CHICAGO, May 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VelocityEHS, the global leader in cloud-based environment, health, safety (EHS) and sustainability solutions, is reminding businesses that June 1, 2018 is the first compliance deadlines for Health Canada’s GHS-aligned Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS 2015). By this date, manufacturers and importers covered by WHMIS 2015 must have re-classified their hazardous products according to the physical and health hazard criteria set forth in the new Hazardous Product Regulations (HPR), and begun shipping only WHMIS 2015 compliant safety data sheets (SDSs) and supplier labels to their downstream users. Any U.S. manufacturers or non-Canadian companies shipping hazardous products to Canada will also need to create WHMIS 2015 compliant SDSs and labels by June 1 in order to facilitate business with their Canadian customers.
The June 1 deadline marks the end of Canada’s first phase in a three-phase transition from WHMIS 1988 to WHMIS 2015, which began back in February 2015 when Health Canada aligned its hazard communication standard with Revision 5 of the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System (GHS).
When it comes to complying with WHMIS 2015, VelocityEHS offers a comprehensive suite of chemical management software products and services. The company’s MSDSonline SDS Authoring and Regulatory Consulting Services, including CBI claim registration support, are of particular value to Canadian and other foreign-based suppliers struggling to understand and meet their WHMIS 2015 compliance obligations, while its award-winning HQ and HQ RegXR Accounts provide all WHMIS 2015-covered workplaces with an easy way to manage and provide employees with right-to-know access to updated SDSs for their inventory of hazardous products.
“With Health Canada already having extended this first GHS deadline by a year, it’s important that suppliers act quickly to ensure they have accurately classified product hazards, and authored WHMIS 2015-compliant bilingual SDSs and labels,” said Glenn Trout, president and CEO of VelocityEHS. “Even with the deadline extensions, there’s still significant confusion among Canadian businesses about how to comply with the new requirements. This is especially true with regard to the confidential business information (CBI) claim process, an issue that prompted the GHS deadline delays, and recently resulted in amendments to the HPR. These recent amendments give suppliers new flexibility to use prescribed concentration ranges for protecting CBI or trade secret information on their SDSs, versus the Hazardous Materials Information Review Act (HMIRA) CBI claim process. The amendments will provide relief for both suppliers and the Health Canada representatives responsible for reviewing CBI claims, but the timing of the change – so close to the compliance deadline – may be contributing to some of the current concerns suppliers have around compliance.”
Businesses covered by WHMIS 2015 can learn more about the new requirements through the VelocityEHS WHMIS 2015 webinar series, available both on-demand and live throughout the year. Upcoming live presentations take place May 16, June 5 and June 19. To stay up-to-date on Health Canada’s GHS transition, visit the MSDSonline blog at www.MSDSonline.com/blog.
About VelocityEHS
VelocityEHS is the leading global provider of cloud-based environment, health and safety (EHS) software. Its comprehensive software platform and innovative mobile applications, including its award-winning MSDSonline chemical inventory management solutions, aim to make enterprise-level EHS functionality accessible and affordable to businesses of all sizes, helping them solve complex compliance and regulatory challenges in simple ways. Today, more than 13,000 customers worldwide, from virtually every industry, trust VelocityEHS and its solutions to improve EHS performance. Recognized by the industry’s top independent analysts, including leading scores in the Verdantix 2017 Green Quadrant Analysis and 2017 NAEM EHS & Sustainability Software Ratings Report, VelocityEHS helps customers reach their EHS goals faster with quick implementations, affordable solutions and unparalleled customer support. VelocityEHS is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois with locations in Canada, the UK and Australia. For more information, visit www.EHS.com.
Media Contact
Betsy Utley-Marin
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butleymarin@ehs.com