Plan Questionnaire
The plan questionnaire is the heart of the Plan Builder. Instead of writing your HazCom plan from scratch, you answer guided questions about your workplace, and the system generates compliant plan content from your responses. Every question maps to a specific OSHA requirement, so nothing gets missed.
For: Coordinator, Admin | Tier: Standard+
How the Questionnaire Works
The questionnaire walks you through all 7 OSHA-mandated sections of a Written Hazard Communication Program. Each section contains a set of questions tailored to that topic. You answer the questions, and the Plan Builder uses your responses to produce the corresponding section of your written plan.
Your progress is saved automatically as you move between sections. You can leave at any time and pick up exactly where you left off.
The 7 Sections
| # | Section | OSHA Reference | What You Will Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Company & Site Information | General | Company name, site address, Program Coordinator details, plan effective date |
| 2 | Chemical Inventory | 1910.1200(e) | Where your inventory is maintained, how often it is updated, who is responsible, how new chemicals are evaluated |
| 3 | Container Labeling | 1910.1200(f) | How shipped container labels are verified, your secondary container labeling procedure, the portable container exemption, label inspection frequency |
| 4 | Safety Data Sheets | 1910.1200(g) | Where SDSs are stored, how employees access them during all shifts, how missing or outdated SDSs are handled |
| 5 | Employee Training | 1910.1200(h) | When training occurs, what topics are covered, how competency is verified, how training is documented |
| 6 | Non-Routine Tasks | 1910.1200(e)(1)(ii) | How employees are informed of hazards before performing non-routine chemical work, what additional protections are provided |
| 7 | Contractor Coordination | 1910.1200(e)(2) | How outside contractors are notified of chemical hazards on your site, what documentation is exchanged |
Question Types
The questionnaire uses several question formats to collect your information efficiently:
| Type | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Text | Short text input for names, titles, or brief descriptions |
| Textarea | Longer text input for describing procedures and policies |
| Select | Dropdown with predefined options (e.g., "Where is the chemical inventory maintained?") |
| Multi-select | Checkboxes for selecting multiple options. Some options include expandable paragraph text that explains what the option means in practice. |
| Yes/No | Toggle for yes, no, or "Not sure" responses |
| Date | Date picker for effective dates and review dates |
| Pre-filled | Read-only fields automatically populated from your company data (company name, site address, coordinator details) |
Every required question is marked with an asterisk. You must answer all required questions before generating the plan content.
If you are unsure about a question, select "Not sure" -- this flags the question for follow-up and lets you move forward without blocking your progress.
Section-by-Section Progress
As you work through the questionnaire, you can track your progress:
- A completion percentage shows how far along you are in each section
- Sections you have finished are marked with a checkmark in the section navigation
- You can jump between sections in any order -- there is no requirement to complete them sequentially
- The Save & Next button saves your current answers and advances to the next section
- The Previous button navigates back without losing your work
Pre-Filled Fields
Several fields are automatically populated from your existing Tellus data so you do not have to re-enter information:
- Company name and legal entity
- Site name and address
- Program Coordinator name, title, email, and phone
- Chemical count and hazard class summary (from your ChemIQ inventory)
- SDS count and storage location (from your SDS Library)
- Plan effective date (defaults to today)
If any pre-filled data looks incorrect, update it at the source (AdminHQ for company and site data, ChemIQ for chemical data) and the questionnaire will reflect the changes.
AI-Enhanced Questions (Standard and Pro)
On AI-Powered plans, the questionnaire experience is enriched in several ways:
Dynamic Questions
The system analyzes your actual chemical inventory and generates targeted questions you would not see on a Basic plan. For example, if your site has 15 flammable liquids and 8 corrosive substances, you might see:
- "How are flammable liquids stored to prevent ignition sources?"
- "What PPE is required when handling corrosive chemicals?"
- "Are flammable and corrosive chemicals stored in separate cabinets?"
These questions are marked with an AI-generated badge and list the data sources they were derived from (e.g., "Chemical Inventory," "SDS Library").
AI-Suggested Answers
For each question, the AI may suggest an answer based on your company data. Suggestions appear below the question input with a confidence score. You have two options:
- Accept -- The suggested answer fills in the field. You can still edit it afterward.
- Dismiss -- The suggestion disappears and you enter your own answer.
Accepted AI answers are tagged with an AI-assisted badge showing the confidence level and the data sources the suggestion was based on.
OSHA Reference Badges
Questions that map to a specific OSHA regulation section display a reference badge (e.g., 1910.1200(f)(6)) so you can see exactly which requirement you are addressing.
Readiness Check
Before you reach the questionnaire, the Plan Builder runs a Readiness Check that reviews:
| Check | What It Verifies |
|---|---|
| Company & Site | Your company profile and site information are complete |
| Program Coordinator | A coordinator has been assigned (required by OSHA) |
| Employees | At least one employee is assigned to the site |
| Chemical Inventory & SDS Coverage | Your chemicals are categorized as Ready, Missing SDS, Out of Stock, or SDS Only |
Chemicals missing an SDS must either have an SDS uploaded or be excluded from the plan before you can proceed. You can exclude chemicals that are no longer used, are consumer products (exempt), or are duplicates.
Once you confirm the readiness check, you move into the questionnaire.
Tips for Completing the Questionnaire
- Be specific to your site. Generic answers produce generic plans. Describe your actual procedures, not what you think OSHA wants to hear.
- Use the "Not sure" option. It is better to flag a question for follow-up than to guess incorrectly.
- Work section by section. The sections are ordered logically, but you can skip around if a colleague needs to fill in their area of expertise.
- Save frequently. Progress is auto-saved when you navigate between sections, but click
Saveif you are stepping away mid-section. - Review AI suggestions carefully. They are based on your data and industry best practices, but your specific procedures may differ.
See Complete the Plan Questionnaire for a step-by-step guide.