Canada updates its Hazardous Products Regulations: What's next?

The Canadian Ministry of Health published on January 4, 2023 in the Canada Gazette, the nation's official newspaper, the amendments to its Hazardous Products Regulation - HPR, with the aim of aligning it with the seventh revised version of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of chemical products - GHS.

The HPR Regulation, together with the Hazardous Products Act - HPA, stipulates the federal requirements that suppliers of hazardous products that are used, handled or stored in Canadian workplaces must comply with when it comes to classify and provide information on potential hazards associated with their products through labels and safety data sheets (SDS).

The new amendments, which, as we already told you in this article began to be studied in 2021, entered into force on December 15, 2022 but, due to the potential impact on the industry, the Government of Canada has stipulated a transition- period of three years, until December 15, 2025.

Now, we will analyze the main changes and how they affect your management of dangerous products.

What changes with the new update?

• 1. New hazard classes and categories are adopted, modifying certain classification criteria

• 2. New information elements required in safety data sheets (SDS) and/or labels.

• 3. Provisions concerning significant new data (section 5.12 of the HPR): Amendments to specify that, when a supplier is required to provide, obtain, or prepare a written document, it must include the changes to the SDS and/or label that are required as a result of the significant new dataand the date on which the significant new data became available

Sources:

Department of Health, Hazardous Products Act, “Regulations Amending the Hazardous Products Regulations (GHS, Seventh Revised Edition).” Canada Gazette, Part II, January 4, 2023.

Department of Health, Hazardous Products Act, “Order Amending Schedule 2 to the Hazardous Products Act.” Canada Gazette, Part II, January 4, 2023.