LER 444 Final
An employee suffers an amputation while operating a table saw. Which of the following might be a root cause of this accident? a) Area supervision failed to inspect the table saw on a routine basis b) Blade was properly guarded, but employee did chose to remove guard c) Saw blade guard was damaged and did not offer adequate protection d) Injured employee was engaging in horseplay at the time of the accident
A
Which of the following conditions is not an ergonomics disorder? a) Tinnitus b) Epicondylitis c) Tendonitis d) Tensoynovitis
A
Which of the following is an example of a "root cause" that might be uncovered during an accident investigation? a) Failure to enforce safety policies b) Driving a forklift at an unsafe speed c) Bypassing machine guards d) Failure to wear respiratory protection
A
Which of the following is least likely be included s a safety and health provision within a collective bargaining agreement? a) Detailed history of employee exposure levels to workplace contaminants b) Provisions for resolving situations involving refusal of hazardous materials c) Language regarding "whistleblower" protection for employees who report safety concerns d) General statement of management's commitment to protecting employees from workplace hazards
A
Which of the following is not a challenge typically faced by developing countries? a) Financial impact of complying with various global safety standards b) Export of hazards from developed countries c) Limited resources to devote to occupational safety and health d) Economic pressure to overlook safety and health issues
A
Which of the following is not a challenge typically faced by developing countries? a) Financial impact of complying with various global standards b) Export of hazards from developed countries c) Limited resources to devote to occupational safety and health d) Economic pressure to overlook safety and health issues
A
Which of the following is not one of the four major government units assigned to carry out the provisions of the OSHAct? a) RCRA b) BLS c) NIOSH d) OSHRC
A
What are the three reactive methods of identification?
Accident investigations, Injury trending, and Medical screening and surveillance
What does the ABC behavioral model stand for?
Activators, Behavior, Consequence
An employee suffers a severe laceration when her hand is caught in an unguarded conveyor belt. Which of the following would be considered a direct cost associated with this injury? a) reduced output of worker upon returning to work b) Payment to physician to cover cost of treating wound c) Time taken to investigate and document incident d) Schedule delays caused by shutdown of conveyor belt e) none of the above
B
An employee suffers a severe laceration when her hand is caught in an unguarded conveyor belt. Which of the following would be considered a direct cost associated with this injury? a) Reduced output of worker upon returning to work b) Payment to physician to cover cost of treating wound c) Time taken to investigate and document investigation d) Schedule delays caused by shutdown of conveyor belt e) None of the above
B
Prior to the passage of worker's compensation laws, employers often protected themselves from lawsuits by claiming that injuries were caused by the negligence of another worker. This defense was referred to as: a) Disciplined management b) Fellow servant rule c) Contributory negligence d) Assumption of risk
B
What classification of OSHA violation would be issued when there is a substantial probability of death or significant injury? a) Repeated b) Serious c) Severe d) De minimus
B
Which of the following is an example of a "surface cause" that might be uncovered during an accident investigation? a) Failure to update policies b) Bypassing machine guards c) Poor equipment design d) Inadequate training
B
Which of the following is an example of an engineering control that might be implemented following an ergonomic evaluation? a) Issuing back belts to employees who perform heavy lifting b) Providing a mechanical aid to eliminate manual lifting c) Rotating employees to reduce the amount of time spent performing stressful tasks d) Developing a work-rest regimen to limit the amount of time spent assuming awkward postures
B
Which of the following is most likely to be an example of an acute health effect? a) Tendonitis due to repetitive use of hand tools b) Skin damage due to acid exposure c) Lung cancer due to asbestos exposure d) Carpal tunnel syndrome e) Noise-induced hearing loss
B
Which of the following is not an example of an environmental regulation? a) CAA b) ASHRAE c) CWA d) CERCLA
B
Which of the following organizations conducts research which often serves as the basis for OSHA regulations? a) BLS b) NIOSH c) EPA d) OSHRC
B
Which of the following statements is the least appropriate for inclusion on a behavioral observation checklist? a) Wears eye protection in the laboratory b) Uses caution while working c) Bends at knees while lifting d) Disconnects power prior to making equipment repair e) Wears seatbelt while operating forklift
B
The most common measure associated with behavior-based safety programs is which of the following? a) Total hours spent conducting observations b) Level of confirming feedback c) Percent of observations rated as "Safe" d) Total number of at-risk behaviors by all employees e) Ratio of unsafe acts to unsafe conditions
C
What substance was used by dial painters in the 1920s and eventually led to adverse health effects? a) Mercury b) Lead c) Radium d) Kryptonite
C
Which of the following hazards is most likely to be identified during a worksite inspection? a) Forklift being operated at unsafe speed b) Employee using improper lifting techniques c) Broken tile on floor surface d) Failure to use provided guarding while operating equipment
C
Which of the following is not an example of an unsafe condition? a) Unguarded table saw b) Icy parking lot surface c) Operation of forklift at an excessive speed d) Broken handrail on stairway
C
Which of the following is not one of the steps completed during an accident investigation? a) Analyze Facts b) Gather Information c) Interrogate witnesses d) Determine causal factors
C
Which of the following reasons is not a legitimate reason for completing an accident investigation within the workplace? a) provide necessary documentation for workers compensation claims b) prevent recurrence of similar incidents in the future c) Ensure that fault is accurately assigned within the organization d) Maintain positive labor relations by demonstrating concern for employees
C
Which of the following situations would be given the highest priority for inspection by OSHA? a) An employee is killed in a trench collapse b) A production facility is due to be re-inspected to ensure previous violations have been corrected c) An imminent danger situation exists involving failure to use fall protection on a construction site d) Three employees are hospitalized after an explosion
C
Which of these events signaled the beginning of a dramatic slowdown in new legislation being introduced by OSHA? a) Election of President Clinton b) 9/11 terrorist attacks c) Repeal of ergonomics standard d) Love Canal incident
C
Anthropometrics involves the measurement and collection of data relating to which of the following? a) Amount of force exerted b) Number of repetitions c) Pace of work d) Human body dimensions
D
Noise-induced hearing loss is usually a result of damage to which of the following? a) Cochlea b) Eustachian tube c) Ear drum d) Hair cells e) Staples
D
OSHA has attempted to address workplace ergonomics through which of the following mechanisms? a) Issuance of voluntary guidelines for specific industries b) Enforcing compliance with the OSHA Ergonomics Standard c) Citing employers for ergonomic hazards under the "General Duty Clause" d) Both a & c e) All of the above
D
OSHA trends during the Bush administration (2001 to 2009) included which of the following? a) Issuance of guidelines in lieu of standards b) Promotion of partnerships such as VPP c) Significant increase in the number of citations issued d) Both a & b e) All of the above
D
Positive effects of OSHA would include which of the following? a) Greater public access to workplace safety and health information b) Reduction in injury and fatality rates since establishment of OSHA c) Increased employee participation in occupational safety and health programs d) All of the above
D
Which of the following factors led to the passage of the OSHAct? a) Rising injury rates in the 1960s b) Farmington Mine Disaster c) Mobilization efforts associated with Vietnam War d) Both a & b e) All of the above
D
Which of the following is a current workplace factor that is likely to have an effect on future injury and illness trends? a) Aging of workforce b) Increased reliance on contingent workers c) Increasing power of unions in the service sector d) Both a & b e) All of the above
D
Which of the following is an example of medical surveillance? a) Conducting a lung function test for an asbestos worker b) Administration of a hearing test c) Drawing a blood sample in order to determine the lead content d) Determining the incidence of hearing loss across an industry
D
Which of the following is not a valid criticism of the occupational injury and illness surveillance system used within the United States? a) The system relies on self-reporting by employers b) Occupational illnesses are not accurately counted c) Certain segments of the workforce are exempt from participating in the annual BLS survey d) the BLS annual survey form is poorly designed
D
Which of the following is not a valid reason for why the EPA is generally viewed as being more successful than OSHA? a) EPA has a higher level of staffing than OSHA b) EPA is better able to pursue criminal charges than OSHA c) OSHA has less public support than EPA d) EPA has not been subject to budget cuts under the Trump administration e) EPA is able to issue higher monetary fines than OSHA
D
Which of the following is not considered an ergonomics risk factor? a) static postures b) excessive force c) repetitive motions d) neutral postures e) continuous movements
D
Which of the following statements regarding OSHA is false? a) OSHA requires chemical manufacturers to prepare Safety Data Sheets b) OSHA has not established exposure limits for most chemicals used within U.S. workplaces c) OSHA requires chemical containers to be clearly labeled with both the chemical identity and appropriate hazard warnings d) OSHA PEL are developed primarily to limit dermal exposure to workplace chemicals
D
An OSHA Hearing Conservation Program must include which of the following? a) employee training b) annual audiometric testing c) availability of hearing protection d) both b&c e) All of the above
E
Employee behaviors have traditionally been managed through the use of: a) Safety incentive programs b) Relying on punishment to reduce unsafe behaviors c) Using the threat of serious injury as a motivation d) Both a & b e) All of the above
E
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire had an effect on which of the following a) Women's Suffrage Movement b) Union organization c) Development of fire safety laws d) Both b & c e) all of the above
E
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire had an effect on which of the following? a) Women's suffrage movement b) Union organization c) Development of fire safety laws d) Both b&c e) all of the above
E
Which of the following factors makes the evaluation and control of ergonomic hazards unique from other health hazards such as chemical exposures? a) There are no clearly defined "exposure limits" for ergonomic issues b) PPE has very limited applications in addressing ergonomic hazards c) ergonomic controls often have to be tailored to the individual and job d) both a & c e) All of the above
E
Which of the following statements accurately represents the view of labor regarding occupational safety and health? a) Labor advocates for the most protective solutions to workplace hazards b) Labor wants to participate in safety and health efforts c) Labor wants to be fully informed of hazards d) Both a & c e) All of the above
E
Name the five proactive methods of hazard identification
Employee communication, safety committees, worksite inspections, task observations, industrial hygiene sampling
Isolation of the source, substitution of the source and isolation of the receiver are all examples of what kind of control?
Engineering Control
What are the three hierarchy of controls?
Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls, and Personal Protective Equipment
Tennis elbow/strain of muscles connecting hand and elbow is what kind of general disorder?
Epicondylitis
True/False: A positive consequence is likely to decrease the prevalence of an "at risk" behavior
False
True/False: An employee can be cited by OSHA for not wearing safety glasses if the employer has provided training which clearly indicates the need for such protection
False
True/False: Behavioral safety observations should only be completed by supervisory personnel
False
True/False: Ergonomics can be defined as the science of adapting the worker to fit the job
False
True/False: Exposure to a hazard within the workplace will always result in either an injury or an illness
False
True/False: Labor unions have been uniformly supportive of behavior-based safety efforts
False
True/False: Most occupational safety and health professionals work as members of the "line" organization
False
True/False: Most work-related injuries are treated by an occupational physician
False
True/False: OSHA chemical exposure limits are routinely updated to ensure they are based on current research findings
False
True/False: OSHA has specific regulations which limit how much noise can be emitted by production equipment
False
True/False: OSHA placed an increased emphasis on partnering with employers under the Obama administration
False
True/False: OSHA pursues criminal charges for the majority of workplace fatalities
False
True/False: OSHA standards are routinely updated to ensure they are based on current research
False
True/False: Occupational physicians usually can easily distinguish whether an ergonomic disorder is due to occupational or non-occupational factors
False
True/False: Republican administrations are more likely to stress strong OSHA enforcement policies than Democratic administration
False
True/False: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has authority over the activities of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
False
True/False: The publication of "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson raised public awareness of the dangers associated with asbestos exposure
False
True/False: There is a broad range of PPE that can be used to effectively address ergonomic hazards within the workplace
False
True/False: Union members are usually less informed of health and safety issues than non-union workers in the same jobs
False
True/False: When investigating accidents, it is best to avoid asking open-ended questions
False
Name the five core elements of a systematic approach to occupational safety and health
Hazard identification, Hazard Control, Management commitment, Employee contribution, Safety and health training
What are the three industrial hygiene practices?
Identification, Evaluation and Control
What are the benefits of BBS?
Increased employee involvement, positive reward system, improved efficacy
Name the four possible routes of chemical exposure within the workplace
Inhalation, Injection, Ingestion, Absorption
The collection of data on the distribution of a disease in a population
Medical surveillance
What are the criticisms of BBS?
Not enough emphasis on hierarchy of controls, attempts to blame workers
What are the two primary mechanisms used by OSHA to protect employees from chemical hazards in the workplace?
PELs (Permissible Exposure Limits) and Hazard Communication Standard
Give the 5 basic reasons why employers should establish strong safety and health programs
PR concerns, Cost Control, Moral obligations, Productivity, and Human Resource Management
What are the common risk factors in ergonomics?
Repetitive body motions, poor body positioning, excessive force, and continuous movement
Identify the three major points within the workplace at which hazards can be controlled
Source, Path, Receiver
True/False: A "performance" standard requires employers to determine how to best achieve compliance
True
True/False: A key objective of ergonomic design is trying to achieve "neutral" postures among end users
True
True/False: An accident is an unplanned, unexpected event that may or may not result in a financial loss
True
True/False: An effective ergonomic design can be comfortably used by 90% of the population
True
True/False: Behavioral checklists are normally designed to ensure the anonymity of the observed employee
True
True/False: Blue-green alliances have been much more involved in supporting environmental causes than workplace safety issues
True
True/False: Dose-response curves developed for individuals may be subject to high variability
True
True/False: Effective safety committees usually include both labor and management representatives
True
True/False: Employers may require OSHA inspectors to obtain a warrant prior to entering their facilities
True
True/False: Ergonomic efforts may include the design of control panels to meet human expectations
True
True/False: History has shown the need for governmental involvement in occupational safety and health within the United States
True
True/False: Industrial Hygienists often evaluate health hazards in office settings
True
True/False: OSHA exposure limits for airborne chemicals and noise are both based upon a time-weighted average
True
True/False: Occupational hearing loss usually associated with chronic exposure to noise
True
True/False: The decline of unions within the United States has broad safety implications for workers across all industries
True
True/False: The direct costs of injuries include indemnity payments made to employees
True
True/False: The ideal position for an OSH professional within an organization is reporting directly to the CEO
True
True/False: The only chemical exposure limits that employers are legally obligated to comply with are the OSHA PEL
True
True/False: Work-related illnesses are normally associated with chronic exposures
True
True/False: Workplace hazards may be classified as either unsafe conditions or unsafe acts
True
What are the four key elements in the Hazard Communication Standard?
Written program, employee training, container labeling, and safety data sheets
