When was the last time you reviewed the emergency telephone number on your Safety Data Sheets (SDSs)?
It may seem like a minor detail, but it has become one of the most common areas of non-compliance identified by Health Canada.
At the WHPP Multi-Stakeholder Workshop held on November 20, 2025, Health Canada reviewed the top six most frequent observations of non-compliance found during 2022–2023 regular and Compliance Verification inspections under the Hazardous Products Act (HPA) and Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR). The number one issue? The emergency telephone number listed on the SDS.
One of the key messages from the workshop was clear: the Canadian Transport Emergency Centre (CANUTEC) telephone number should not be listed as the emergency telephone number on an SDS.
Why not?
CANUTEC’s mandate is to provide emergency advice for incidents involving the transportation of dangerous goods. Its role is to promote public safety during transportation emergencies by road, rail, air, and marine. CANUTEC is not intended to provide information on the storage, handling, or use of hazardous products in the workplace.
Because of this limited mandate, Health Canada considers listing the CANUTEC number as the emergency telephone number on an SDS to be non-compliant.
So, what should be listed instead?
If an alternate emergency telephone number is available, that number must be provided on the SDS. If no emergency telephone number is available, the SDS should state “Not available” or use similar wording.
Does the emergency telephone number have to be answered 24 hours a day?
Interestingly, the answer is no. The Hazardous Products Regulations do not require the emergency telephone number on an SDS to operate 24 hours a day. However, if there are any restrictions on the availability of the number, those limitations must be clearly disclosed on the SDS.
What if the emergency telephone number is outside Canada?
If a non-Canadian telephone number is used, the complete international dialing code must be included so the number can be reached from Canada.
What does this mean for your organization?
If your SDSs currently list the CANUTEC number as the emergency telephone number, now is the time to review and update them. This issue has been specifically highlighted by Health Canada and has become a significant compliance focus during inspections.
Are your Safety Data Sheets up to date?
If you’re unsure whether your SDSs meet the latest Health Canada expectations, or if you need assistance updating existing documents, we’re here to help. Contact us to review your Safety Data Sheets and ensure they remain compliant with current Canadian requirements.
Blog Author
Kirsten Alcock, H.BSc.
Kirsten Alcock is the Director of Product Safety at Dell Tech, with over 25 years of experience in regulatory affairs and hazard communication. She specializes in safety data sheets, labeling, and chemical compliance across Canadian and U.S. regulations, and is an active leader in the chemical hazard communication community.
