CAR Workplace Safety and OSHA 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) in an auto recycling operation?
- To identify hazards associated with each step of a task before work begins (Correct answer)
- To document injuries after they occur for OSHA reporting
- To calculate workers' compensation premiums
- To schedule preventive maintenance on equipment
Correct answer: To identify hazards associated with each step of a task before work begins
A JHA breaks a job into steps, identifies hazards at each step, and determines controls to eliminate or reduce those hazards before work starts.
Question 2: Under OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard, what must happen before an employee is fit-tested for a tight-fitting respirator?
- The employee must receive a medical evaluation clearance (Correct answer)
- The employee must complete 40 hours of safety training
- The employer must purchase NIOSH-approved equipment
- The work area must be air-monitored for 30 days
Correct answer: The employee must receive a medical evaluation clearance
29 CFR 1910.134 requires that employees pass a medical evaluation by a licensed health care professional before fit-testing or using a respirator.
Question 3: When draining mercury switches from vehicles before crushing, what is the correct disposal method under EPA and OSHA regulations?
- Send switches to a mercury recycler via an end-of-life vehicle switch collection program (Correct answer)
- Place them in a sealed plastic bag in the regular trash
- Crush them and dispose with scrap metal
- Drain mercury into a labeled drum and pour down a hazardous waste drain
Correct answer: Send switches to a mercury recycler via an end-of-life vehicle switch collection program
Mercury switches must be removed intact and sent to certified mercury recyclers through programs like the End-of-Life Vehicle Solutions (ELVS) program to comply with federal and state rules.
Question 4: An employee suffers a work-related amputation. Under OSHA reporting rules, how soon must the employer notify OSHA?
- Within 24 hours (Correct answer)
- Within 8 hours
- Within 72 hours
- By the end of the next business day
Correct answer: Within 24 hours
OSHA requires employers to report work-related amputations, in-patient hospitalizations, and losses of an eye to OSHA within 24 hours of learning of the incident.
Question 5: What fall protection is required under OSHA when employees work on top of stacked vehicles at heights of 4 feet or more?
- Guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems (Correct answer)
- A spotter on the ground at all times
- Non-slip footwear and gloves only
- A written safety plan filed with OSHA
Correct answer: Guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems
OSHA's general industry fall protection standard (29 CFR 1910.28) requires fall protection — guardrails, nets, or PFAS — for exposed walking/working surfaces 4 feet or more above a lower level.
Question 6: Which OSHA standard specifically regulates exposure to used motor oil mist and other petroleum product aerosols in automotive workplaces?
- 29 CFR 1910.1000 – Air Contaminants (Correct answer)
- 29 CFR 1910.119 – Process Safety Management
- 29 CFR 1910.178 – Powered Industrial Trucks
- 29 CFR 1910.212 – Machine Guarding
Correct answer: 29 CFR 1910.1000 – Air Contaminants
OSHA's Air Contaminants Standard (29 CFR 1910.1000) establishes PELs for oil mist and hundreds of other workplace air contaminants.
Question 7: What is the minimum aisle width OSHA recommends in auto parts warehouses where forklifts operate alongside pedestrians?
- At least 3 feet wider than the widest load plus the forklift width (Correct answer)
- Exactly 8 feet for all forklift aisles
- 6 feet for forklifts carrying loads under 2,000 lbs
- No minimum width is specified; it is left to employer discretion
Correct answer: At least 3 feet wider than the widest load plus the forklift width
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(e) requires aisles to be at least 3 feet wider than the widest load being handled to provide safe clearance for equipment and pedestrians.
CAR Workplace Safety and OSHA 3
What is the primary purpose of a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) in an auto recycling operation?