PMRA consults on guidance document to Commercial, Restricted and Manufacturing class pesticide
On 16 Dec 2016, The Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency(PMRA) opened a 45-day public consultation on the “Guidance for Preparing Safety Data Sheets According to the Globally Harmonized System of classification and Labelling of Chemicals for Pest Control Products in Canada”. Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) are primarily utilized by workers in workplaces involved in pesticide application and handling, as well as during emergency response, by consumers and those involved in the transportation of dangerous goods. Although implementation of the guidelines in the document is discretionary, it will serve as an initial step in the eventual implementation of mandatory SDS regulatory requirements which will be detailed in a Pest Control Products Act which in future.
To conform to the guidance, registrants are expected to:
Prepare French and English Bilingual GHS-consistent SDSs for the registered pesticides under Commercial, Restricted and Manufacturing class;
Make SDSs available to workers and workplaces wherever pesticides are used, sold, stored, transported and handled in Canada, as well as to the Minister of Health on request. The SDSs can be made available through website an email, however some workplaces may require paper copies; and
Indicate all hazards using GHS-consistent classification on SDSs, which should be classified by hazard class in accordance with accepted GHS version;
At minimum, registrants are expected to disclose ingredients on SDSs in the same manner as is required for labels;
SDS compiled based on United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (US OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard 2012 (HCS 2012) and in line with the European Union Legislation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Chemicals in the GHS will require only minimal adaptation for use in Canada. Additional requirements necessitate the addition of the relevant information stipulated in Section 1: Identification, and Section 15: Regulatory Information. Although sections 12 to 14 (ecological information, disposal considerations, and transport information) are not mandatory under the United States’ HCS 2012, registrants may choose to include this information.
