OSHA Hazard Communication Standard — Questions and Answers

Question 1: How many pictograms are used in the GHS labeling system under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard?

6
9 (Correct answer)
12
4

Correct answer: 9

GHS uses nine standardized pictograms, though OSHA enforces eight of them.

Question 2: What shape and color border do GHS pictograms use?

Yellow triangle
Red-bordered diamond (square set on a point) (Correct answer)
Blue circle
Green square

Correct answer: Red-bordered diamond (square set on a point)

GHS pictograms are diamonds (squares set on a point) with a red border and black symbol.

Question 3: Which signal word indicates a more severe hazard on a GHS label?

Caution
Warning
Danger (Correct answer)
Notice

Correct answer: Danger

"Danger" is used for more severe hazards while "Warning" is used for less severe ones.

Question 4: A worker finds an unlabeled secondary container of a chemical left overnight. What should they do?

Use it since it was likely labeled before
Label it or ask the supervisor before use (Correct answer)
Pour it down the drain
Assume it is water

Correct answer: Label it or ask the supervisor before use

Secondary containers must be properly labeled before use to identify hazards.

Question 5: Which pictogram represents a health hazard such as carcinogenicity?

Exploding bomb
Flame
Human silhouette with a starburst on the chest (Correct answer)
Skull and crossbones

Correct answer: Human silhouette with a starburst on the chest

The health hazard pictogram shows a human silhouette with a starburst, used for carcinogens and respiratory sensitizers.

Question 6: What does the skull and crossbones pictogram indicate?

Acute toxicity (fatal or toxic) (Correct answer)
Mild skin irritation
Environmental hazard
Flammability

Correct answer: Acute toxicity (fatal or toxic)

The skull and crossbones pictogram signals acute toxicity that can be fatal or toxic.

Question 7: Under HazCom, who is responsible for classifying chemical hazards and providing the initial label?

The end-user employee
The chemical manufacturer or importer (Correct answer)
OSHA inspectors
The local fire department

Correct answer: The chemical manufacturer or importer

Chemical manufacturers and importers must classify hazards and provide labels and SDSs.

Question 8: How many sections are in a standardized Safety Data Sheet (SDS) under HazCom 2012?

8
12
16 (Correct answer)
20

Correct answer: 16

The GHS-aligned SDS format has 16 standardized sections in a set order.

Question 9: Which SDS section contains first-aid measures?

Section 4 (Correct answer)
Section 9
Section 14
Section 16

Correct answer: Section 4

Section 4 of an SDS covers first-aid measures.

Question 10: Sections 12 through 15 of an SDS are which type of information?

Legally enforceable by OSHA
Not enforced by OSHA but included for GHS consistency (Correct answer)
Employee training records
Optional advertising

Correct answer: Not enforced by OSHA but included for GHS consistency

Sections 12–15 (ecological, disposal, transport, regulatory) are not enforced by OSHA but retained for GHS consistency.

Question 11: Where must SDSs be kept in the workplace?

Locked in the manager's office only
Readily accessible to employees during their shift (Correct answer)
Off-site at corporate headquarters
In the employee's personal locker

Correct answer: Readily accessible to employees during their shift

SDSs must be readily accessible to employees in their work area during each work shift.

Question 12: Which SDS section lists exposure limits like the OSHA PEL?

Section 8 (Exposure controls/personal protection) (Correct answer)
Section 2 (Hazard identification)
Section 11 (Toxicological information)
Section 16 (Other information)

Correct answer: Section 8 (Exposure controls/personal protection)

Section 8 covers exposure controls and personal protection, including PELs and TLVs.

Question 13: If a new SDS arrives showing new hazard information, what must the employer do?

Discard the old SDS and ignore it
Update files and inform affected employees of new hazards (Correct answer)
Wait for the next annual review
Only notify management

Correct answer: Update files and inform affected employees of new hazards

Employers must maintain current SDSs and inform employees of newly identified hazards.

Question 14: Within what timeframe must a manufacturer provide an updated SDS after learning of significant new hazard information?

Within 3 months (Correct answer)
Within 6 months
Within 12 months
Within 30 days

Correct answer: Within 3 months

Manufacturers must update the SDS within three months of learning of new significant hazard information.

Question 15: What is the primary purpose of a written hazard communication program?

To document how the employer will meet HazCom requirements (Correct answer)
To replace employee training
To satisfy the fire marshal only
To serve as the SDS itself

Correct answer: To document how the employer will meet HazCom requirements

The written program describes how the employer implements labeling, SDSs, and training.

Question 16: Which of these must a written HazCom program include?

A list of hazardous chemicals in the workplace (Correct answer)
Employee salary records
A marketing plan
Building blueprints

Correct answer: A list of hazardous chemicals in the workplace

The written program must include a list of hazardous chemicals present in the workplace.

Question 17: When must employees receive HazCom training?

Only once at hire, never again
At initial assignment and whenever a new hazard is introduced (Correct answer)
Only after an accident
Annually regardless of changes

Correct answer: At initial assignment and whenever a new hazard is introduced

Training is required at initial assignment and whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced.

Question 18: For non-routine tasks involving chemicals, the employer must ensure employees are informed of what?

The company's profit margins
The hazards associated with those specific tasks (Correct answer)
Nothing extra is required
Only the chemical's price

Correct answer: The hazards associated with those specific tasks

Employees must be informed of hazards of non-routine tasks, such as cleaning a reactor vessel.

Question 19: A contractor works on-site where hazardous chemicals are used. Who must exchange hazard information?

No one, contractors are exempt
Both the host employer and the contractor employer (Correct answer)
Only OSHA
Only the contractor

Correct answer: Both the host employer and the contractor employer

Host and contractor employers must exchange information on hazards and protective measures at multi-employer worksites.

Question 20: What must employee training cover regarding detecting chemical presence?

Methods to detect a release, like monitoring or odor (Correct answer)
Only the chemical's brand name
How to sell the chemical
The chemical's shipping cost

Correct answer: Methods to detect a release, like monitoring or odor

Training must include methods and observations used to detect the presence or release of a hazardous chemical.

Question 21: Can an employer rely solely on labels to satisfy the training requirement?

Yes, labels are enough
No, training on hazards and protective measures is separately required (Correct answer)
Only for flammables
Only if the SDS is missing

Correct answer: No, training on hazards and protective measures is separately required

Labels supplement but do not replace required employee training on hazards and protections.

OSHA Hazard Communication Standard

How many pictograms are used in the GHS labeling system under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard?

🃏 OSHA Flashcards — Study This Quiz as Flip Cards →

📚 Want to go deeper? Read the Full OSHA Study Guide →

What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for OSHA

An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:

A timed, full-length OSHA mock exam — 60 questions in 75 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
A fixed OSHA question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
A printable OSHA cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
OSHA flashcards built from the same question bank.

Start the Timed OSHA Mock Exam →

These practice questions were written with AI tools. They are not real exam questions. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

osha.gov — Score validity, test delivery, eligibility, passing score, renewal, retake policy, score release · verified Nov 2026