Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) for Pest Control Products (PCPs) Products In Canada. What are the Expectations?
By: Kirsten Alcock, Manager of Product Safety, email
Spring is coming and with that, farmers and homeowners alike are getting ready to battle pests. As the ground starts to thaw, the pests start to come out.
Under the current Hazardous Products Act, pest control products are exempt from the need for a Safety Data Sheet but did you know that the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) published a document regarding PCP products and SDSs?
Safety Data Sheets are not required under the HPA for pesticide products, however, it is good practice to provide these to the workers that are using these products to ensure their health and safety. 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 has taken the guidance provided and we can ensure that the SDSs we create follow the guidelines given by the PMRA.
If you choose to provide one to your clients, the PMRA has provided this guidance on what they expect to see and in what section they want to see it in. They consider this guideline 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 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.
As SDSs are not a part of the PCP requirements, they are 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.
How can Dell Tech help?
- Dell Tech can help you with the registration of your Pesticide Product
- Dell Tech can create the SDS in both official languages – Canadian English and Canadian French
- Dell Tech will create the SDS in compliance with the Guidance Document provided by the PMRA
Contact:
Dell Tech
Kirsten Alcock, B.Sc. (Hons)
Manager, Product Safety Group
519-858-5074
kirsten@delltech.com
Dell Tech has provided professional, confidential consulting services to the chemical specialty
industry in Canada, the USA, Europe, and Asia for the last 40 years.
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