CHMM Occupational Health And Safety 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A confined space is classified as 'permit-required' under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146 if it has which characteristic?
- Any space requiring a ladder for entry
- A space with limited means of egress only
- A space with a potential for a hazardous atmosphere or engulfment hazard (Correct answer)
- Any underground vault or manhole
Correct answer: A space with a potential for a hazardous atmosphere or engulfment hazard
A permit-required confined space has one or more serious hazards: hazardous atmosphere, engulfment risk, converging walls, or any recognized serious safety/health hazard.
Question 2: When conducting industrial hygiene air monitoring for a volatile hazardous substance, which sampling method collects a grab sample?
- Activated charcoal tube connected to a personal pump over 8 hours
- Passive dosimeter badge worn for a full shift
- Evacuated canister or Tedlar bag filled instantaneously (Correct answer)
- Impinger bubbler sampled over 30 minutes
Correct answer: Evacuated canister or Tedlar bag filled instantaneously
Grab samples capture air instantaneously using evacuated canisters or Tedlar bags and represent conditions at a single point in time.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) in occupational health and safety?
- To assign workers compensation claims to specific incidents
- To systematically identify hazards associated with each step of a job task (Correct answer)
- To determine the root cause of accidents after they occur
- To document employee training completion records
Correct answer: To systematically identify hazards associated with each step of a job task
A JHA breaks a job into steps, identifies hazards at each step, and recommends controls before work begins — a proactive prevention tool.
Question 4: Under the hierarchy of controls, which control measure is considered MOST effective for reducing occupational hazards?
- Administrative controls such as job rotation
- Personal protective equipment
- Engineering controls such as enclosure or substitution
- Elimination of the hazard (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Elimination of the hazard
Elimination — physically removing the hazard — is the most effective control because it prevents exposure entirely rather than managing it.
Question 5: NIOSH recommends what maximum recommended weight for a manual lifting task under ideal conditions (optimal frequency, coupling, and geometry)?
- 23 kg (51 lbs) (Correct answer)
- 35 kg (77 lbs)
- 15 kg (33 lbs)
- 45 kg (99 lbs)
Correct answer: 23 kg (51 lbs)
NIOSH's lifting equation sets 23 kg (51 lbs) as the recommended weight limit (RWL) under ideal conditions, with multipliers reducing this for adverse conditions.
Question 6: Which chemical route of exposure bypasses many of the body's defense mechanisms and allows direct systemic absorption?
- Inhalation through the upper respiratory tract
- Dermal absorption through intact skin (Correct answer)
- Ingestion through the gastrointestinal tract
- Ocular absorption through the conjunctiva
Correct answer: Dermal absorption through intact skin
Dermal absorption allows chemicals to enter the bloodstream directly through the skin, bypassing gastrointestinal and hepatic first-pass metabolism.
Question 7: What does OSHA's 'General Duty Clause' (Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act) require of employers?
- Post OSHA notices in a prominent workplace location
- Provide a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious harm (Correct answer)
- Maintain OSHA 300 logs for all recordable injuries
- Conduct annual workplace safety audits
Correct answer: Provide a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious harm
The General Duty Clause requires employers to provide a workplace free from recognized serious hazards even when no specific OSHA standard applies.
CHMM Occupational Health And Safety 3
A confined space is classified as 'permit-required' under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146 if it has which characteristic?