CHST - Construction Health and Safety Technician Incident Investigation and Reporting Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is the primary purpose of conducting an incident investigation on a construction site?
- To assign blame and discipline responsible employees.
- To complete regulatory paperwork for OSHA and the company's insurer.
- To identify root causes and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence. (Correct answer)
- To determine the financial impact of the incident on the project's budget.
Correct answer: To identify root causes and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
The fundamental goal of an incident investigation is to determine the underlying or root causes to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. While completing paperwork is a requirement and financial impacts are a concern, the core purpose is prevention, not placing blame, which can discourage reporting and hinder the discovery of systemic safety issues.
Question 2: A scaffold collapses on a project, resulting in a serious injury. After ensuring the injured worker receives immediate medical attention, what should be the safety technician's highest priority?
- Begin interviewing witnesses before their memories fade.
- Notify the company's legal and public relations departments immediately.
- Start writing the OSHA 301 Incident Report form.
- Secure the scene to prevent further injuries and preserve evidence. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Secure the scene to prevent further injuries and preserve evidence.
After medical care is provided, the highest priority is to secure the incident scene. This involves using barricade tape or other means to prevent unauthorized entry, which protects others from potential hazards and preserves the physical evidence (e.g., failed components, tool positions) for the investigation. Other steps like interviews and reporting will follow but preserving the scene is the immediate next step.
Question 3: According to OSHA's recordkeeping rule (29 CFR 1904), which of the following work-related incidents is required to be recorded on the OSHA 300 Log?
- A carpenter gets a splinter and removes it with tweezers.
- A laborer requires a tetanus shot as a precaution after stepping on a nail.
- A welder experiences a burn that is treated with two days of restricted work duty. (Correct answer)
- An office worker at the construction trailer develops a headache.
Correct answer: A welder experiences a burn that is treated with two days of restricted work duty.
OSHA 29 CFR 1904.7 states that an injury or illness is recordable if it results in death, days away from work, restricted work, or transfer to another job. An injury resulting in restricted work duty meets this criterion. The other options are examples of first aid (splinter removal, tetanus shot) or are non-work-related/non-recordable symptoms without a diagnosis, and therefore are not required to be logged on the OSHA 300.
Question 4: An employer must report the in-patient hospitalization of an employee to OSHA. According to 29 CFR 1904.39, this report must be made within what timeframe?
- 8 hours of the incident.
- 24 hours of learning about the hospitalization. (Correct answer)
- 48 hours of the incident.
- 7 calendar days of the hospitalization.
Correct answer: 24 hours of learning about the hospitalization.
According to OSHA 29 CFR 1904.39(a)(2), an employer must report an in-patient hospitalization to OSHA within 24 hours of knowing about it. The 8-hour timeframe is for reporting a fatality. The clock for reporting starts when the employer learns of the qualifying event, not necessarily when the incident occurred.
Question 5: During a site walk, a safety technician observes a heavy tool fall from an upper level, landing just a few feet from a worker. No one was injured. Why is it crucial to investigate this "near miss"?
- It provides an opportunity to identify and correct system failures before they cause an injury. (Correct answer)
- It must be recorded on the OSHA 300 Log as a preventative measure.
- It is necessary for disciplining the worker who dropped the tool.
- It is required to be reported to OSHA within 24 hours.
Correct answer: It provides an opportunity to identify and correct system failures before they cause an injury.
A near miss is an indicator of a weakness in the safety system that could lead to a serious incident. Investigating it with the same rigor as an accident allows the company to identify root causes and implement corrective actions proactively, preventing a future event where an injury or property damage occurs. Near misses are not reportable to OSHA or recordable on the 300 Log unless an injury meeting the criteria occurs.
Question 6: When conducting interviews with witnesses after an incident, which of the following is a key principle for the investigator to follow?
- Interview all witnesses in a group to establish a consensus timeline.
- Ask leading questions to confirm the initial theory of what happened.
- Focus on discovering who was at fault to ensure accountability.
- Ask open-ended questions in a private, non-threatening setting. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Ask open-ended questions in a private, non-threatening setting.
Effective witness interviewing requires creating a comfortable environment where the witness feels safe to share information. Asking open-ended questions (e.g., "Tell me what you saw") in a private setting encourages a detailed, unbiased narrative. Group interviews can lead to peer pressure, leading questions can bias the answer, and focusing on blame discourages cooperation and can obscure the true root causes.
CHST - Construction Health and Safety Technician Incident Investigation and Reporting Questions and Answers 1
Which of the following is the primary purpose of conducting an incident investigation on a construction site?