- A supplier label needs six elements: product identifier, initial supplier identifier, pictograms, signal word, hazard statements and precautionary statements.
- Every element must be in English and French, on one bilingual label or in two unilingual parts.
- The pictogram, signal word and hazard statements must be grouped together. The WHMIS 1988 hatched border is no longer required.
- Containers of 100 mL or less may leave out hazard and precautionary statements. Workplace labels are a separate duty of the employer.
Under the Hazardous Products Act, a supplier may not sell or import a hazardous product intended for use in a Canadian workplace unless the product or its container has a label that meets the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR). The label is read by your customers, by Health Canada and by the provincial inspectors who visit your customers' workplaces, so mistakes on it tend to surface quickly.
Highly flammable liquid and vapour. Causes serious eye irritation.5
Keep away from heat, sparks and open flames. No smoking. Wear eye protection.6
Liquide et vapeurs très inflammables. Provoque une sévère irritation des yeux.5
Tenir à l’écart de la chaleur, des étincelles et des flammes nues. Ne pas fumer. Porter un équipement de protection des yeux.6
- 1Product identifierSame as on the SDS
- 2Initial supplier identifierCanadian manufacturer or importer
- 3PictogramsRed diamond border
- 4Signal wordDanger or Warning (Attention)
- 5Hazard statementsGrouped with pictograms and signal word
- 6Precautionary statementsAbridged here
The six required elements
- Product identifier: the brand, chemical, common, generic or trade name. It should be the same as the product identifier on the SDS.
- Initial supplier identifier: the name, address and telephone number of the Canadian manufacturer or importer.
- Pictograms: a black symbol on a white background inside a red square border set on one of its points. The biohazardous infectious materials pictogram has a black circular border instead.
- Signal word: "Danger" or "Warning". In French these are "Danger" and "Attention".
- Hazard statements for each hazard class and category the product is classified in.
- Precautionary statements for prevention, response, storage and disposal.
The symbol, signal word, hazard statement and precautionary statement for each category are the ones specified in Annex 3 of the GHS, which the HPR refers to. Some classifications also need supplemental label elements, such as a statement on the percentage of ingredients with unknown acute toxicity. Other information can be added, as long as it does not contradict or detract from the required elements.
Layout and language rules
- Grouping: the pictogram, signal word and hazard statement must be grouped together on the label (HPR section 3.3).
- Legibility: the information must be easy to read without any device other than corrective lenses, and must contrast with other information on the container (section 3.4).
- Durability: the label must stay attached and legible under normal conditions of transport and use (section 3.5).
- English and French: every element must be in both official languages, on one bilingual label or in two unilingual parts (section 6.2). An English-only label does not comply anywhere in Canada, not only in Quebec.
- No border required: the hatched border used under WHMIS 1988 is no longer required. It is not prohibited either, which is why older-style labels still turn up.
Whose name goes on the label
The initial supplier identifier is normally the Canadian manufacturer or importer. Two variations are common:
- Distributors who buy the product from another supplier may replace the initial supplier identifier with their own name, address and telephone number (HPR section 5.8).
- Importers bringing a product in for use in their own workplace may keep the foreign supplier's name, address and telephone number on the label (section 5.9). This covers products used in the importer's own workplace, not products it resells.
Small and outer containers
| Container | What changes |
|---|---|
| 100 mL or less | Hazard and precautionary statements may be left out. The product identifier, supplier identifier, pictograms and signal word are still required (section 5.4). |
| 3 mL or less | If a label would interfere with normal use, it may be one that is removed during use. It must still stay durable and legible during transport and storage. |
| Outer container | No separate label is needed if the inner label can be read through the outer container. A label that meets the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations can also be used on the outer container (section 5.2). |
When the label has to change
Significant new data is new hazard information that changes the product's classification or the way to protect against its hazards. Once you have it, you may keep selling with the old label for up to 180 days, provided you give each buyer the new information in writing with the date it became available. For the SDS, the window is 90 days (HPR section 5.12). You do not have to inform past buyers.
Workplace labels are a different label
Workplace labels are the employer's responsibility under provincial or territorial health and safety law, or the Canada Labour Code for federally regulated workplaces. A workplace label shows the product identifier (matching the SDS), safe handling information and a reference to the SDS if one is available. It is needed when:
- a product is made and used in the same workplace,
- a product is decanted into another container, or
- the supplier label is lost or can no longer be read.
There are limited exceptions for portable containers filled and used straight away. The details differ by jurisdiction: see WHMIS rules by province and territory.
Label errors to check for
- English only, or French text that does not say the same thing as the English.
- Pictograms, signal word or statements that do not match section 2 of the SDS.
- Only a US or other foreign supplier named, with no Canadian manufacturer or importer.
- Precautionary statements dropped or combined in a way that changes their meaning.
- Labels not updated for the amended HPR, which every supplier has had to follow since December 2025: see the WHMIS transition is over.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Checked against the official sources above on 10 October 2026. Rules change: for your own products, ask for a spot-check.
