by Alex Clark

Pipeworx Implements WHMIS 2015 Far in Advance of Deadline

In February 2015, the Government of Canada promulgated WHMIS 2015, the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, and decreed that companies have until December 1, 2018, to fully implement the new system.

Not allowing any grass to grow under their feet, Pipeworx Ltd. has already nearly completed its WHMIS 2015 implementation, offering free training to all employees. The approximately 200 current Pipeworx employees will have completed their required WHMIS 2015 training by September 1 of this year, and as the company gears up for the busy winter season, when it typically peaks at about 500 employees, all new workers will trained in WHMIS 2015 upon hire.

Why the Rush to WHMIS 2015

“The new system standardizes the classification and labeling of chemicals worldwide,” said Chad Wagner, Pipeworx Human Resources Manager. “This makes it much less confusing and dangerous for workers who need to understand the hazards of a chemical in order to work safely. It’s just a better, safer way of doing things for everyone.” In addition, he said, Pipeworx management talked with some of the company’s largest clients and learned that they, too, were eager to implement WHMIS 2015 right away.

“The clients knew they could count on us to join them in early implementation, because we have the reputation as the strictest pipeline contractor in the region when it comes to safety,” Wagner said. “So it only made sense for us to jump right in. This way, there will be no problems or confusion when our employees are on their worksites.”

WHMIS stands for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. Chemicals covered by WHMIS 2015 that Pipeworx employees deal with include lubricants, cutting fluid, antifreeze, paint and printer toner, as well as everyday household products such as WD-40, Windex and Armor All. If it’s a chemical, no matter how common, there are guidelines for safe handling that must be followed, Wagner said.

All about WHIMIS

WHIMIS specializes in online safety training for (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System), TDG(Transportation of Dangerous Goods), SIMDUT (Système d’information sur les matières dangereuses utilisés au travail), and TMD (Transport des marchandises dangereuses). Their interactive online courses include WHMIS 2015, TDG, H2S Awareness, Confined Space Awareness. WHIMIS is available by online training is a valuable and cost-effective method for continuous education and overall productivity enhancement. Online, WHIMIS provides the following:

Convenient – Online training allows employees to learn from work, home, and on the road.
Relevant – Course content is updated to include the most current topics.
Immediate – Online delivery lets learning begin with just a few mouse clicks.
Affordable – Reduce training costs by eliminating travel expenses.
Fun – By providing a captivating interactive environment with dynamic content, online training not only effectively keeps people up-to-date, but interested as well.
Easy to Use – Open a web browser and you’re up and running.
Maximize ROI – Online training can be up to 93% cheaper than instructor-led courses.
Self Directed & Convenient – Learn at your own pace and take control of “where, when and how” with unlimited 24×7 access.
Refresher – You will always be able to access your course so it acts as a refresher course that you can review over and over again.
Re-print Certificates – Your certificate is always available to you so you can re-print it if ever the need arises.

In Canada, the legislative and regulatory responsibility for occupational health and safety belongs, with three exceptions, to the individual provinces and territories. This can present a problem for employers who are responsible for health and safety training in more than one jurisdiction, however, WHMIS.ca resolves this by offering courses that present the regulations applicable to each student based on the location of their workplace. They update online training courses as federal and provincial regulations change, so the training is always up-to-date. For more information see WHIMIS.ca