Safety Training

To aid in the process of documenting, please use the Laboratory Safety Orientation Checklist (click to download).

Faculty and staff are encouraged to write standard operating procedures (SOP’s). To aid in this process, the following guidance document and template are available.

WHMIS 2015

WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) is a comprehensive system for providing information on the safe use of hazardous products in Canadian workplaces, via product labels, SDSs (safety data sheets), and worker education and training programs. WHMIS has changed to incorporate the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals for workplace chemicals. It is now known as WHMIS 2015.

The Nova Scotia Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) Regulations detail the employee education requirements as:

“The employer shall take every precaution that is reasonable in the circumstances to ensure that an employee who works with a controlled product or in proximity to a controlled product”

To satisfy this requirement the Faculty of Science has developed the following policy on how WHMIS training is managed.

Faculty and Staff:

Are required to take the following online e-courses from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, offered for free through the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education https://novascotia.ca/lae/healthandsafety/

WHMIS 2015 for Workers
WHMIS 2015: Understanding SDSs

Students (undergraduate and graduate)

Any student enrolled in a laboratory section associated with a Chemistry, Biology or Environmental Science course must be trained in order to participate in those labs. (** some exemptions exist – speak with your instructor for more details)
Students may access WHMIS training through Brightspace

First Aid

Information regarding First Aid services for the University can be found in the OHS Program

For those instances where research or teaching activities occur off-campus (such as for field work and field trips), recognizing that these are worksites, the Nova Scotia Occupational Health and Safety First Aid Regulations detail the compliance requirements.

** Faculty and Chairpersons who have questions about the provision of First Aid Training are asked to contact the Safety Advisor to discuss their specific needs.