Safety Data Sheet: Do I Need One for a Pesticide in Canada?
By: Gorby Sandhu, SENIOR REGULATORY AFFAIRS SPECIALIST, email
Under the current Hazardous Products Act, pest control products are exempt from the need for a Safety Data Sheet. Despite the exemption, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) did publish a guidance document regarding PCPs and SDSs.
You’re in luck because Dell Tech ‘s Product Safety and Regulatory Affairs specialists can help you understand and navigate compliance for your PCP.
Safety Data Sheets are not required under the HPA for a pesticide product. It is however, good practice to provide an SDS to workers that are using pest control products to ensure their health and safety because PCPs often contain hazardous chemicals. The PMRA published a document in English and Canadian French back in 2018. It is a very extensive document that includes information on the background, SDS guidance to registrants, and appendices containing information for each and every section of a SDS.
Dell Tech uses this guidance to ensure that the safety data sheets we author align with the suggestions provided by the PMRA.
Companies who choose to provide safety data sheets to workers can use the PMRA guidance to inform each section of the SDS. The PMRA considers this guidance to be a voluntary adoption and for use by all registrants of PCP products in Canada. The focus of a SDS is primarily for the workers to ensure that they are using the pesticide product safely while working in the fields so the SDS is requested to contain the mandated health and safety information that can be found on the PMRA approved label.
Since safety data sheets are not a requirement for PCPs, the SDS is not subject to pre-market approval. The guidance document advises that there must be a reference to the PCP label as the main label to follow for safety, use, and handling.
You will see on the SDSs Dell Tech provides that the PMRA is listed right in section 1 as requested by the guidance. Although not required, the PMRA encourages companies who sell pesticides to adopt and follow the guidance document should they create SDSs. An SDS that Dell Tech creates would include the mandatory PMRA phrases within section 15. There are a few phrases that the PMRA has requested for this section that we would include as well. For further information on these mandated phrases, please read the guidance report.
Should you wish to obtain a copy of the document, Health Canada advises that one must complete a form on their website to acquire a Portable Document Format (PDF) copy of the “PMRA Guidance for Preparing Safety Data Sheets According to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals for Pest Control Products in Canada” publication.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is mandatory information found on a pesticide label?
A pesticide product label is divided into primary and secondary display panels.
Primary display panel includes pesticide product name, type, form, class designation, precautionary words and symbols, ‘read the label before using’ statement, active ingredients name and concentration, registration number, net contents, registrant and product Inquiries contact Information.
Secondary display panel includes directions for use, disposal information, precautions, first aid statements, toxicological information, notice to user statement and storage directions.
Dell Tech reviews pesticide labels before submission to the PMRA for pre-market approval.
What health and safety information is included on pesticide labels in Canada?
Canadian pesticide labels include precautionary words and symbols on principal display panel, and directions for use, disposal information, precautions, first aid statements, toxicological information, notice to user statement and storage directions on secondary display panel.
Are pesticide labels the same in the US and Canada?
No, US and Canada follow different guidelines for a pesticide product label. Although there can be some similarities but they are not exactly same for example there are some mandatory statements required by PMRA like notice to user statement, which is not required by US EPA.
How Dell Tech can Help with Pesticide SDS Sheets
Our Product Safety team specializes in safety data sheet authoring for compliance in Canada and the United States. For pest control products, we create the SDS in compliance with the Guidance Document provided by the PMRA. Additionally, we can complete technical translations for SDSs authored for other countries into English, Canadian French and/or Spanish.
Dell Tech’s Regulatory Affairs team can expertly guide you through the pesticide registration process and be your liaison with Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency. Or visit our regulatory service page to see if we can help register your product type.
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