CES Legal, Regulatory & Program Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal agency is primarily responsible for enforcing workplace safety and health regulations in the US?
- NIOSH
- OSHA (Correct answer)
- EPA
- CDC
Correct answer: OSHA
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) under the Department of Labor is the primary federal enforcement agency for workplace safety standards.
Question 2: NIOSH's role in ergonomics is primarily:
- Enforcing OSHA standards
- Conducting research and issuing recommended exposure limits (Correct answer)
- Certifying ergonomists
- Setting legal weight limits for lifting
Correct answer: Conducting research and issuing recommended exposure limits
NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) conducts research, develops criteria documents, and issues recommended exposure limits, but has no enforcement authority.
Question 3: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide:
- Free ergonomic assessments to all staff
- Reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities (Correct answer)
- Ergonomic chairs for all workers
- Written ergonomics programs
Correct answer: Reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities
The ADA mandates reasonable accommodations — which may include ergonomic modifications — for qualified employees with disabilities, unless it causes undue hardship.
Question 4: Which OSHA recordkeeping form is used to log work-related injuries and illnesses including musculoskeletal disorders?
- OSHA Form 300 (Correct answer)
- OSHA Form 29
- OSHA Form 101
- OSHA Form 200
Correct answer: OSHA Form 300
OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) is the primary recordkeeping form on which employers must record qualifying MSDs and other occupational injuries.
Question 5: Under OSHA's General Duty Clause, employers are required to:
- Follow only published OSHA standards
- Provide a workplace free from recognized serious hazards, even if no specific standard exists (Correct answer)
- Conduct annual ergonomic assessments
- Hire a certified ergonomist for all facilities
Correct answer: Provide a workplace free from recognized serious hazards, even if no specific standard exists
Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act requires employers to protect workers from recognized serious hazards, which OSHA uses to address ergonomic risk in the absence of a specific standard.
Question 6: Which state currently has an enforceable ergonomics standard for general industry?
- Texas
- Florida
- California (Correct answer)
- New York
Correct answer: California
California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) enforces Title 8 regulations that include ergonomics program requirements for employers with recurring MSDs.
CES Legal, Regulatory & Program Management 1
Which federal agency is primarily responsible for enforcing workplace safety and health regulations in the US?