Real workplace chemical incidents from across Canada and the world. Each story shows how proper WHMIS training could have prevented injury, illness, or death.
A maintenance worker at a North York residential building created toxic gas by accidentally mixing two incompatible pool chemicals. Eight people were hospitalized. WHMIS training on chemical incompatibility and SDS review could have prevented this entirely.
A lab worker at the Canadian Centre for Inland Waters in Burlington, Ontario suffered burns following a chemical spill inside the federal research facility. WHMIS training on corrosive materials, proper lab procedures, and emergency first aid is critical for laboratory workers.
More than 200 employees were evacuated from a southeast Calgary industrial building after an acid spill. Emergency crews in hazmat suits responded to contain the release. WHMIS training on spill response and the corrosion pictogram is essential for every industrial worker.
A contract worker at NOVA Chemicals' petrochemical facility in Corunna, Ontario suffered serious injuries when hot boiler feed water was discharged from an exhaust during maintenance. The company was fined $130,000 for failing to protect workers.
A worker at Pigments Services Canada in Mississauga was fatally injured while operating a paint mixing machine. The company was fined $150,000. WHMIS training on flammable materials, physical hazards, and the flame pictogram is essential in paint manufacturing.
A worker at ControlChem Canada in Burlington, Ontario was overcome by chemical fumes while dispensing one material into a larger container. He suffered life-threatening injuries and later died. Proper WHMIS training on SDS review and respiratory protection could have saved his life.
37-year-old Ryan Konkin was killed when a series of explosions ripped through Ssonix Products, a hazardous waste facility in St. Catharines, Ontario. His last words were 'All I did was open the door.' The company now faces criminal negligence charges.
A plumber in Brandon, Manitoba died from hydrogen sulphide (H2S) exposure while clearing a residential sewer. The employer was fined just $5,000. WHMIS training on acute toxicity hazards and the skull and crossbones pictogram could have prevented this death.
Twenty-three workers were rushed to hospital after a hydrochloric acid spill at THK Rhythm Automotive Canada in St. Catharines, Ontario. Workers experienced shortness of breath, chest tightness, and burning sensations. WHMIS training on corrosive materials and emergency response is critical.
In 2013, a massive explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in Texas killed 15 people, injured over 200, and damaged 350 homes. The blast was caused by improperly stored ammonium nitrate — a hazard that WHMIS training specifically addresses through the oxidizer and exploding bomb pictograms.
In 2008, a massive explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Georgia killed 14 workers and injured 36. The blast was caused by accumulated combustible sugar dust — a hidden hazard that WHMIS training on the flame pictogram and physical hazards helps workers identify.
The 1984 Bhopal gas disaster in India killed over 15,000 people and injured hundreds of thousands when methyl isocyanate leaked from a Union Carbide pesticide plant. This catastrophe was a driving force behind Canada's creation of WHMIS in 1988.