• Occupational Health & Safety
  • Welcome
  • About Us
  • Legislative Compliance & Program Development
  • Roles and Responsibilities
• Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees
  • About Humber College JOHSCs
  • North Campus JOHSC
  • Lakeshore Campus JOHSC
  • International Graduate School JOHSC
• Training Programs
  • Overview
  • Employee Health & Safety Training - Worker Session
  • Employee Health & Safety Training - Supervisor Training
  • Student Worker Health & Safety Awareness Training
  • WHMIS
  • Ergonomics at Home Webinar
• OHS Programs and Services
  • Accident Reporting and Investigation
    • Overview
    • Accident Reporting and Investigation Procedure
    • Reporting Work-Related Injuries
    • Factors to Consider During an Accident or Near Miss Investigation
    • Appendix A
    • Hazard Reporting Form
  • General Safety
    • Overview
    • Ladder Safety
    • Classroom Safety
    • Office Safety
  • Hazardous Materials
    • Hazardous Materials Overview
    • Hazardous (Chemical) Waste Disposal Procedure
    • Hazardous Materials Spill Procedure
    • WHMIS Procedure
    • Biomedical Waste Disposal Guideline
  • Indoor Air Quality Procedure
  • Office Ergonomics
  • Scented Product Guidelines
  • Smoke-Free Campus
    • About and FAQ
    • Smoking Cessation Resources for Employees
    • Wellness Resources
  • Student Unpaid Work Placement: Workplace Insurance Coverage - MAESD
  • Work Refusal Procedure
  • Working Alone
  • Workplace Assessments
  • Workplace Violence Prevention
  • WSIB Claims & Return to Work
    • Overview
    • Return to Work
• COVID-19 & Other Respiratory Illnesses Information
  • COVID-19 Measures
  • Frequently Asked Questions
• News and Announcements
  • Overview

Hazardous Materials

Humber is committed to ensuring that chemicals and other hazardous materials on our properties are managed in a safe and controlled manner and in compliance with all relevant legislation. This section outlines how Occupational Health & Safety Services helps the College achieve this goal and provides information on WHMIS, Hazardous Waste Disposal and Hazardous Materials Spill Response at Humber.

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)

Occupational Health & Safety Services works with the various schools and departments within Humber to implement Humber’s Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) program. Program components include:

• WHMIS Training - Humber Occupational Health & Safety Services provides in-class and online WHMIS training sessions for employees. General training is followed up by site-specific training with the supervisor. Contact Occupational Health & Safety Services for more information.
• Humber MSDSonline - Humber maintains an electronic Safety Data Sheet (SDS) management system which allows employees to easily access up-to-date chemical safety information about the products they use at work. To find an SDS for a product used at Humber search Humber MSDSonline. For detailed instructions, refer to the MSDSonline Quick Reference.
  • Local SDS Coordinators - Humber appoints Local SDS Coordinators who are responsible fo ensuring employees working in their area have access to the safety data sheets they need. The Local SDS Coordinator keeps MSDSonline up-to-date for the location and may also make printed SDSs available if there are employees who do not have access to MSDSonline while they work.

Hazardous Waste Disposal

Occupational Health & Safety Services manages hazardous waste disposal for the College. All chemical and hazardous waste disposal must be arranged through Occupational Health & Safety Services to ensure compliance with strict Ministry of Environment and Transportation of Dangerous Goods legislative requirements. This type of waste includes, but is not limited to, chemical wastes generated from laboratory experiments, unwanted/outdated chemical products, waste oil and fuels, surplus paints, compressed gases, batteries, mercury containing devices, sharps and biohazardous wastes. For more information refer to Humber’s Hazardous Waste Disposal Procedure or contact Occupational Health & Safety Services directly.

Hazardous Materials Spill Response

Hazardous materials spill response is coordinated by Occupational Health & Safety Services, with significant roles played by Public Safety and Facilities Management.

Users may clean-up a simple spill that does not endanger people or the environment, if they are trained to do so.

In the case of a major spill, employees should leave the area, call 911 and contact Public Safety at extension 4000. Account for all individuals. Public Safety will assist emergency responders and evacuate buildings as required. Facilities Management will control building and ventilation systems. Occupational Health & Safety will contact the Ministry of Environment if required, arrange for emergency clean-up of the area by a licensed contractor, and ensure regulatory compliance.

For further direction, please refer to Public Safety's Hazardous Materials Incident website.

All hazardous materials spills are to be reported immediately in accordance with Humber’s Hazardous Materials Spill Procedure. Contact Occupational Health & Safety Services for more information on handling hazardous materials spills.