for the more serious hazards.
5. Hazard statements: what the hazard is, in standard wording
6. Precautionary statements: how to avoid harm, including first aid steps

A workplace label is simpler. It shows the product name, how to handle it safely, and where to find the safety data sheet. You will see one when a product is poured into another container, such as a spray bottle, when a product is made at the workplace, or when the supplier label is lost or can't be read.

Never use a product from an unlabelled container. Ask your supervisor first.

The pictograms

Here are some of the WHMIS pictograms and what they warn about (CCOHS):

Safety data sheets

A safety data sheet (SDS) gives more detail than the label. It has 16 sections in a set order (CCOHS). Three are worth knowing first:

• Section 2, Hazard identification: what can hurt you
• Section 4, First-aid measures: what to do if the product gets on your skin, in your eyes, or is swallowed or breathed in
• Section 7, Handling and storage: how to use and store it safely

Safety data sheets must be readily available to workers who may be exposed to the product. On your first day, ask where they are kept. It may be a binder, a computer, or an app.

Your WHMIS training

Your employer is responsible for training you. They can train you themselves or use an outside trainer. WorkSafeBC does not offer WHMIS training or certificates (WorkSafeBC). In Ontario, employers must train workers on hazardous products before they use them (Ontario).

Good WHMIS training has two parts (CCOHS):

• General education: how WHMIS works, the hazard types, and how to read labels and safety data sheets. This is the same everywhere.
• Workplace training: the products you will actually use, the safe way to handle them at this workplace, and what to do in an emergency.

After your training, you should be able to answer four questions for each hazardous product you use:

1. What are the hazards?
2. How do I protect myself?
3. What do I do in an emergency?
4. Where can I get more information?

If you can't answer them, ask for more training. That is a normal request.

Is training time paid? In BC, training your employer requires for the job is work and must be paid (BC Employment Standards definitions). In Ontario, time spent in training that your employer or the law requires counts as work time (Ontario ESA guide). Ontario's ministry also says WHMIS training time should be treated as work time (WHMIS and the employer).

Does a WHMIS certificate carry over to a new job?

Partly. Some job postings ask for a "WHMIS certificate", and many online courses give you one. But WHMIS is not a licence, and WorkSafeBC doesn't issue WHMIS certificates.

According to CCOHS:

• The general part of WHMIS education applies in every workplace.
• Your new employer decides whether you need to repeat it.
• Your new employer must still give you workplace training on its own products and procedures.

CCOHS says refresher training should happen when needed to keep you safe, and when products, hazard information, or working conditions change. In Ontario, employers must review their WHMIS training at least once a year with the health and safety committee or representative, if there is one (WHMIS and the employer).

So a WHMIS course you take on your own can show an employer you know the basics. It does not replace the training your employer must give you.

Questions to ask on your first day

• Which hazardous products will I use or be near?
• Where are the safety data sheets?
• What protective gear do I need, such as gloves or goggles, and where is it?
• What do I do if something spills or splashes on me?
• Who do I tell if a label is missing?

Next steps

• Warehouse jobs in Metro Vancouver and the GTA
• Cleaning jobs in Metro Vancouver and the GTA
• Retail jobs in Metro Vancouver and the GTA
• Stay safe in the warehouse: Warehouse and stocking jobs and Forklift training in BC and Ontario
• Know your rights in BC and Ontario