Now that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has adopted the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), health care workers across the nation need to be fully trained and certified under the new system. WHMIS 2015, Canada’s updated hazard communication standard, has incorporated GHS compliance into its system. This means that WHMIS 2015 training and compliance is now required for doctors, nurses, part time employees, laboratory technicians, dentists and anyone else in the health care field who works with or near hazardous chemicals.

Health Care Industry Risks

Tens of thousands of health care workers are injured or killed in occupational accidents each year. This is because of the relatively high number of hazards that health care workers face. These hazards include sterilizing chemicals and disinfectants like ethylene oxide or glutaraldehyde, as well as flammable, corrosive, toxic or radioactive materials like alcohol, xylene, or formalin. All of these chemical hazards should be received in GHS compliant containers, whether ordered in bulk or transferred to smaller, portable sizes.

WHMIS for Health Care Providers

It is critical that everyone in the health care industry fully understands how to read GHS compliant labels and SDSs, as well as how to respond in an emergency. Getting certified for WHMIS 2015 is the best way that health care providers can protect themselves and their coworkers in the workplace.