Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is legislation in Canada that is aimed to ensure standardization of the hazards communications system. The goal of this training program is to ensure the safety of the employees working at environments where harmful chemicals are used. The WHMIS training helps employees know how to properly handle, store, produce or dispose of hazardous material in their work environment.
While not many people know, but the fact is that the WHMIS certificate needs to be renewed on time every year. While there are no particular guidelines stating how many times WHMIS training must be carried out, some companies only conduct it once. Even if there is no expiry date for a WHMIS certificate, there are several reasons why you should complete WHMIS training at least once a year.
Easy Identification & Control of Hazards –
When you work with the harmful chemicals at the workplace, it becomes very important to know the chemicals and have the ability to identify them properly. This not just ensures better classification of the chemicals but also helps control the hazards associated with them. When you have the WHMIS training for the team members, you allow them to easily spot hazards in a workplace and report them to management. It becomes even more important when new materials and processes are introduced which create new hazards.
Information on Protective Gear –
In order to stay safe when working with harmful chemicals, it is important to have the required information about the usage of protective gear that can be useful at work. This protective gear can be useful in mitigating the dangers. While the technology keeps updating over time, it becomes very important to stay updated with the changes in the industry with the help of WHMIS training. This ensures offering the correct information to help employers and employees assure proper protection against hazards.
Emergency Response to Potentially Dangerous Situations –
Emergency situations can take place, and it’s more prone at the workplaces where the usage of harmful chemicals is involved. In such situations, it becomes proactive to the emergencies that may happen. It is the ability to take prompt action against such incidents that make the difference between avoiding severe consequences and having a fatal accident. Remember, the right action at the right time can save your business massive sums of operating expenses. When your team undergoes WHMIS training, you can be sure that they know what action needs to be taken during emergency situations at the workplace.
Final words
Working without WHMIS training can lead to significant losses and workers’ injuries at the workplace. For the businesses that care for their team members as well as compliance with the local safety regulations, it becomes very important to take WHMIS certificate for the team members to ensure complete safety of the workers at the workplace. This ensures that your team is ready to take the right action whenever needed, even during emergency situations.
This infographic was created by Key Technology, a provider of gummy candy manufacturing equipment
