SAC Chemical Hazard Communication & GHS 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), hazards are classified into which three main categories?
- Physical, health, and environmental (Correct answer)
- Biological, chemical, and radiological
- Acute, chronic, and catastrophic
- Toxic, flammable, and corrosive
Correct answer: Physical, health, and environmental
GHS classifies all chemical hazards into three main categories: physical hazards, health hazards, and environmental hazards.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) under OSHA's HazCom 2012 standard?
- To record workplace injury statistics
- To provide detailed hazard and safe-handling information about a chemical substance (Correct answer)
- To document employee training completion records
- To list all approved PPE for general workplace tasks
Correct answer: To provide detailed hazard and safe-handling information about a chemical substance
An SDS provides comprehensive information about a chemical's physical and health hazards, safe handling, storage, and emergency response procedures.
Question 3: How many standardized sections must a GHS-compliant Safety Data Sheet contain?
- 8
- 12
- 16 (Correct answer)
- 20
Correct answer: 16
A GHS-compliant SDS must contain exactly 16 sections covering everything from hazard identification to disposal considerations.
Question 4: Which GHS pictogram is used to identify flammable gases, liquids, and solids?
- Skull and crossbones
- Flame symbol (Correct answer)
- Exclamation mark
- Health hazard silhouette with starburst
Correct answer: Flame symbol
The flame pictogram identifies flammable and combustible materials, including flammable gases, aerosols, liquids, and solids under the GHS system.
Question 5: Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, when must employees have access to an SDS for a hazardous chemical in their work area?
- Within 8 hours of the chemical's first use
- Within 24 hours after the chemical arrives on-site
- Before the chemical is used by employees (Correct answer)
- At the next scheduled safety meeting
Correct answer: Before the chemical is used by employees
OSHA requires that employees have ready access to SDSs before working with or in areas containing hazardous chemicals, ensuring information is available prior to any exposure.
Question 6: Which section of a GHS Safety Data Sheet contains First Aid Measures?
- Section 2
- Section 4 (Correct answer)
- Section 6
- Section 8
Correct answer: Section 4
Section 4 of a GHS SDS contains First Aid Measures, describing recommended actions to take when someone is exposed to the hazardous chemical.
Question 7: Under HazCom 2012, which of the following elements is NOT required on a GHS-compliant chemical label?
- Product identifier
- Hazard pictograms and signal word
- NFPA diamond rating (Correct answer)
- Precautionary statements
Correct answer: NFPA diamond rating
GHS-compliant labels require the product identifier, supplier information, pictograms, signal word, hazard statements, and precautionary statements — the NFPA diamond is a separate system and not a GHS requirement.
SAC Chemical Hazard Communication & GHS 1
Under the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), hazards are classified into which three main categories?