Hazardous Materials and Spill Response – Canada Training Course

Hazardous materials are found in nearly every workplace, but they are not always easy to recognize. Every janitor's closet contains hazardous products like glass cleaners, disinfectants, and bleach, which all require safe handling. Beyond the janitor's closet, products like paints, solvents, fuels, adhesives, and compressed gases are used daily across Canada. Because these materials are so familiar, it is easy to overlook the risks they present, yet each requires safe handling, storage, and disposal to reduce the risk of injury, property damage, and environmental contamination. Small decisions, like using a product without reading the label, transferring it to another container, or cleaning up an unknown spill, can increase the risk of injury, fire, environmental damage, or exposure to hazardous substances.

The risk associated with these materials can be greatly reduced when workers understand the hazards, follow safe work practices, and know how to respond to accidental releases. Hazardous materials generally present two broad types of hazards: physical hazards and health hazards. Physical hazards involve a material's ability to ignite, explode, react violently, or damage equipment. Examples of these include flammable liquids, oxidizers, compressed gases, and reactive chemicals. Health hazards involve the effects a material can have on the body following exposure, which can cause immediate injuries like chemical burns or contribute to serious long-term health effects. Common routes of exposure include inhalation, skin contact, eye contact, and ingestion.

Canada's Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, commonly known as WHMIS, provides workers with standardized information about hazardous products through labels, Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), and workplace education. Product labels are often the first source of hazard information, displaying pictograms and precautionary details. Safety Data Sheets follow a standardized 16-section format, allowing workers to easily locate important information on hazards, personal protective equipment (PPE), safe handling, first aid, fire-fighting, and spill response.

Putting knowledge into practice involves following strict safe work practices. Workers must use only approved containers and never transfer hazardous materials into food or beverage containers. Containers should be kept closed to reduce exposure, and materials must be stored according to workplace procedures to keep incompatible materials separated to prevent dangerous chemical reactions. Furthermore, workers must use appropriate ventilation, wear required PPE, maintain good housekeeping, and promptly report damaged containers or leaks to their supervisor.

Safe work practices significantly reduce the likelihood of a spill, but workers must also be prepared to respond. Spill response equipment may include absorbent materials, neutralizing agents, drain covers, disposal containers, and personal protective equipment. Some workplaces also use secondary containment systems like spill pallets or berms to prevent materials from spreading. If a spill occurs, protecting people always takes priority over protecting property. Workers must understand the difference between incidental spills, which present limited risk and involve known materials and small quantities, and emergency spills, which involve unknown materials, fire hazards, toxic vapours, or large quantities requiring evacuation. Never attempt to control a spill beyond your level of training, authorization, or available equipment.

This program is available with French closed captions.