# WHMIS Labels: Supplier vs Workplace Labels Explained

> A WHMIS supplier label carries six required items; a workplace label covers decanted, site-made or unreadable-label containers. Here is what each must show.

- **URL:** https://janitori.com/blogs/the-clean-room/whmis-labels-supplier-vs-workplace-labels-explained

**In this guide**
- [What is a WHMIS label, and who supplies it?](#what-is-a-whmis-label)
- [What must a WHMIS supplier label show?](#supplier-label)
- [When do you need a workplace label?](#workplace-label)
- [Can you skip the label on a bottle you fill yourself?](#one-shift)
- [How do you label a decanted spray bottle?](#how-to-label)
- [What changes for containers of 100 mL or less?](#small-containers)
- [Which labelling supplies does a facility need?](#supplies)

A WHMIS label is the first warning a worker sees about a chemical, and Canadian law splits it into two kinds: the supplier label that arrives on the container, and the workplace label you add when the container changes. The gap tends to open at the moment someone fills a spray bottle from a jug.

This guide follows the [CCOHS WHMIS labels fact sheet](https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/whmis_ghs/labels.html) (revised 2026-05-28), which reflects the [Hazardous Products Regulations](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2015-17/). Provincial and territorial rules can add detail, so treat this as the federal baseline.

 **Key takeaways**
- A WHMIS supplier label must carry six items in English and French: product identifier, initial supplier identifier, pictograms, signal word, hazard statements and precautionary statements.
- Pouring a hazardous product into another container, making it on site, or losing the supplier label all trigger a workplace label showing the product name, safe handling precautions and an SDS reference.
- A decanted container used immediately, or filled and used by one person within one shift, may not need a full workplace label, but it must still show the product name.
- Workplace-label details are set by your province or territory, so confirm the exact wording with your jurisdiction before you standardize a label across sites.

## What Is a WHMIS Label, and Who Supplies It?

A WHMIS label is the hazard label that Canadian law requires on hazardous products used in the workplace, and in most cases the supplier is responsible for applying it. The label must be affixed to, printed on or attached to the product or its container and stay legible; sending a compliant label with the shipping papers does not meet the regulations.

The employer's job starts when the product arrives. Employers must make sure hazardous products are labelled and must prepare and apply a workplace label when one is needed. Labels give the major hazards and basic precautions, and the label's product name should match the product's [safety data sheet (SDS)](https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/whmis_ghs/sds.html).

## What Must a WHMIS Supplier Label Show?

A supplier label must show six items, in both English and French, either on one bilingual label or on two labels. There is no set layout, but the pictogram, signal word and hazard statement must be grouped together, prominent and easy to read.

 | Required item | What it means

 | Product identifier | Brand, chemical, common, generic or trade name, matching the container and the SDS

 | Initial supplier identifier | Name, address and phone number of the Canadian manufacturer or importer (a distributor may substitute its own contact details)

 | Pictogram(s) | Hazard symbol inside a red square set on one of its points; some products require none

 | Signal word | "Danger" for high-risk hazards or "Warning" for less severe ones

 | Hazard statement(s) | Standardized phrases such as "Causes eye irritation"

 | Precautionary statement(s) | Standardized prevention, response (including first aid), storage and disposal advice

The hatched border from the old 1988 system is no longer required, though you may still see it. Some products need no pictogram, so read the signal word, hazard statements and SDS rather than relying on the symbol alone. Our guide to [what "non-toxic" means under WHMIS](/blogs/the-clean-room/non-toxic-cleaning-products-for-commercial-facilities-a-buyers-guide) covers that distinction, and CCOHS lists every [WHMIS pictogram](https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/whmis_ghs/pictograms.html).

## When Do You Need a Workplace Label?

You need a workplace label in three situations: the hazardous product is made at your workplace and used there, it is decanted (poured or transferred) into another container, or the supplier label becomes lost or unreadable. For a cleaning program, decanting is the case most likely to come up, since a concentrate jug often feeds a spray bottle.

A workplace label generally needs the product name matching the SDS, safe handling precautions (which may reuse pictograms or other supplier label information), and a reference to the SDS where one is available. Requirements for workplace labels are regulated by your province or territory, or by the Canada Labour Code in a federally regulated workplace, so exact wording varies.

## Can You Skip the Label on a Bottle You Fill Yourself?

Sometimes, but not the name. A full workplace label may be unnecessary when the product is poured and used immediately, or when it stays under the control of the person who decanted it, meaning that person alone uses it during one shift. Even then, the container must be identified with the product name.

The exemption disappears when the bottle is not used right away or when more than one person will handle it. A bottle left on a shared cart for the next shift falls outside the exemption. A company may also set rules stricter than WHMIS requires, and labelling every secondary container, every time, removes the need to judge each case.

## How Do You Label a Decanted Spray Bottle?

Give the bottle a workplace label that carries the product name from the SDS, the safe handling precautions and a pointer to the SDS. The sequence below follows the CCOHS requirements:
- **Decide whether a full label is needed.** If the product is poured and used immediately, or one person fills and uses it within one shift, a full workplace label may not be required, but the container must still show the product name.
- **Copy the product name from the SDS.** Write the product name exactly as it appears on the safety data sheet so the container can be matched to its SDS.
- **Add the safe handling precautions.** Carry over the precautions from the supplier label, which may include pictograms or other supplier label information.
- **Reference the SDS.** Add a reference to the SDS, where one is available.
- **Confirm your jurisdiction and keep it legible.** Check your province or territory for exact wording, and replace the label as soon as it becomes unreadable.

## What Changes for Containers of 100 mL or Less?

For a supplier label, a container of 100 mL or less is exempt only from the hazard and precautionary statements; everything else still applies. For containers of 3 mL or less, where a label would interfere with normal use, the label must be durable and legible for transport and storage but may be removable during use.

If a hazardous product is packaged in more than one container, each container must be fully labelled, with two exceptions: the outer container needs no WHMIS label if the inner label is visible and legible through it, or if the outer container carries a Transportation of Dangerous Goods label (this does not apply when the outer container is the only container).

## Which Labelling Supplies Does a Facility Need?

A facility needs a way to print workplace labels, bottles that take them, and a place where workers can reach the SDSs. These are the Canadian-listed options on our store, with current prices in Canadian dollars:

 | Item | Listing detail | Price (CAD)

 | [Brady WHMIS labels, paper roll](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/brady-whmis-labels-800-pkg-paper-roll-2-3-4-l-x-4-1-4-w) | Pack of 800, 2-3/4" x 4-1/4"; pre-designed templates for WHMIS label creation | $103.99

 | [Brady OTS WHMIS self-laminating tag](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/brady-ots-whmis-self-laminating-tag-vinyl-sheet-3-3-4-l-x-5-w) | Vinyl sheet, 3-3/4" x 5" | $54.99

 | [M2 Professional round spray bottle with WHMIS label](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/m2-professional-round-spray-bottle-with-whmis-label-24-oz) | 24 oz, ounce and millilitre graduations, WHMIS print | $1.93

 | [Incom SDS information centre](https://janitori.com/en-ca/products/incom-top-tape-label-msds-or-sds-information-centres-english-binders-included) | Right-to-know station, 18" x 24", English, binders included, made in Canada | $385.00

A pre-printed bottle only helps if what you write on it covers the product name, handling precautions and SDS reference described above. Browse the full range in [Eyewash & Chemical Safety](https://janitori.com/en-ca/collections/eyewash-chemical-safety) and [Bottles, Sprayers & Bulk Dispensers](https://janitori.com/en-ca/collections/bottles-sprayers-bulk-dispensers). These items are sold for Canadian delivery.

## Frequently Asked Questions

## What is the difference between a supplier label and a workplace label?

A supplier label is applied by the manufacturer, importer or distributor and must follow the [Hazardous Products Regulations](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2015-17/). A workplace label is prepared by the employer for a container the supplier did not label, such as a decanted spray bottle.

## Does a WHMIS label have to be in French?

Supplier labels must be in both English and French, either as one bilingual label or two labels. Workplace-label wording falls under your province or territory, so confirm the language rule with your jurisdiction ([CCOHS](https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/whmis_ghs/labels.html)).

## Do containers of 100 mL or less need a full WHMIS label?

A supplier label on a container of 100 mL or less is exempt only from the hazard and precautionary statements. The product identifier, supplier identifier, pictograms and signal word still apply.

## How often does a supplier label have to be updated?

When the supplier becomes aware of significant new data about the hazard, the label must be updated within 180 days. If you buy within that window, the supplier must give you a document describing the label changes and the date the data became available.

## Related Articles
- [Non-Toxic Cleaning Products for Commercial Facilities: A Buyer's Guide](/blogs/the-clean-room/non-toxic-cleaning-products-for-commercial-facilities-a-buyers-guide)
- [Cleaning Supplies for Business: The Essential Checklist for Canadian Facilities](/blogs/the-clean-room/cleaning-supplies-for-business-the-essential-checklist-for-canadian-facilities)
- [What Is in a Spill Kit? Contents, Types and What to Add](/blogs/the-clean-room/spill-kit-contents) [Shop Eyewash & Chemical Safety](https://janitori.com/en-ca/collections/eyewash-chemical-safety)