W.H.M.I.S. – The right to know legislation…
These initials stand for Workplace Hazardous Material Information System, but the idea that they express is also known as the “Right to Know” – which gives everyone the right to know what they are working with and how to work with it safely.
It is a Pan-Canadian System created to provide employers and workers with information about the hazardous materials they work with on the job to protect their health and safety.
WHMIS is the outcome with four years of consultation and negotiations among Federal and Provincial governments, industry, and organized labour. Its rules apply in every province and territory, as well as workplaces covered by federal law.
WHMIS gives everyone in the workplace the right to know about the hazardous materials used in the workplace. It does this by means of:
• LABELS – Workplace and Supplier
• SDS – Safety Data Sheets
• Education – Worker education on how to use this information

Note: GHS does not replace WHMIS in Canada – it expands on it!
WHMIS has been updated to incorporate elements of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for Classification and Labelling Chemicals