Who Needs WHMIS Training in Ontario? Your Guide To WHMIS 2015
WHMIS 2015 training is required for Ontario workers who work with or may be exposed to hazardous products in the workplace. Employers are responsible for ensuring these workers receive the information and instruction they need to understand the hazards and work safely with the products used in their workplace.
WHMIS stands for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. It provides workers with standardized information about hazardous products through labels, safety data sheets (SDSs), hazard classifications, and worker education and training.
Although WHMIS 2015 remains the terminology commonly used to describe Canada's hazard communication system, the requirements have continued to evolve. Amendments to Canada's Hazardous Products Regulations introduced updated requirements related to hazard classifications, labels, safety data sheets, and other hazard communication information.
WHMIS 2015 or 2025?
The transition period for these changes ended on December 14, 2025, meaning hazardous products must now comply with the amended requirements.
For employers, this means WHMIS training should reflect current requirements rather than relying on outdated course materials or documentation.
This is why some courses are now labelled "WHMIS 2025."
General WHMIS education should also be supported by workplace-specific training that addresses the hazardous products and procedures workers may actually encounter.
However, completing a general WHMIS course is only one part of an employer's responsibilities. Workers also need workplace-specific training that addresses the hazardous products they may actually encounter and the procedures used to protect them.
Understanding this distinction can help Ontario employers provide appropriate, up-to-date training and give workers the information they need to work safely.
What Is WHMIS 2015?
WHMIS is Canada's national system for communicating information about hazardous products used in the workplace.
WHMIS 2015 refers to the version of WHMIS introduced to align Canada's hazard communication system with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).
The system communicates important information about hazardous products using:
Hazard classifications
Standardized labels
Pictograms
Signal words and hazard statements
Precautionary statements
Safety data sheets
Worker education and workplace-specific training
Together, these elements help workers identify hazardous products, understand the risks associated with them, and learn how to protect themselves while performing their work.
Ontario's WHMIS requirements are established through the Occupational Health and Safety Act and WHMIS Regulation 860.
While the term WHMIS 2015 continues to be widely used, employers should also be aware of the updates to Canada's federal Hazardous Products Regulations that took effect following the end of the transition period in December 2025.
Who Needs WHMIS Training in Ontario?
Ontario workers who work with or may be exposed to hazardous products in the course of their work need WHMIS education and training. That means WHMIS isn't limited to workers whose primary job involves chemicals.
Depending on the workplace, workers may encounter hazardous products while:
Using cleaning or maintenance products
Handling fuels, solvents, paints, or adhesives
Working with compressed gases
Receiving or storing hazardous products
Moving hazardous products around a workplace
Performing manufacturing or production tasks
Cleaning spills or responding to emergencies
Maintaining equipment or work areas where hazardous products are present
A worker doesn't necessarily need to use a hazardous product every day for WHMIS requirements to be relevant. If their work could expose them to a hazardous product, the employer needs to consider what information and training that worker requires.
This is why WHMIS applies across many Ontario industries, including construction, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, automotive workplaces, maintenance operations, healthcare, retail, and other environments where hazardous products may be present.
What Is the Difference Between WHMIS Education and Workplace-Specific Training?
One of the most important parts of WHMIS 2015 is understanding that general education and workplace-specific training are not the same thing.
General WHMIS education teaches workers how the WHMIS system works.
This may include:
WHMIS hazard classes and categories
Pictograms and what they represent
Supplier and workplace labels
Safety data sheets
Hazard and precautionary statements
General principles for working around hazardous products
This foundation helps workers understand the standardized information they see on labels and SDSs.
Workplace-specific training, on the other hand, connects that general knowledge to the worker's actual job.
Workers need information about the hazardous products used in their workplace and the procedures they are expected to follow. Depending on the job, this can include safe use, handling, storage and disposal procedures, required personal protective equipment, emergency procedures, and what to do if a hazardous product is released or spilled.
An online WHMIS course can provide the general education component, but employers still need to make sure workers understand the hazards and procedures specific to their workplace.
What Are an Employer's WHMIS Responsibilities in Ontario?
Employers have an active role in workplace WHMIS compliance.
Providing employees with a link to an online course and considering the job finished may not address all of the employer's responsibilities.
Employers need to make sure workers who work with or may be exposed to hazardous products receive appropriate information and instruction.
Depending on the workplace and products involved, this can include making sure:
Hazardous products are properly labelled
Required safety data sheets are available
Workers know where to find SDSs
Workers understand the information provided on labels and SDSs
Workers receive appropriate WHMIS education
Workplace-specific procedures are explained
Workers understand safe handling and storage procedures
Workers know what to do during spills, leaks, exposures, or other emergencies
Employers should also review their WHMIS program as workplace conditions change.
For example, introducing a new hazardous product may create a need for additional workplace-specific instruction even if employees have already completed general WHMIS 2015 education.
The goal isn't simply to have a certificate on file. Workers need to understand the hazards that are relevant to their work and know how to respond to them safely.
Does Every Employee Need WHMIS Training?
Not necessarily.
WHMIS training requirements depend on whether a worker works with a hazardous product or may be exposed to one during their work.
An office employee who has no occupational exposure to hazardous products, for example, may not require the same WHMIS training as a warehouse worker who receives, stores, or handles hazardous products as part of their job.
Employers should consider actual job duties and potential exposure when determining who needs training rather than automatically assuming that every employee has identical requirements.
At the same time, potential exposure shouldn't be overlooked simply because handling chemicals isn't a worker's primary responsibility.
Maintenance employees, cleaners, supervisors, shipping and receiving staff, and workers who may respond to spills or emergencies are examples of employees whose duties could bring them into contact with hazardous products.
Is WHMIS Training Available Online?
General WHMIS education can be delivered online, making it easier for employers to provide training to new workers or larger workforces.
Online training can be particularly useful when workers:
Work different shifts
Are located at multiple sites
Need to complete training during onboarding
Cannot easily attend a scheduled classroom course
Need flexibility to complete training around operational demands
Correct Compliance offers online safety training for Ontario workplaces through BIS Safety Software, including WHMIS and hazardous materials education. Online courses allow employees to complete training on their own time while giving employers access to digital training records and documentation.
Correct Compliance also provides health and safety training and consulting services for Ontario employers, with training programs designed around the needs of individual workplaces.
For employers looking for updated WHMIS training, Correct Compliance's current online WHMIS course provides a convenient way to complete general WHMIS education while keeping training accessible for employees across different schedules and locations.
Employers should remember, however, that online WHMIS education does not eliminate the need for workplace-specific instruction.
How Often Does WHMIS Training Need to Be Completed?
There isn't a simple universal rule that every Ontario worker must retake a WHMIS course on the same fixed schedule.
Instead, employers need to make sure workers continue to have the knowledge they need to work safely with hazardous products.
Additional or updated instruction may be appropriate when:
A new hazardous product is introduced
A worker's responsibilities change
Workplace procedures change
New information about a product or hazard becomes available
A worker demonstrates that they do not understand the information or procedures required for their work
Employers should regularly review their WHMIS program and worker knowledge rather than treating WHMIS as a one-time onboarding task.
Records of completed education and training can also help employers keep track of who has received instruction and identify when additional training may be needed.
What Changed With the 2025 WHMIS Updates?
Although WHMIS 2015 remains the commonly used name for Canada's workplace hazardous materials information system, Canada's requirements were updated through amendments to the Hazardous Products Regulations.
The amendments were published in 2023 and were designed to align Canada's requirements with the seventh revised edition of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), along with certain provisions from the eighth revised edition. The changes included updates to hazard classifications, safety data sheet information, labels, and other hazard communication requirements.
A three-year transition period was provided for suppliers and other regulated parties to update their products, labels, and safety data sheets. That transition period ended on December 14, 2025. Beginning December 15, 2025, hazardous products in Canada were required to have hazard classifications, SDSs, and applicable labels that comply with the amended requirements.
Some of the changes introduced through the amended regulations include a new physical hazard class for Chemicals Under Pressure, a new hazard category for non-flammable aerosols, new subcategories for flammable gases, and additional information requirements for safety data sheets.
For workers, these changes reinforce the importance of understanding how to interpret current WHMIS labels and safety data sheets rather than relying only on older materials.
For employers, it is important to make sure workplace information, training materials, labels, and SDSs reflect current requirements.
The 2025 updates did not create a completely separate system from WHMIS 2015. Instead, they represent updates to Canada's existing WHMIS requirements. This is why employers may continue to see and search for the term "WHMIS 2015" while also encountering information about the 2025 regulatory updates.
Is WHMIS 2015 Still the Current System?
Yes. The term WHMIS 2015 is still widely used to describe Canada's Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System and its alignment with the GHS.
However, WHMIS requirements have continued to evolve since WHMIS 2015 was introduced. Employers should not assume that an older WHMIS course, label, SDS, or workplace procedure automatically reflects the current requirements.
As of December 15, 2025, hazardous products are required to comply with the amended Hazardous Products Regulations.
For employers, the practical takeaway is that WHMIS 2015 education should be kept current and supported by workplace-specific training. Workers should be familiar with the current information provided on hazardous product labels and SDSs and understand how that information applies to their work.
Correct Compliance provides online WHMIS and hazardous materials education through BIS Safety Software, giving Ontario employers a flexible option for providing general WHMIS training.
What Should Workers Know After WHMIS Training?
Effective WHMIS education should leave workers with more than the ability to recognize a few pictograms.
Workers should understand how to find and use the information available to them when they encounter a hazardous product.
Depending on their work, they should know:
How to recognize WHMIS labels and pictograms
Where to find safety data sheets
How to locate important information on an SDS
The hazards associated with the products they use
How to protect themselves from exposure
What PPE or control measures are required
How hazardous products should be handled and stored
What procedures to follow during an emergency
Workplace-specific instruction then helps employees apply this information to the products, equipment, processes, and procedures they encounter on the job.
As WHMIS requirements continue to evolve, workers should also receive information based on the current labels, SDSs, and hazardous products used in their workplace.
How Can Correct Compliance Help With WHMIS Training?
Managing WHMIS requirements involves more than checking a box during employee onboarding. Employers need to identify which workers may encounter hazardous products, provide appropriate general education, and make sure workplace-specific hazards and procedures are understood.
Correct Compliance provides health and safety training and consulting services for Ontario employers, including online WHMIS and hazardous materials education delivered through BIS Safety Software. Their online training options provide a flexible way for employees to complete general safety education while maintaining digital training records.
For businesses that need broader support, Correct Compliance also offers occupational health and safety consulting, including workplace hazard assessments, safety program development, training, OHS program audits, and policy and procedure development.
For Ontario employers looking for current WHMIS 2015 training, choosing training that reflects the latest WHMIS requirements can help ensure workers receive relevant and up-to-date information about hazardous products.
If your employees work with or may be exposed to hazardous products, appropriate WHMIS 2015 education that reflects current requirements, together with workplace-specific training, can help them understand the hazards they face and the procedures they need to follow.
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