Adds 'Chemicals under pressure' Hazard Class

Summary#

This is the Order Amending Schedule 2 to the Hazardous Products Act: SOR/2022-273. It updates the list of physical hazard classes used under the Hazardous Products Act, replacing one entry, removing another, and adding a new class called Chemicals under pressure. The order was registered on December 15, 2022 and published in the Canada Gazette on January 4, 2023.

What it does#

• Replaces Item 3 in Schedule 2 (the entry for aerosols) with a revised wording that appears as “Aerosols”.
• Removes Item 19 from Schedule 2.
• Adds a new Item 21 to Schedule 2 with the title “Chemicals under pressure”.
• Sets the order to come into force when the Regulations Amending the Hazardous Products Regulations (GHS, Seventh Revised Edition) come into force, or, if the order is registered after that day, on the day the order itself is registered.

Who's affected#

• Companies that make, import, supply or label hazardous products are most likely to notice these changes.
• Employers and workplaces that buy or use aerosols or pressurized chemicals could be affected, because the way hazards are classified may change.
• Regulators and safety professionals who work with chemical classification and hazard communication will also be affected.
• The source does not list specific industries or a schedule of transitional steps, so it is not possible here to say exactly which products or businesses will be reclassified.

Why it matters#

• The list of physical hazard classes determines how products are identified and described for safety purposes. Changing those classes can change which products fall into which hazard categories.
• That can affect labels, safety data sheets, and how businesses handle, store and communicate about certain products in real life.
• The change is tied to the update of the hazard classification system in the Regulations Amending the Hazardous Products Regulations (GHS, Seventh Revised Edition), so it reflects alignment with that international update.