As 2020 comes to a close, to the relief of many, one common question relating to workplace safety in Canada remains: Do workers need WHMIS 2021 training?

Before we answer, let’s take a quick look at the recent history with the WHMIS updates and why this question comes up every year.

WHMIS 2021 vs. WHMIS 2015

People started referring to WHMIS as “WHMIS 2015” after changes that took place in February of 2015. This was necessary to distinguish between the new GHS-aligned WHMIS and the original WHMIS. At that point, the original WHMIS became known as “WHMIS 1988”.

A distinction between the two was needed since significant changes were made to the way that chemicals were classified and labeled. WHMIS 2015 also introduced new Safety Data Sheets and Pictograms, among other things.

So basically, the inclusion of the year that WHMIS integrated GHS components, 2015, is what’s led to Canadian’s asking if a “new” WHMIS was introduced every year.

Is There “WHMIS 2021 Training” or What?

So is there a new WHMIS in 2021?

The simple answer to this is, no. There hasn’t been an overhaul to the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information system since 2015.

This doesn’t, however, mean that workers don’t need updated WHMIS training in 2021. In fact, a very large percentage of Canadian workers will need to have updated WHMIS training this year. Read on to learn whether or not you need to get WHMIS certified this year or need to provide WHMIS training to your staff.

Who Needs WHMIS Training in 2021

There are a few more extremely common questions about WHMIS that we’re asked often. These include:

• Who Needs WHMIS Training?
• When Does WHMIS Training Expire?
• How Often Do Workers Need WHMIS Training?

The question about who needs training has a relatively easy answer. Any worker in Canada who works with or in close proximity to hazardous products needs WHMIS training. The supervisors of these workers must also take WHMIS training so they can properly promote and enforce WHMIS requirements.

Regarding how often a worker needs training, this depends on several factors.

There’s nothing in the legislation that clearly specifies how often workers need WHMIS training. Basically, it’s left up to employers to determine this. You can learn more about when WHMIS “expires” by visiting this article.

Best Practices and Recommendations

There are best practices and recommendations that can be followed to help stay compliant.

It’s recommended that workers receive WHMIS training at least annually, especially if they are working directly with hazardous products. Many employers follow this recommendation as it helps ensure that workers always have the knowledge to protect themselves and their coworkers from chemicals at all times.

Some employers will provide training less frequently than annually, and this can be perfectly fine. The frequency that workers will need training is dependent on a lot of factors that are specific to the workplace.

Many experts agree that going beyond three years without WHMIS training is a bad idea. This will likely result in an increased risk of illness and injury from hazardous products. It also increases a company’s risk of penalties from its jurisdiction’s health and safety authority.

How to Get WHMIS Certified in 2021

Getting WHMIS certified in 2021 has never been easier. As a worker, you can take a super-convenient Online WHMIS course and get your certificate in about an hour. This beats the hassle of finding and attending an expensive, time-consuming classroom training session. With COVID 19, the availability of classroom training has dropped dramatically.

Taking the training with a reputable, trusted, and recognized training provider will ensure that your employer will accept your certificate without issue.

Training Your Workers

It’s also easier than ever for employers to provide WHMIS training to their workers.

Companies can train their workers using traditional instructor-led training, WHMIS videos, and for the ultimate time and cost-saving convenience, online training.

Instructor-led training sessions can be supplemented with high-quality training materials that save your internal instructors time and help provide consistent training every time.

If you want to train your workers internally but don’t feel like you have the skills quite yet, you can take a convenient online WHMIS instructor course

Conclusion

If you’re a worker and your company asks you to get WHMIS 2021 training, online training is a super-convenient and affordable option.

If you’re an employer, you have several options to get your workers trained. First, decide on what will work best for your use-case and whether you have the resources to train internally.

If you’re not sure what the best training option is for you and your workers, you can check out our free WHMIS Training 101 Guide that covers all things related to training.

You can also reach out to us via live chat, email, or phone if you have any questions about WHMIS or any of our Canada Online Safety Training programs or if there’s anything else we can do to help.