CHST - Construction Health and Safety Technician Safety Program Management Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A worker trips over a poorly routed extension cord but catches themselves, resulting in no injury or damage. According to safety management principles, what is the primary purpose of investigating this near-miss incident?
- To identify and correct the root causes to prevent a more serious incident in the future. (Correct answer)
- To discipline the worker responsible for creating the trip hazard.
- To document the event for the company's insurance carrier.
- To add the incident to the OSHA 300 log for regulatory compliance.
Correct answer: To identify and correct the root causes to prevent a more serious incident in the future.
The primary goal of a near-miss investigation is to be proactive. By identifying the root causes of an event that could have caused injury—such as poor housekeeping or lack of cable management—a company can implement corrective actions to prevent a future, potentially severe, accident from occurring.
Question 2: A safety manager wants to evaluate the effectiveness of the company's safety program using proactive measures. Which of the following is the best example of a 'leading indicator' of safety performance?
- The company's Experience Modification Rate (EMR) for the past year.
- The total number of OSHA recordable incidents from the previous quarter.
- The percentage of required weekly job site safety inspections completed on time. (Correct answer)
- The annual cost of workers' compensation claims.
Correct answer: The percentage of required weekly job site safety inspections completed on time.
Leading indicators are proactive, preventive, and predictive measures that monitor safety performance before an incident occurs. The percentage of inspections completed on time is a measure of proactive safety activities. The other options—EMR, number of recordable incidents, and workers' compensation costs—are all lagging indicators, as they measure failures that have already happened.
Question 3: A construction crew is tasked with a non-routine, high-risk job of replacing a rooftop HVAC unit. What is the most appropriate safety management tool to use beforehand to systematically identify potential hazards and establish safe work procedures for this specific task?
- A review of the company's Emergency Action Plan (EAP).
- A Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) or Job Safety Analysis (JSA). (Correct answer)
- A post-incident investigation report.
- A weekly safety toolbox talk on general housekeeping.
Correct answer: A Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) or Job Safety Analysis (JSA).
A Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), also known as a Job Safety Analysis (JSA), is a technique that breaks a specific job down into its component steps to identify hazards before they occur and determine how to control them. This makes it the ideal tool for planning a non-routine, high-risk task.
Question 4: An effective safety and health program requires management commitment and employee involvement. Which of the following actions best demonstrates a commitment to employee involvement?
- Holding managers solely responsible for all safety inspections.
- Developing a disciplinary policy for employees who report hazards.
- Issuing a written safety policy signed by the company president.
- Establishing a joint labor-management safety committee that meets regularly. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Establishing a joint labor-management safety committee that meets regularly.
Employee involvement is a critical element of an effective safety program. A joint labor-management safety committee provides a formal structure for workers to participate in hazard identification, program development, and decision-making, ensuring their voices are heard and valued. While a written policy is a part of management commitment, the committee actively demonstrates employee involvement.
Question 5: A member of a framing crew gets a wood splinter in their finger. The site supervisor, who is trained in first aid, successfully removes the splinter with a pair of tweezers and applies a simple adhesive bandage. The employee immediately returns to work. How should this event be classified for OSHA recordkeeping purposes?
- An OSHA recordable injury because it required treatment from a supervisor.
- A first-aid incident that does not need to be recorded on the OSHA 300 log. (Correct answer)
- A near-miss because no work time was lost.
- An OSHA recordable injury because it was caused by a work task.
Correct answer: A first-aid incident that does not need to be recorded on the OSHA 300 log.
According to OSHA 29 CFR 1904.7(b)(5)(ii), removing splinters from areas other than the eye by simple means like tweezers and using wound coverings like bandages are specifically listed as 'first aid'. Since the treatment did not go beyond first aid, the incident is not recordable on the OSHA 300 log, regardless of who provided the treatment.
Question 6: According to OSHA standard 29 CFR 1926.35, an employer's Emergency Action Plan (EAP) must include several key elements. Which of the following is a required element of an EAP?
- Procedures for accounting for all employees after an evacuation. (Correct answer)
- A list of all hazardous chemicals stored on site.
- The schedule for routine fire extinguisher maintenance.
- The company's policy on personal use of company vehicles.
Correct answer: Procedures for accounting for all employees after an evacuation.
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.35(b) explicitly requires that an Emergency Action Plan include, at a minimum, procedures to account for all employees after an emergency evacuation has been completed. This ensures that everyone has evacuated safely and helps direct rescue efforts if someone is missing.
CHST - Construction Health and Safety Technician Safety Program Management Questions and Answers 1
A worker trips over a poorly routed extension cord but catches themselves, resulting in no injury or damage.
According to safety management principles, what is the primary purpose of investigating this near-miss incident?