12.5 Roles and Responsibilities

In WHMIS 2015, the supplier, the employer and the employee each have specific roles and responsibilities that support keeping workers safe while handling a hazardous product. Let’s review each role individually as it is meant to support the Internal Responsibility System.

The Supplier

The supplier is responsible for correctly categorizing the product they supply to the customer, and if it is found to be a hazardous material, the supplier must attach a supplier label to the product and provide the customer with a Safety Data Sheet (SDS).

The Employer

As with most safety legislation, the employer has specific requirements under WHMIS 2015. If a hazardous product is used in the workplace, the employer is required to:

• Educate  and train workers on the hazards and safe use of products.
• Ensure that hazardous products are properly labelled.
• Prepare workplace labels, as needed.
• Prepare SDSs, as necessary (e.g., if an employer manufactures a hazardous product that is used on-site).
• Provide access to up-to-date SDSs to workers.
• Ensure appropriate control measures are in place to protect the health and safety of workers.^[1]

The Employee

As workers are part of the Internal Responsibility System (IRS), they have responsibilities under WHMIS 2015. Some of the workers responsibilities include participating in training sessions, wearing the provided personal protective equipment when working with hazardous products and reporting any containers that are missing labels to their supervisor.