WHMIS Rights and Responsibilities 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which WHMIS obligation falls specifically on the supplier (manufacturer or importer) of a hazardous product?
- Conducting annual worker training
- Classifying the product and providing compliant labels and SDSs (Correct answer)
- Storing the product safely at the customer's facility
- Monitoring workers' health after product use
Correct answer: Classifying the product and providing compliant labels and SDSs
Suppliers are responsible for correctly classifying their products and providing compliant labels and Safety Data Sheets to purchasers.
Question 2: Under WHMIS 2015, an SDS must be updated when new hazard information becomes available. Within how many days must a supplier provide the updated SDS to customers who have purchased the product within the past year?
- 30 days
- 60 days
- 90 days
- 180 days (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 180 days
Under WHMIS 2015 (aligned with GHS), suppliers must provide an updated SDS within 90 days after new hazard information becomes available to all customers who purchased the product within the previous year.
Question 3: Which statement correctly describes the employer's training responsibility under WHMIS?
- Training is only required for workers who directly handle hazardous products
- Training must be provided to all workers who may be exposed to hazardous products, including through spills or releases (Correct answer)
- Training must be completed within 30 days of hiring
- Only supervisors need formal WHMIS training
Correct answer: Training must be provided to all workers who may be exposed to hazardous products, including through spills or releases
WHMIS training must cover all workers who may be exposed to hazardous products, not just those who directly handle them, because indirect exposure through spills or airborne release is also a risk.
Question 4: What does the WHMIS 'right to know' specifically entitle workers to receive?
- The cost of all hazardous products used at the worksite
- Hazard information about any controlled product they may be exposed to (Correct answer)
- Copies of all supplier contracts involving hazardous materials
- Details of competitors' chemical formulas
Correct answer: Hazard information about any controlled product they may be exposed to
The right to know entitles workers to receive complete information about the hazards of controlled products they may encounter in the workplace.
Question 5: An employer's WHMIS training program must be reviewed and updated under which circumstance?
- Only when a workplace injury occurs
- Whenever there is a reason to believe the program is no longer adequate, such as new products being introduced (Correct answer)
- On a fixed schedule of every five years regardless of changes
- Only if requested by a government inspector
Correct answer: Whenever there is a reason to believe the program is no longer adequate, such as new products being introduced
Employers must review and update their WHMIS training program whenever there is reason to believe it may no longer be adequate, including when new products or processes are introduced.
Question 6: A worker notices that a workplace label has become illegible due to wear. Who is responsible for replacing it?
- The original product supplier
- The transport company that delivered the product
- The employer (Correct answer)
- The worker who noticed the damage
Correct answer: The employer
The employer is responsible for ensuring that workplace labels remain legible and in place, and must replace any label that becomes damaged or illegible.
Question 7: Under WHMIS, which of the following best defines a 'controlled product' (hazardous product)?
- Any product that is stored in a locked cabinet
- Any product that meets the criteria of one or more WHMIS hazard classes (Correct answer)
- Any product that requires a purchase order
- Any product imported from another country
Correct answer: Any product that meets the criteria of one or more WHMIS hazard classes
A controlled (hazardous) product under WHMIS is one that meets the criteria for at least one of the defined hazard classes, such as flammable, toxic, or corrosive.
WHMIS Rights and Responsibilities 3
Which WHMIS obligation falls specifically on the supplier (manufacturer or importer) of a hazardous product?