The main hazardous materials that are exempt from WHMIS are those regulated under other federal laws in Canada, plus a few specific product types.

Below is the list you’re usually expected to recognize on tests that ask “which of the following hazardous materials are exempt from WHMIS?” (select all that apply):

  • Explosives (as defined in the Explosives Act).
  • Cosmetics, drugs, medical devices, and food (as defined in the Food and Drugs Act).
  • Pest control products (as defined in the Pest Control Products Act).
  • Consumer products (as defined in the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act).
  • Wood or products made of wood.
  • Nuclear substances that are radioactive (as defined in the Nuclear Safety and Control Act).
  • Tobacco and tobacco products (as defined in the Tobacco Act).
  • Manufactured articles (items that are shaped in a specific form and are not intended to release a hazardous product under normal use).
  • Hazardous waste that is being sold for recycling or recovery and is intended for disposal.

In multiple‑choice questions, the correct selections are typically things like explosives, cosmetics, pest control products, nuclear substances that are radioactive, and tobacco products, because each of these categories is explicitly listed as excluded from WHMIS requirements.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.