Hazardous Products Act (Canada) (summary)
The federal Hazardous Products Act and the pursuant Hazardous Products Regulations, which apply to suppliers, define which materials (i.e., hazardous products) are included in the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) and set out what information suppliers must provide to employers for controlled products used in the workplace.
Under section 18 of the Workers Compensation Act, WorkSafeBC administers the requirements of Canada’s Hazardous Products Act in British Columbia and enforces federal requirements on suppliers.
Summaries of key sections of the Hazardous Products Act
Sales and import requirements apply (summary)
Suppliers selling or importing a controlled product for use in a workplace in Canada must:
- Provide a safety data sheet (SDS) for the controlled product
- Ensure that the controlled product or its container is labelled with all required information and hazard symbols (pictograms)
An SDS is a technical bulletin that provides detailed hazard and precautionary information.
Other legislation
For more information on SDSs, see Part 4 and Schedule 1 of the Hazardous Products Regulations.
For more information on labelling, see Part 3 of the Hazardous Products Regulations.
These requirements do not apply to the sale or import of:
- Explosives as defined by the Explosives Act
- Cosmetics, devices, drugs, or food as defined by the Food and Drugs Act
- Pesticides as defined by the Pest Control Products Act
- Nuclear substances as defined by the Nuclear Safety and Control Act
- Hazardous waste
- Consumer products as defined in section 2 of the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act
- Wood or products made of wood
- Tobacco or tobacco products as defined in section 2 of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act
- Manufactured articles
For details, see Part II, section 12 and Schedule 1 of the Hazardous Products Act (Canada).