HPA controls the use of labels and SDSs for the sale and import of hazardous products in Canada while
CPR plans the classification criteria, labelling and SDS components.
Amending these legislations would enable Health Canada to put GHS into practice and would bring about alterations to federal, provincial and territorial occupational safety and health law. Canada intends to have completed all amendments to the legislations by spring 2014 in order to leave enough time for the provincial and territorial authorities to amend their occupational safety and health laws contingent on the changes to the HPA and CPR, and also allowing the industry to carry out the GHS obligations and train their staff in due time.
According to the Regulatory Cooperation Council’s progress report of December 2012, the US and Canada must “coordinate and synchronize their implementation of common classification and labelling requirements for workplace hazardous chemicals”.
This will have an effect on the existing WHMIS hazard classification criteria, labelling and SDS obligations causing foreseeable changes in provincial hazardous substance legislations.
More information on GHS in Canada
Article published in The Molecule 7
