The big change that you will see is:
- The Old System WHMIS 1988 we called it Material Safety Data Sheets or (MSDS). Under the New WHMIS 2015 GHS we call it Safety Data Sheet or (SDS).
- We have gone from 9 sections under the old WHMIS 1988 system to now 16 sections for the New WHMIS 2015 GHS System.
A Comparison
MSDS Contents (WHMIS)1988
Nine categories of information were required on an MSDS whether developed by the supplier, or the employer for workplace produced products. The nine categories were as follows:
- Hazardous Ingredients
- Preparation Information
- Product Information
- Physical Data
- Fire or Explosion Hazard
- Reactivity Data
- Toxicological Properties
- Preventative Measures
- First Aid Measures
SDS-Safety Data Sheets (WHMIS 2015)
General information requirements for supplier SDS
A supplier SDS must have at least 16 sections, presented in a standardized format. Sections must appear with the following headings and corresponding numbers and must be in the order shown below.
- Identification
- Hazard identification
- Composition/Information on ingredients
- First-aid measures
- Fire-fighting measures
- Accidental release measures
- Handling and storage
- Exposure controls/Personal protection
- Physical and chemical properties
- Stability and reactivity
- Toxicological information
- Ecological information
- Disposal considerations
- Transport information
- Regulatory information
- Other information