WHMIS Update

Government of Canada publishes WHMIS 2022, amending Hazardous Products Regulations (GHS, Seventh Revised Edition) Back in 2021, I wrote an article for SPRAY concerning Canada’s proposed amendments to the the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) and Schedule 2 of the Hazardous Products Act (HPA), which sets out the requirements for the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System […]

Canada commits to cleaner air

ECCC finally adopts VOC concentration limits of Certain Products Regulations In early 2022, Environment & Climate Change Canada (ECCC) published the Volatile Organic Compound Concentration Limits for Certain Products Regulations in the Canada Gazette1. The goal of the Certain Products Regulations is to limit volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from specific products manufactured or imported […]

Update on Canada’s hazardous chemicals regulatory initiatives

CEPA one step closer to becoming Canadian law On June 9, the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment & Natural Resources completed its review of Bill S-5 and voted to strengthen it before returning it to the full Senate. Bill S-5 modernizes the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), which aims to prevent pollution and […]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

A global regulatory review Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic organofluorine chemicals that have been getting a lot of attention lately. My colleague Mae Hrycak barely scratched the surface of this topic in the April 2022 Regulatory Landscape edition of SPRAY. This column will expand on the topic and provide a […]

Global GHS update

The Globally Harmonized System of Classification & Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) was developed by the United Nations (UN) to address classification of chemicals by hazard type and propose harmonized hazard communication elements, including labels and safety data sheets (SDS). Despite its name, the GHS is neither completely “global” nor “harmonized” due to the varying implementation […]

Chemical management in Asia: 2021 update

The global regulatory landscape is constantly evolving to meet the needs of different groups, such as industry, workers and consumers. The needs of different groups, such as industry, workers and consumers. As new health and safety information becomes available, countries must adapt to ensure that product users and producers alike are given the tools and […]

Regulatory update for Europe & the UK

If you sell hazardous products in Europe or the United Kingdom (UK), you are probably already aware that the chemical regulations are changing. On Jan. 1, 2021, the UK became a “third country” to the European Union (EU). This article will review some recent updates to the EU and UK hazardous materials regulations, and how […]

Canada to update Hazardous Products regulations to align with GHS, 7th Revised Edition

Overview: What is happening? On Dec. 19, 2020, the Government of Canada published proposed amendments to the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) and Schedule 2 of the Hazardous Products Act (HPA). The HPR and HPA set out the requirements for the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) in Canada. The proposed amendments will align the HPR […]

Asia Regulatory Update

As we move toward the end of 2020, it seems like an appropriate time to reflect on the shifts we have all made over the past year. Working from home has become the norm for many of us, and there have been some conspicuous changes in the global regulatory sector. We have observed a surge […]

The impact of COVID-19 on the global regulatory landscape

The year 2020 has been an interesting one so far, to say the least. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread around the world, resulting in a global pandemic. This has forced many of us to reconsider the way we live, socialize and do […]