Forward Regulatory Plan 2021-2023: Regulations Amending the Hazardous Products Regulations (GHS, Seventh Revised Edition) and Order Amending Schedule 2 to the Hazardous Products Act
Title of Regulatory Initiative
Regulations Amending the Hazardous Products Regulations (GHS, Seventh Revised Edition) and Order Amending Schedule 2 to the Hazardous Products Act
Enabling Act
Hazardous Products Act
Description
Health Canada is proposing regulations to amend the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) to incorporate changes adopted in the sixth and seventh revised editions of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). These changes will provide greater clarity, and maintain alignment between Canada and the United States (U.S.) hazard classification and communication requirements for workplace chemicals.
Schedule 2 to the Hazardous Products Act will also be amended to reflect the required changes to the hazard classes under the HPR, which will primarily be based on the seventh revised edition of the GHS.
This regulatory initiative will strengthen worker health and safety protections.
This regulatory initiative is a part of Health Canada’s Regulatory Stock Review Plan.
Regulatory cooperation efforts (domestic and international)
This is an initiative under the Canada – U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC).
Building on the success of the RCC Joint Action Plan, a second phase of regulatory cooperation was initiated in August 2014.
Under a work plan for workplace chemicals, Canada and the U.S. committed to “work together to coordinate the adoption of future updates of the GHS to facilitate common approaches and synchronized implementation”.
Potential impacts on Canadians, including businesses
The key stakeholder group affected by these amendments is industry (suppliers).
It is anticipated that there will be some initial costs to suppliers to meet the new requirements.
They may need to re-evaluate and make changes to product classifications, labels and safety data sheets to ensure that they remain compliant.
The amendments will maintain alignment with other countries who have, or will have adopted the seventh revised edition of the GHS, including the United States. This is expected to facilitate international trade with Canada’s largest trading partner and other major markets.
Consultations
Canadian stakeholders have been involved in the development of the GHS, under the auspices of the United Nations, for more than 20 years.
In June 2017, Health Canada and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration hosted a joint webinar with stakeholders from both Canada and the U.S. on possible amendments to the U.S. Hazard Communication Standard, and the Canadian HPR to align with the GHS, seventh revised edition.
In May 2018, Health Canada presented the proposed regulatory amendments at a face-to-face meeting of the multi-stakeholder Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) Current Issues Committee (CIC).
The regulatory proposal was pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on December 19, 2020, for a 70-day public comment period.
The publication of the amendments to the regulations in the Canada Gazette, Part ll, is expected to take place in summer 2022.
Further information
Related information can be found on the Canada.ca website.
Additional information can be requested from the departmental contact.
Departmental contact information
Lynn Berndt-Weis
Director
Workplace Hazardous Materials Bureau
Consumer and Hazardous Products Safety Directorate
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch
Health Canada
Telephone: 1-855-407-2665
Email: hc.whmis-simdut.sc@canada.ca
Date the regulatory initiative was first included in the Forward Regulatory Plan
April 1, 2018
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