WHMIS - Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System Safety Data Sheets (SDS) Questions and Answers

Question 1

Under WHMIS regulations, which section of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) provides detailed information on first-aid measures, including symptoms and effects of exposure?

Accepted Answer

Section 4: First-Aid Measures

Answer

Section 4 of the SDS is specifically dedicated to first-aid measures. It outlines the necessary steps to be taken in case of exposure via inhalation, skin/eye contact, or ingestion, and describes the most important symptoms and effects, both acute and delayed.

Question 2

A worker decants a hazardous cleaning product from a large supplier drum into a smaller, unlabeled spray bottle for daily use. According to WHMIS, what is now required?

Accepted Answer

A workplace label must be created and affixed to the spray bottle.

Answer

WHMIS requires a workplace label to be created when a hazardous product is transferred (decanted) into a new container. This label must include the product name, safe handling precautions, and a reference to the SDS.

Question 3

Which of the following pieces of information is NOT a mandatory component of a supplier label under WHMIS?

Accepted Answer

The date the SDS was last reviewed

Answer

A WHMIS supplier label must include six key elements: Product Identifier, Initial Supplier Identifier, Pictogram(s), Signal Word, Hazard Statement(s), and Precautionary Statement(s). The date of SDS review is found on the SDS itself (Section 16), not the supplier label.

Question 4

An employer receives a hazardous product from a supplier with an SDS dated four years ago. The supplier confirms in writing that no significant new data has emerged. What is the employer's responsibility regarding the SDS?

Accepted Answer

Accept the existing SDS as compliant since the supplier verified its accuracy.

Answer

Under WHMIS 2015, the strict three-year update rule from WHMIS 1988 is gone. Suppliers have an ongoing responsibility to ensure SDSs are accurate at the time of sale. If a supplier confirms the information is still current, the employer can continue to use the existing SDS. Employers must ensure SDSs are up-to-date when they enter the workplace.

Question 5

In which section of the Safety Data Sheet would you find the product's flash point, pH, and solubility?

Accepted Answer

Section 9: Physical and Chemical Properties

Answer

Section 9: Physical and Chemical Properties contains information about the product's characteristics, such as its appearance, odor, pH, flash point, solubility, and other data that describe its physical and chemical makeup.

(WHMIS) Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System Practice Test

(WHMIS) Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System Practice Test

WHMIS - Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System Safety Data Sheets (SDS) Questions and Answers