Despite nearly a decade of studies and stakeholder consultations, Canada it is still at least a year or two away from fully implementing and legislating the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), the United Nations-backed system designed to standardize chemicals classification and labelling methods throughout the world.

When it comes to chemical safety, ignorance is your worst enemy.

 

Ross Armstrong doesn’t pretend to be a chemical expert. The safety supervisor at Boart Longyear Canada has developed a keen eye for spotting important health data on a material safety data sheet (MSDS) over the years, and the workers come to him when they have concerns about chemicals used at the plant. Still, he’s no chemist and he "has no problem finding out" all he can about these substances.

 

Health and safety experts outline some basic steps to follow for safer chemical handling in the workplace.