What is the difference between WHMIS 1988 MSDS & WHMIS/GHS 2015 SDS Formats

The Difference Between WHMIS 1988 MSDS & WHMIS 2015

Health Canada has aligned the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) with the widely recognized Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). WHMIS will now be referred to as WHIMIS 1988 and the newly updated GHS and WHMIS will be referred to as WHMIS 2015. The entire process was completed in 3 phases, with the final phase being completed on December 1st, 2018.

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What Changed in WHMIS 2015?

Changes to WHMIS 2015 Include:

Ensuring that important safety information used by workers are easily located on labels and safety data sheets.
Adopting internationally recognized methods for classifying hazardous workplace chemicals and providing detailed information and safety data sheets.
Ensuring safety data sheets are consistent throughout all suppliers.
Improving the visual elements of labels to include easy-understand pictograms to identify hazard classes.
Updating the layout and format of safety data sheets.
Modifying the term “Controlled Products” to the widely used term “Hazardous Products” in order to maintain consistency with federal WHMIS legislation.
Distinguishing hazardous products into specific hazard groups, physical hazards and health hazards.

WHMIS 1988 vs WHMIS 2015

WHMIS 1988	WHMIS 2015
Product Identifier	Product Identifier
Supplier Identifier	Supplier Identifier
Symbols (Black Circle)	Pictogram (Red Square)
Risk Phrases	Hazard Statement
N/A	Signal Word
Precautionary Measures	Precautionary Statements
First Aid Statement	Included Within Precautionary Statement
Hatched Border	Not Included
Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)	Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
Controlled Products Regulations	Hazardous Products Regulations
6 Hazard Classes	32 Hazard Classes

WHMIS 1988 vs WHMIS 2015 (GHS) Comparison Chart

WHMIS 1988 vs WHMIS 2015 (GHS) Comparison Chart

Old System - WHMIS 1988	New System - WHMIS 2015

Controlled Products	Hazardous Products
	Signal Word Danger (more serious hazards) Warning (less serious hazards)
	Classification Health Hazard Classes (12 categories) Physical Hazard Classes (9 categories) Environmental Hazard Classes (2 categories but not adopted by Canada; may see on SDS arriving from outside Canada)
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) 9-section format Update every 3 years	Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) 16-section format Order is very structured and specific Signal words (Warning or Danger) Hazard and Precautionary Statements Hazard Pictograms
Round Black & White Hazard Symbols	Red Square 45° on a point Pictogram
WHMIS 1988 Supplier Label	WHMIS 2015 Supplier Label

WHMIS 1988 Hazard Class	WHMIS 1988 Symbols	WHMIS 2015 Symbol(s)	WHMIS 2015 Hazard Class
A			Gases Under Pressure
B1 to B6			Flammables, Self-heating, Emit Flammable Gases, Pyrophoric Gases, Liquids & Solids Organic Peroxides
C			Oxidizing Gases, Liquids, Solids
D1			Acute Toxicity - Oral, Dermal, Inhalation
D2			Eye Irritation, Skin Irritation Skin/Respiratory Sensitization, Carcinogenicity Mutagenicity Reproductive Hazards
D3			Biohazardous Infectious Materials
E			Skin/Eye Corrosion Corrosive to Metals
F			Self-Reactive Substances Organic Peroxides
N/A	N/A		Explosive Substances (Explosives are still covered under WHMIS exclusions for now)
N/A	N/A		Aspiration, STOT (Single Exposure, Repeated Exposure)
N/A	N/A	N/A	Combustible Dusts
N/A	N/A	N/A	Simple Asphyxiants
N/A	N/A	Use appropriate symbol	Physical Hazards Not Otherwise Classified, Health Hazards Not Otherwise Classified