ADECCO EMPLOYMENT SERVICES LIMITED

WHMIS EDUCATION DOCUMENT

WHMIS(CDN)- Form 1 Page 1 of 10 Origin 2001

Health and Safety Department Revised 10/2009
Welcome to the Adecco WHMIS awareness educational document. We have designed our
program to give you, our temporary associate, general information about the hazardous
materials you may encounter during your assignments.

This program is intended to:

• Introduce WHMIS;
• Outline the types of materials and symbols used to represent these materials;
• Outline the system that should be in place in any work environment where hazardous
materials are used; and
• Identify the obligation of the employee to learn about WHMIS to prevent and lower the
incidence of hazardous goods related accidents in the workplace.

The onsite supervisor is responsible for more detailed information and instruction on the
specific hazardous goods used at a specific work site if there are any. If you do not receive
this specific orientation and are asked to work with a chemical please contact your Adecco
representative immediately.

Most workers are not directly involved in handling hazardous materials or wastes such as
solvents, acids; if you are, you should receive specific training in proper procedures through
WHMIS. Wastes defined under federal and provincial regulations as hazardous must be
disposed of in accordance with those regulations. If you have any questions about how
hazardous materials wastes are handled where you work, contact your Joint Health and
Safety Committee member onsite, your onsite supervisor or your Adecco representative.

In the long term, the best approach to dealing with hazardous and environmentally harmful
materials is to reduce their use as much as possible. For example, water based correction
fluids, pens and markers are readily available, as are less toxic inks, adhesives and cleaning
products. As an individual, there are a number of things you can do.

Please read over the WHMIS awareness education document so that you are familiar with
what WHMIS is and why it is in place. As an employer Adecco is required by law to provide
general WHMIS awareness education to all workers regardless of position and type of work.
This program satisfies this need and provides you with the required information to work safe.

The Adecco program is self-instructing and consists of several parts:

1) Introductory materials on the key elements of WHMIS;

2) Three sample items to assist you;
3) the Hazard Symbols and their classifications;
4) Supplier Label;
5) A Material Data Sheet;
6) A booklet (this one, please request upon completion of this education), which can be taken
with you, briefly covering all-important information about WHMIS.

WHMIS(CDN)- Form 1 Page 2 of 10 Origin 2001

Health and Safety Department Revised 10/2009
W.H.M.I.S.

In the early 1980's a problem was acknowledged concerning the increasing numbers and
volumes of chemicals in use across the country, and the lack of readily available information
for the protection of worker health. It was recognized that more information needed to be
provided to workers handling and using these chemicals. A joint
federal/provincial/employer/labour-working group was established to recommend solutions
to these problems. This group proposed a system called WHMIS.

WHMIS (the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) is a nationwide program

that provides information on hazardous materials used in the workplace.
WHMIS became effective October 31, 1988 through federal and provincial legislation.

Three key partners worked together to establish WHMIS:

(1) Government
(2) Industry
(3) Labour

WHMIS is a system of information delivery with three key elements:

(1) LABELS

All controlled products (hazardous materials) must be labeled. The supplier label must be
edged with a distinctive WHMIS border (diagonal lines) in a colour that contrasts with the
colour of the background to which it is attached.

A supplier label must contain the following information:

A) Product Identifier
B) Supplier Identifier
C) Statement that MSDS is available
D) Hazard Symbol(s)
E) Risk Phrases(s)
F) Precautionary Measures
G) First Aid Measures

A workplace label is required to contain the following information:

A) Product Identifier
B) Statement that MSDS is available
C) Precautionary Measures
D) First Aid Measures

WHMIS(CDN)- Form 1 Page 3 of 10 Origin 2001

Health and Safety Department Revised 10/2009
(2) MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS (MSDS)

An MSDS must be provided for each controlled product. An MSDS must be readily available
to workers who may be exposed to controlled products.

The MSDS must contain information for each of the following nine categories:

A) Hazardous Ingredient(s)
B) Person(s) responsible and date of preparation of the MSDS
C) Product Information, including manufacturer's name and emergency telephone number
D) Physical data
E) Fire and explosion hazard
F) Reactivity data
G) Toxicological properties
H) Preventive measures
I) First Aid measures

3) WORKER EDUCATION

Employers must develop an education program for workers to ensure that employees are
WHMIS trained.

A worker must be instructed in:

• The information on WHMIS labels and MSDSs, the meaning of that information, and how
it applies to their work
• Identification systems that are used in place of labels at a work site
• Procedures for the safe use, handling, storage and disposal of the controlled products
• Procedures for dealing with fugitive emissions of the controlled products workers may
encounter, and
• Procedures for emergencies involving controlled products

Who must be trained?

Anyone who works with hazardous material or could be affected by a leak or spill will
require training. However, all workers will not need the same level of training. For example,
training for warehouse staff may only need to include the safe handling of products and what
to do when a spill occurs. However, industrial workers will need extensive training on the
safe use of all hazardous products in their workplace. Naturally,
office workers and retail cashiers will not require as comprehensive a training program.

WHMIS(CDN)- Form 1 Page 4 of 10 Origin 2001

Health and Safety Department Revised 10/2009
What is the goal of worker training?

The goal of worker training is to ensure that workers are able to apply the information needed
to protect their health and safety. The regulations require performance oriented training for
each workplace. There is no standard course for everyone. The test of a successful program is
whether the workers are able to use proper safety procedures for
the products they handle and know why these procedures are required.

What content is required?

The content of a worker training program can be divided into two main areas. First, workers
need to understand the WHMIS system (such as MSDS, labels and symbols). This may be
called general training.

Second, workplace training must be provided that is specific to:

(1) the dangers of the materials used; and

(2) the appropriate safety measures that must be taken. This training probably should be
given by onsite supervisors.

WHMIS(CDN)- Form 1 Page 5 of 10 Origin 2001

Health and Safety Department Revised 10/2009
WHMIS(CDN)- Form 1 Page 6 of 10 Origin 2001
Health and Safety Department Revised 10/2009
WHMIS(CDN)- Form 1 Page 7 of 10 Origin 2001
Health and Safety Department Revised 10/2009
ACCEPTABLE FORMAT FOR THE WORKPLACE LABEL

MATERIAL IDENTIFIER OR PRODUCT NAME

REFERENCE TO A MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

FIRST AID MEASURES

EXAMPLES

WHMIS(CDN)- Form 1 Page 8 of 10 Origin 2001

Health and Safety Department Revised 10/2009
WHMIS(CDN)- Form 1 Page 9 of 10 Origin 2001
Health and Safety Department Revised 10/2009
WHMIS(CDN)- Form 1 Page 10 of 10 Origin 2001
Health and Safety Department Revised 10/2009