Hazardous Products Regulations updated to GHS7

Summary#

These final regulations update the Hazardous Products Regulations to match the United Nations GHS, Seventh Revised Edition and to adopt some related changes. They add a new physical hazard class called Chemicals Under Pressure, change how some products are classified and labelled, and give suppliers a three-year transition to comply. The regulations were registered on December 15, 2022 and published in the Canada Gazette on January 4, 2023.

What it does#

• Updates the rulebook for workplace hazardous products to align with the UN GHS, Seventh Revised Edition.
• Adopts selected elements from the GHS Eighth Revised Edition, including a new hazard class: Chemicals Under Pressure (new Subpart 21).
• Adds and changes categories and definitions, for example:
  • splits flammable gases into new subcategories (e.g., Category 1A and 1B), and folds pyrophoric and chemically unstable gas rules into that scheme;
  • renames and revises the Aerosols class and creates a non‑flammable aerosol category.
• Changes what must appear on safety data sheets (SDS) and labels:
  • updates required hazard statements, precautionary information, and pictograms for some categories;
  • adds more physical/chemical property items for SDSs (e.g., flash point, vapour pressure, particle characteristics);
  • allows combining certain precautionary/hazard statements or omitting ones that don’t apply, including on SDSs.
• Clarifies classification rules and tests (including references to ISO 10156:2017 and the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria).
• Keeps earlier small‑container labelling exemptions but specifies 100 ml or less for certain label relief.
• Provides a transitional rule: suppliers may continue to sell or classify products under the old rules until the end of the three‑year transition period.

Who's affected#

• Suppliers, manufacturers and importers of workplace hazardous products.
• Distributors and employers who rely on SDSs and labels to manage hazards in the workplace.
• Workers who use, handle or store hazardous products (they’ll see different labels and SDSs during and after the transition).
• Industries likely to notice the change first include chemical and petroleum manufacturing, plastics, mining, primary metals and animal feed.
• Federal, provincial and territorial occupational health and safety authorities and workplace inspectors.
• Small businesses will also be affected; Health Canada estimated that about 205,000 safety data sheets may need revision.

Why it matters#

• Safety: the changes give workers clearer and more detailed hazard information for many products. New categories (like non‑flammable aerosols and Chemicals Under Pressure) bring more products into explicit labelling and SDS requirements.
• Trade and paperwork: aligning with the GHS seventh edition helps keep Canada and the United States on the same page. That lowers the chance suppliers must make separate labels or SDSs for each country.
• Costs and timing: Health Canada’s analysis estimated a present‑value cost of about $53.8 million over ten years (about $7.7 million per year) for businesses to update classifications, labels, SDSs and training; an earlier one‑time estimate cited about $61.5 million. The three‑year transition period is intended to give businesses time to comply.
• Practical effect for users: if you work with chemical products, you may see changed hazard statements, symbols or SDS sections over the next few years. Employers will need to update worker training to reflect the new labels and SDSs.