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Health Canada

The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is an information system designed to provide workers and employers with information about hazardous materials used in Canadian workplaces. The Hazardous Products Act (HPA) places obligations on suppliers to label and provide "material safety data sheets" (MSDSs) as conditions of sale and importation for defined hazardous workplace materials. Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) regulations in 13 jurisdictions (federal, provincial and territorial) require workplace labeling, provision of MSDSs and worker education programs. Together the HPA and OSH regulations form the system of information about hazardous materials in the workplace known as WHMIS.

Certain materials, including food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and biomedical wastes were excluded from WHMIS when it was first implemented. If, government decides that changes to the exclusions are required, federal legislation and regulations related to WHMIS must be amended. Before a proposed regulatory change can be made law, government policy requires a study to assess the costs and benefits of the potential changes.

Our firm, under contract to Health Canada assessed the potential benefits and the potential costs of removal of WHMIS exclusions for food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and biomedical wastes. In addition, we estimated the costs and benefits if compliance occurred for diagnostic specimens. Although originally covered by WHMIS, no agreement was reached on the form of the WHMIS requirements.

This information allowed government to make informed decisions concerning the value of changes to WHMIS.