What must a WHMIS supplier label include?

Six core elements: product identifier, initial supplier identifier, hazard pictogram(s), signal word, hazard statement(s) and precautionary statement(s). Supplemental information can be added if it is not false or misleading.

Do WHMIS supplier labels have to be in English and French?

Yes. Supplier labels and SDSs must be in both official languages. The supplier can use one bilingual label or two separate labels, one in each language.

What goes on a WHMIS workplace label?

Generally three things: the product identifier (matching the SDS), safe handling information, and a statement that an SDS is available. The exact rules come from the province, territory or federal regulator that covers the workplace, so check theirs.

Is the hatched WHMIS border still required?

No. The hatched border used on older WHMIS 1988 labels is no longer required under WHMIS 2015, although CCOHS notes it may still be used. Pictograms themselves must be a red-bordered square set on one of its points.

Can I use my US HazCom label in Canada?

Not automatically. Both systems are based on the GHS, but WHMIS adds Canadian requirements such as English and French text and a Canadian supplier identifier, and some classification details differ. Confirm the label against the Hazardous Products Regulations before shipping to Canada.

Will Wholesale Customize Labels classify my product or write my SDS?

No. We print labels from the content you supply, which should come from your product's hazard classification and SDS. We do not classify products, prepare or review SDSs, or confirm that a label satisfies WHMIS.

What changed with the 2023 amendments?

Health Canada amended the Hazardous Products Regulations, published January 4, 2023, to align with GHS Revision 7 and parts of Revision 8. The transition period ended December 14, 2025, so supplier labels and SDSs now have to reflect the amended regulations.

WHMIS Labels in Canada: Supplier and Workplace

WHMIS, the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, is Canada's system for communicating the hazards of chemicals and other hazardous products at work. Its three pillars are labels, safety data sheets (SDSs) and worker education. This guide covers labels: the two kinds, what each must show, the language rule, and where the content comes from. It does not replace the regulations or the guidance published by Health Canada and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).

Who makes the rules

WHMIS is split between federal and provincial or territorial law:

Supplier requirements are federal. They are set by the Hazardous Products Act and the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR), administered by Health Canada. They cover how suppliers classify hazardous products and what goes on supplier labels and SDSs.
Workplace requirements are set by each province and territory under its occupational health and safety law, and by the federal Labour Program for federally regulated workplaces. They cover workplace labels, SDS access and worker training.

The current system is often called WHMIS 2015, after the year Canada aligned it with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). Health Canada amended the HPR in 2023 to align with GHS Revision 7 and parts of Revision 8; the three-year transition ended December 14, 2025.

Supplier labels vs workplace labels

Point	Supplier label	Workplace label
Who applies it	The supplier (manufacturer, importer or distributor) selling the hazardous product in Canada	The employer
When	On hazardous products sold or imported for use in a workplace	When a product is decanted into another container, made and used on site, or its supplier label is lost or illegible
Rules from	Hazardous Products Regulations (federal, Health Canada)	Provincial, territorial or federal workplace OHS rules
Content	Six core elements, including pictograms and hazard and precautionary statements	Product identifier, safe handling information, reference to the SDS
Language	English and French	Set by the jurisdiction; French is required in Quebec

What a supplier label must show

Product identifier: the brand, chemical or trade name, matching the SDS.
Initial supplier identifier: the name, address and telephone number of the Canadian manufacturer or importer.
Pictogram(s): a black symbol inside a red-bordered square set on one of its points.
Signal word: "Danger" for more severe hazards or "Warning" for less severe ones (in French, "Danger" or "Attention").
Hazard statement(s): standardized phrases that describe the nature of the hazard, such as "Causes serious eye damage".
Precautionary statement(s): standardized phrases for prevention, response, storage and disposal.

The pictograms, signal word and hazard statements are to be grouped together on the label. Section 3.4 of the HPR requires the information to be clearly and prominently displayed on a surface visible under normal conditions of use, easy to read without aids other than corrective lenses, and contrasted with other information on the container. Small containers have modified rules in the HPR (for example, some statements may be omitted from containers of 100 mL or less under conditions), so check the regulation before shrinking a label.

The English and French requirement

The HPR requires the information elements on supplier labels and SDSs to be in both English and French. The supplier can put both languages on one label or apply two labels, one in each language. Our guide tobilingual labels in Canada covers layouts and the extra rules in Quebec.

Pictograms

WHMIS uses the GHS pictograms for the hazard classes Canada has adopted: flame, flame over circle, exploding bomb, gas cylinder, corrosion, skull and crossbones, health hazard and exclamation mark. It also has a pictogram of its own for biohazardous infectious materials. Canada did not adopt the GHS environmental hazard classes under WHMIS, so the GHS environment pictogram is not a WHMIS requirement. The classification decides which pictograms appear; a label maker should never add or drop one on looks alone.

Workplace labels

A workplace label is usually simpler. Across Canadian jurisdictions it generally shows the product identifier, safe handling information (which may include pictograms), and a statement that the SDS is available. Some situations allow other forms of identification, such as placards for products not in containers or markings on piping. Employers must also replace a supplier label that becomes illegible or is removed. Because the details sit in provincial and territorial law, read the rules for your jurisdiction or the summary on CCOHS.

Where label content comes from

Every word on a supplier label traces back to the product's hazard classification, which the supplier carries out under the HPR, and the label must be consistent with the SDS. Workplace labels draw on the SDS too. In practice:

The classification determines the pictograms, signal word and hazard statements.
The precautionary statements are chosen from the GHS-based set for those hazards.
The SDS (Section 2 in the standard 16-section format) lists the label elements, so the label and SDS should match word for word.
When the SDS changes, the label usually has to change with it.

What we do and do not do

Wholesale Customize Labels prints WHMIS-format and GHS-format labels to the content you supply: your classification, your hazard and precautionary statements, your English and French text, and your supplier details. We do not classify products, prepare or review SDSs, translate regulatory text, or confirm that a label satisfies WHMIS or any other rule. That responsibility stays with the supplier or employer, as set out in ourterms.

To order, send the final label text from your SDS, the container size, the material and quantity through thequote form. Related products: GHS-format labels,chemical hazard labels andcustom bilingual labels. For drums and outdoor storage, see thematerials guide.