Introduction

WHMIS training requirements in Canada apply whenever workers may be exposed to hazardous products in the workplace. Employers must ensure workers receive training that covers both general WHMIS information and workplace-specific instruction, and training must be updated whenever products, procedures, or hazards change.

This guide explains what WHMIS training must include, who needs it, when it must be updated, and how to meet your legal obligations.

Need to train your workers? Start here: Train Your Workers in WHMIS

Need to get a WHMIS certificate? Start here: Get WHMIS Certified

WHMIS Legislation

WHMIS is governed through a combination of federal and provincial/territorial legislation. The federal legislation controls how hazardous products are classified, labelled, and sold in Canada, while provincial and territorial occupational health and safety laws govern how hazardous products are used in workplaces, including worker education and training requirements.

Because of this structure, WHMIS training requirements come primarily from your province or territory, while the information workers learn (labels, SDSs, hazard classifications) is based on the federal legislation.

Federal WHMIS Legislation

WHMIS is backed by federal law that regulates how hazardous products are classified and communicated in Canada. In plain terms, federal legislation governs what suppliers must provide when they sell or import hazardous products for use in Canadian workplaces, including supplier labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDSs).

The main federal WHMIS legislation includes:

• Hazardous Products Act (HPA)
• Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR)

Provincial WHMIS Legislation

Once hazardous products are introduced into a workplace, WHMIS is enforced through provincial and territorial occupational health and safety legislation (unless the workplace falls under federal jurisdiction).

These laws outline employer responsibilities for:

• Workplace labels (where needed)
• Access to Safety Data Sheets
• Safe handling and emergency procedures
• Worker education and training

While there are small differences across jurisdictions, the training expectations are very similar in every province and territory: workers must receive general WHMIS training as well as workplace-specific training that reflects the hazardous products workers will use or be exposed to.

Recent WHMIS Updates and the 2025 Deadline

WHMIS has been updated over time to align with changes to the Globally Harmonized System (GHS). The most recent update took effect in December 2022, and a three-year transition period followed, ending on December 14, 2025. During this time, suppliers updated classifications, labels, and SDSs, and employers were required to ensure their WHMIS programs, workplace labels, and training stayed aligned with the updated system.

If you want a full checklist and breakdown of what employers needed to review before the transition ended, see: WHMIS 2025 Deadline: Are You Ready?

And if you want a detailed explanation of what workers and employers should understand moving forward, see: WHMIS 2026 Training Requirements Explained

WHMIS Training Requirements in Canada

To meet WHMIS training requirements in Canada, employers must provide both general WHMIS training and workplace-specific training. General training, often referred to as “WHMIS education”, gives workers the foundational knowledge they need to understand WHMIS labels, pictograms, and safety data sheets. Workplace-specific training ensures workers know how to work safely with the hazardous products used in your workplace and what to do in an emergency.

These two parts work together, and both are required. Below is a breakdown of what WHMIS training should include.

General WHMIS Training

Education, which is commonly referred to as “general” or “generic” training, is intended to provide general information on WHMIS principles, Safety Data Sheets, hazard classification, labels, and other knowledge that is not specific to an individual workplace.

The topics commonly included in General WHMIS Training are:

• What WHMIS is and its purpose
• Duties and responsibilities
• How chemicals enter the body
• Adverse health effects
• Labels and what they’re required to display
• Pictograms
• How to read Safety Data Sheets
• General safety guidelines

General WHMIS training can be completed via various methods, including traditional, instructor-led training sessions and online WHMIS certification.

Workplace-Specific WHMIS Training

Workplace-specific training refers to information that is job and site-specific. It communicates relevant workplace procedures for handling, storing, using, and the disposal of hazardous products that are specific to the actual workplace or worksite where the employee will be working. It also includes information about the actual hazardous products that the workers will be using.

The topics commonly included in workplace-specific training are:

• Specific safety precautions
• Emergency procedures
• Handling and use requirements
• Required PPE, where to find it, and how it’s used
• Specialized policies and procedures relating to specific chemicals
• The meaning of signal words and hazard statements on labels and SDSs in the workplace
• Workplace labelling requirements

Workplace-specific WHMIS training must be led or overseen by someone familiar with the company’s hazardous products and workplace procedures. This is typically a supervisor, experienced worker, or safety coordinator.

You can learn how to implement this site specific training using our workplace-specific whmis training guide.

WHMIS Training Evaluations

Both types of WHMIS training should include an evaluation to confirm workers understand the information covered. For general WHMIS training, this is typically done through a quiz, test, exam, or knowledge checks built into the training.

For workplace-specific training, employers should also verify workers understand the hazards, safe handling procedures, and emergency steps that apply to the actual workplace and job tasks. This can be done through a short verbal review, a checklist, supervised practice, or observation.

WHMIS Training Language and Comprehension

Provincial occupational health and safety legislation requires that all safety training,  including WHMIS, be provided in a language and vocabulary that workers can understand. This means employers must ensure that workers fully comprehend the training. For example, if you’re implementing online training for French-speaking employees, you’ll need to provide them with French-Canadian online WHMIS training and certification.

The principle is straightforward: workers must understand the hazards and safe work practices being taught in order to apply them correctly. Training that workers can’t understand isn’t training at all.

Who Needs WHMIS Training?

Provincial occupational health and safety legislation requires that any worker who works with a hazardous product or may be exposed to a hazardous product in the course of their work must receive WHMIS training. In addition, employers are responsible for ensuring that supervisors are competent to promote and enforce these requirements in the workplace.

Workers Who Directly Handle Hazardous Products

Workers who regularly use, mix, transfer, or dispose of hazardous products face the most direct exposure. These workers typically include:

• Production and manufacturing workers.
• Maintenance staff.
• Laboratory technicians.
• Warehouse and shipping personnel.
• Cleaning and janitorial staff.

These workers require the most comprehensive training. They must understand how to read labels and SDSs, recognize hazard classes and pictograms, select and use required PPE, follow safe handling and storage procedures, and respond appropriately to spills or exposures.

Workers with Indirect Exposure

Workers who don’t directly handle hazardous products but may be exposed to them during the course of their work also require WHMIS training.

Examples include:

• Office staff who work near storage areas.
• Mechanics working near chemical products.
• Delivery personnel entering facilities with hazardous products.
• Custodial staff who may encounter products used by others.

These workers don’t need the same depth of training as those who handle products directly, but they must be trained to recognize hazardous products and pictograms, understand labels, know where SDSs are located, and understand what to do if they encounter a spill or exposure. This ensures they don’t inadvertently put themselves or others at risk.

Supervisors

Supervisors may not handle hazardous products themselves, but they are accountable for ensuring that workers follow safe practices. Provincial legislation places responsibility on the employer to provide training and enforce WHMIS requirements. In practice, this means supervisors must:

• Understand WHMIS requirements and the legislation they are enforcing.
• Recognize when workers are not following safe procedures.
• Ensure workers are properly trained for the hazardous products they’ll encounter.
• Verify that workers are using the correct PPE and following established procedures.
• Intervene and stop unsafe work when procedures are not being followed.

Supervisors must be competent to promote and enforce WHMIS requirements. That competence comes through receiving training at least equal in scope to the workers they oversee. Without that level of understanding, supervisors cannot effectively fulfill their responsibility to protect workers and maintain compliance.

Temporary Workers and Staffing Agency Placements

Temporary workers placed by staffing agencies need the same WHMIS training as any other worker performing the same job.

Whether a worker is permanent or temporary, they must be trained to recognize hazardous products and follow safe work practices before being exposed to those products.

Temporary workers may have direct or indirect exposure, depending on their role. A temporary production worker handling chemicals daily needs comprehensive WHMIS training covering hazard recognition, labels, SDSs, PPE, and safe handling procedures. A temporary office worker in a facility with a chemical storage area needs general WHMIS training to recognize hazards and know what to do if exposure occurs.

The key difference for temporary workers is that their training typically comes from two sources.

The staffing agency provides general WHMIS training when the worker is hired, covering foundational knowledge that applies across different workplaces. The host employer then provides workplace-specific training on their particular products, locations, and procedures before work begins.

Temporary workers should not begin work involving potential exposure to hazardous products until both components are complete. Workers who feel they haven’t received adequate training have the right to raise concerns with their staffing agency, the host employer, or the provincial health and safety authority.

Contractors and Contract Workers

Contractors and any contract workers who may be exposed to hazardous products at client facilities need WHMIS training. This includes both workers who handle hazardous products directly and those whose tasks bring them into areas where hazardous products are stored or used.

Contract workers face unique challenges: they move between job sites with different products, storage arrangements, and safety procedures. Comprehensive WHMIS training helps prepare them to recognize hazards and follow safe work practices regardless of where they’re assigned.

Host employers increasingly require proof of WHMIS training before allowing contractors on site, making current certification essential for winning and keeping contracts.

The Extent of Training

Remember, not every worker needs the same level of WHMIS training. The training required depends on what hazardous products are present in the workplace, how a worker could be exposed, and what tasks they perform.

In most workplaces, general WHMIS training is the minimum. But workers who handle hazardous products directly need more extensive workplace-specific training, including the specific hazards, safe handling procedures, PPE, and emergency steps for the products they use.

For example, a worker who regularly uses solvents or industrial chemicals will require more detailed training than an employee who only works near a janitorial closet where cleaning products are stored. Both still need WHMIS training, but the difference is how much workplace-specific detail is required.

Who’s Responsible for WHMIS Training

The legislation is clear. Employers have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring workers who work with or may be exposed to hazardous products receive proper WHMIS training before that exposure occurs. This responsibility cannot be transferred to workers themselves or delegated away to contractors or other third parties.

Employer responsibilities include:

• Identifying which workers may be exposed to hazardous products and require training.
• Providing training that meets provincial occupational health and safety requirements before workers handle or work near hazardous products.
• Ensuring training is delivered in a language and vocabulary workers can understand.
• Documenting that training has been completed.
• Providing retraining when new hazardous products are introduced, job duties change, or workers demonstrate knowledge gaps.
• Ensuring that workplace-specific training is completed for the actual products and procedures in the workplace.

Employers cannot avoid these obligations by claiming a worker “should have known” or by relying on training the worker received from a previous employer. Employers must verify that their workers are trained on the specific hazardous products and procedures they’ll encounter on the job.

Staffing Agencies and Host Employers

When temporary workers are placed in positions involving exposure to hazardous products, both the staffing agency and the host employer share responsibility for training. Neither party can avoid their safety obligations by assigning them entirely to the other.

Under this joint employer model, responsibilities are typically divided as follows:

Staffing Agency Responsibilities

• Provide general WHMIS training that applies across different work settings.
• Ensure workers understand hazard classes, pictograms, labels, SDSs, and their right to a safe workplace.
• Verify that workers are not placed in positions requiring WHMIS training they haven’t received.
• Communicate with host employers about the training workers have completed.

Host Employer Responsibilities

• Provide workplace-specific training on the actual hazardous products, storage locations, and procedures at their facility.
• Ensure temporary workers receive the same safety training as permanent employees doing the same work.
• Verify that SDS locations, PPE requirements, and emergency procedures specific to their workplace are covered.
• Confirm workers understand the hazards before allowing them to work with or near hazardous products.

In practice, this is a blended approach split between two employers: the staffing agency delivers the general component, and the host employer provides the workplace-specific training. For more on completing workplace-specific training, see our guide to Workplace-Specific WHMIS Training.

Both parties should document their respective training contributions and establish clear agreements about who is responsible for each component. When an incident involving a temporary worker is investigated, both the staffing agency and host employer may face consequences if training was inadequate.

Contractors and Host Employers

When contractors perform work involving potential exposure to hazardous products, both the contracting company and the host employer have safety obligations.

Contractor Responsibilities

• Train employees on WHMIS, including hazard recognition, labels, SDSs, and safe work practices before assigning them to job sites.
• Ensure workers understand how to identify hazardous products and respond appropriately.
• Verify that training remains current and workers are competent to perform assigned tasks.
• Communicate with host employers about their workers’ training and qualifications.

Host Employer Responsibilities

• Inform contractors of hazardous products present at the facility.
• Share site-specific information, including SDS locations, storage areas, and emergency procedures.
• Verify that contractor employees have received appropriate WHMIS training before granting site access.
• Coordinate safety procedures when contractor work may involve exposure to facility hazardous products.

Host employers cannot assume contractors arrive fully prepared, and contractors cannot assume host employers will provide all necessary training. Clear communication and documentation protect everyone.

WHMIS Training Frequency

The WHMIS legislation doesn’t specify a fixed renewal period for WHMIS training. Howver, this doesn’t mean that WHMIS training only needs to be completed once.

Best practices and industry recommendations generally suggest:

• Annual refresher training for workers who regularly handle hazardous products.
• Training updates whenever new products are introduced, procedures change, or new hazards are identified.
• Retraining if a worker is assigned to a new role with different hazard exposures.

It helps to think of WHMIS training frequency as a spectrum.

• Workers who receive annual training are more likely to retain what they’ve learned, recognize hazards, and make safe decisions in the moment.
• At two years, the details start to fade—workers may hesitate, second-guess, or miss something they would have caught a year earlier.
• Beyond three years, the gaps become significant. Information gets forgotten, habits slip, and the risk of incident or injury increases.

WHMIS Training Options for Employers

Employers can meet WHMIS training requirements in several ways, but as we mentioned earlier, programs must include two components:

• General training – Covering the principles of WHMIS, hazard classification, labels, SDSs, and general safe work practices.
• Workplace-specific training – Conducted internally by someone familiar with the facility’s hazardous products and procedures.

Here are the most common ways employers can deliver these components.

Instructor-Led Training

Instructor-led training delivers the general portion through a traditional instructor-led format facilitated by an external training provider or conducted in-house by internal company trainers.

External Training Provider

Some companies send workers to an off-site training center or bring in an outside consultant to deliver the classroom portion. This method can satisfy the general training requirement and provide interactive instruction, but it also comes with practical limitations.

• Offsite sessions involve travel, scheduling, and time away from work.
• Content is typically general, not tailored to the company’s specific products or hazards.
• Most importantly, workplace-specific training is still required once employees return to the job site. Offsite training cannot address your facility’s actual products, storage locations, or emergency procedures.

In-House Instructor-Led Training

Many organizations prefer to deliver training internally. This allows them to tailor instruction to their operations, integrate company-specific procedures, and minimize downtime.

Employers who take this approach must ensure that the person leading the session is knowledgeable and competent to deliver and evaluate the training.

Our WHMIS Instructor Packages make this process easier by providing complete, ready-to-use materials — including a guided WHMIS training presentation, quizzes, certificate templates, and more. These resources help internal trainers provide consistent, professional instruction aligned with current WHMIS requirements.

A WHMIS video can also be used assist in the faciliatation of instructor-led training.

Online WHMIS Training

Online training provides a convenient and consistent way to complete the general portion of WHMIS training. It covers essential knowledge such as hazard classes, pictograms, labels, SDSs, and safe work practices, allowing workers to learn at their own pace while maintaining productivity.

After completing the online course, employers must still conduct the workplace-specific component to ensure workers understand the actual products and procedures in their facility.

Tip: Our Online WHMIS Training is designed to cover the entire general training component and provides employers with training management tools and automated record-keeping.

Blended Training Approach

The blended training approach combines the flexibility of online training with the effectiveness of internal instruction — and has become the preferred method for many employers.

Workers first complete the online course to cover the general foundation of WHMIS, then participate in workplace-specific training led by an internal trainer, supervisor, or experienced worker. This ensures both consistency in content and direct applicability to the actual work environment.

Employers can use our WHMIS Train-the-Trainer Program to help prepare their internal trainers. The program provides the knowledge and tools needed to deliver and evaluate the workplace-specific component confidently and correctly.

Best suited for: Employers looking for the best balance of affordability, flexibility, and compliance.

Staffing and Employment Agencies

For staffing agencies, online training is the most practical way to meet their WHMIS training obligations. Placements and temporary workers can complete the online training during onboarding, before placement, ensuring consistent, documented instruction across all hires regardless of timing or branch location.

Online delivery also aligns naturally with the blended training model that staffing arrangements require. The agency provides general WHMIS knowledge through online training; the host employer handles workplace-specific instruction on their products and procedures.

Clear documentation of completed training helps both parties understand where one responsibility ends and the other begins.

Contractors and Contracting Companies

Contractors face a distinct training challenge: their crews need comprehensive WHMIS knowledge that applies across multiple client sites, but they also need to adapt quickly to site-specific hazards and procedures at each location.

Online WHMIS training gives contracting companies a scalable solution. Workers complete general training before visiting client sites, and refresher training keeps certifications current across the entire workforce. This ensures every worker arrives at client facilities with documented proof of WHMIS training — increasingly a requirement for site access.

Our online WHMIS training covers the general components that apply everywhere: understanding hazard classes, reading labels and SDSs, recognizing pictograms, and following safe work practices. Host employers then supplement with site-specific information about their particular products and procedures.

Many contractors also use our WHMIS train-the-trainer program to build internal training capacity, allowing supervisors to deliver refresher training and orient crews to new job sites efficiently.

Choosing the Right WHMIS Training Provider

The WHMIS training provider you choose matters. Employers are responsible for ensuring training is accurate, current, and properly documented, even if a third party delivers it.

Choosing the right provider can make the difference between a defensible WHMIS program and one that falls short during an inspection or audit.

When comparing providers, make sure you look for:

• Current WHMIS Compliance – Training must reflect the current WHMIS requirements, not outdated WHMIS 2015 content. Many providers still reference the old transition period or haven’t updated their materials since the December 2022 amendments.
• Flexible Delivery Options – A strong provider offers online, instructor-led, and blended options so you have the flexibility to train based on your specific needs.
• Up-to-Date, Professional Materials – Content should be modern, easy to follow, and updated regularly to reflect changes in legislation and best practices.
• Documentation and Recordkeeping – Complete records, certificates, and progress tracking are essential for demonstrating compliance.

OnlineWHMIS.ca offers all the tools needed to deliver effective and compliant WHMIS training based on your specific needs, including Online WHMIS Training, Train-the-Trainer Programs, and Instructor Packages, in both English and French-Canadian.

Reach out to our team via live chat, email, or phone to learn more about how we can support your WHMIS training needs.

How often is WHMIS training required?

WHMIS legislation doesn’t set a fixed renewal period. Instead, employers must ensure training stays current and is updated when hazardous products, procedures, or workplace conditions change. Many employers refresh WHMIS training annually or every two to three years as a best practice.

Does WHMIS training expire?

WHMIS training doesn’t have a legislated expiry date. However, it does become outdated if workers forget key information, new hazards are introduced, or procedures change — and employers are responsible for retraining when needed. Learn more about WHMIS expirations here >> [Does WHMIS Training Expire?]

Can WHMIS training be completed online?

Yes. Online WHMIS training is widely used to complete the general education component. Employers must still provide workplace-specific training on the actual hazardous products and procedures used in their workplace.

Do office workers need WHMIS training?

Yes, in many cases. If hazardous products are present in the workplace and office workers could realistically be exposed, through shared areas, storage rooms, spills, maintenance, or emergencies, WHMIS training is required. The training may be shorter and less detailed than it is for workers who handle hazardous products directly.

Is WHMIS 2015 training still valid?

No. WHMIS 2015 training is outdated. After the 2022 WHMIS amendments and the Dec 14, 2025 transition deadline, WHMIS training should reflect the current system. You can read this comprehsive blog post explaining, in detail, why WHMIS 2015 and WHMIS 2015 is no longer valid.

Did WHMIS change in 2025?

The main WHMIS updates took effect in December 2022, followed by a three-year transition period that ended on December 14, 2025. After that deadline, suppliers and workplaces were expected to be aligned with the updated requirements. You can learn more about the WHMIS 2025 deadline here.

What’s the difference between general and workplace-specific training?

General WHMIS training covers the fundamentals including labels, pictograms, SDSs, hazard classes, and basic safe work practices. Workplace-specific training covers your actual hazardous products, PPE requirements, storage and handling procedures, and emergency steps for your site.

Where can I take WHMIS training online?

You can complete WHMIS training online through OnlineWHMIS.ca. Individuals can complete training and download a certificate after completion, and employers can enroll workers and manage records through their account.