Overview

Hazardous materials are often part of our everyday activities in the workplace. Used correctly, chemicals are an important part of the work we do. Some materials though important tools, can also be flammable, and corrosive, toxic, or reactive. If hazardous materials are in your workplace, it’s important that everyone be aware of the risks and how to avoid them whether the WHMIS Regulation tells us so or not. When employees know what materials are being used, how to use them safely, and what to do if an emergency occurs, the workplace can be kept much safer.

This course uses engaging video and thirty one interactive activities to ensure that your employees understand the WHMIS program and how to recognize chemical hazards. Your employees will learn how to protect themselves from overexposure, utilize workplace hazard controls, use labels properly, and use MSDSs properly. They will have had practice following safe work practices in the safe learning environment of “WHMIS: Learning The System”.

What Is WHMIS?

• Defining WHMIS

Hazards

• Hazard Categories
• FACTOR
• Physical Hazards
• Health Hazards

Exposure

• Toxic Effects
• Safe Dose Levels

Controls

• Workplace Controls
• Labels
• MSDSs

Safe Work Practices

• FACTOR Hazards
• Additional Safety Measures

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
This course will measure mastery on each of the following performance objectives. Upon completion, workers will be able to...

Understand the WHMIS program

1. Define WHMIS.
2. List elements of the WHMIS program.
3. Agree that understanding the hazards you work with are an important part of WHMIS.

Recognize hazard categories

1. Recall that WHMIS divides hazards into eight categories.
2. Identify categories that make up the “FACTOR” acronym.

Recognize physical and health hazards

1. Select examples of health hazards.
2. Differentiate between physical and health hazards.
3. List chemicals with physical hazards.
4. Explain how overexposure occurs.
5. Explain a chemical’s toxicity.
6. Differentiate between acute and chronic health effects.
7. List the forms a substance can take.

Protect yourself from overexposure

1. Identify the possible routes of entry into the body.
2. Define “safe dose”.
3. Explain “Threshold Limit Values”.

Utilize workplace hazard controls

1. List hazard controls implemented in the workplace.

Use labels properly

1. Differentiate between supplier and workplace labels.
2. Recognize the distinctive border on a supplier label.
3. List elements of a label.
4. List the key points of labeling.
5. Match hazard symbols and classes.

Use MSDSs properly

1. Identify information contained in an MSDS.
2. Locate answers to questions regarding a chemical on an MSDS.
3. Agree that MSDSs may look different but should all contain the same basic information.
4. Match hazard symbols and classes.

Follow safe work practices

1. Select safe work practices to follow about a given chemical.
2. List general work practices to follow.