CHST CHST - Construction Health and Safety Technician Safety Program Management Questions and Answers 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to OSHA 29 CFR 1926, what is the minimum frequency for inspecting scaffolding on construction sites?
- Weekly, by a competent person
- Before each work shift, by a competent person (Correct answer)
- Monthly, by a qualified engineer
- After any weather event, by the site superintendent
Correct answer: Before each work shift, by a competent person
OSHA 1926.451 requires scaffolds to be inspected before each work shift by a competent person and after any occurrence that could affect structural integrity.
Question 2: Which element is considered the foundation of an effective safety culture on a construction project?
- Mandatory zero-tolerance disciplinary policies
- Visible, consistent commitment to safety by senior management (Correct answer)
- A comprehensive written safety plan exceeding 100 pages
- Frequent OSHA inspections and citations
Correct answer: Visible, consistent commitment to safety by senior management
Research consistently shows that visible management commitment is the most critical driver of a positive safety culture.
Question 3: A contractor must manage a scope change that introduces new chemical exposures on-site. What is the FIRST action the safety technician should take?
- Order appropriate PPE for the anticipated chemicals
- Obtain and review SDSs for the new chemicals (Correct answer)
- Notify OSHA of the change in scope via their online portal
- Update the site's emergency response plan
Correct answer: Obtain and review SDSs for the new chemicals
Reviewing SDSs first provides the hazard information needed to determine appropriate controls, PPE, and emergency measures.
Question 4: Which metric BEST demonstrates that a safety incentive program is having a negative effect on safety culture?
- Increase in voluntary near-miss reports
- Decrease in TRIR over the program period
- Reduction in reported minor injuries despite stable incident conditions (Correct answer)
- Higher worker participation in toolbox talks
Correct answer: Reduction in reported minor injuries despite stable incident conditions
A drop in reported minor injuries without corresponding improvement in conditions suggests workers are under-reporting to protect incentive rewards.
Question 5: Under the ANSI/ASSP Z10 standard, what is the intended outcome of the 'Plan-Do-Check-Act' (PDCA) cycle in a safety management system?
- To meet minimum OSHA compliance requirements each year
- To continually improve occupational health and safety performance over time (Correct answer)
- To transfer liability from the employer to subcontractors
- To document corrective actions for insurance auditors
Correct answer: To continually improve occupational health and safety performance over time
The PDCA cycle in Z10 is designed to drive continual improvement of the SMS by systematically evaluating and refining safety processes.
Question 6: Which condition would MOST likely warrant stopping work on a construction site?
- A worker fails to wear safety glasses during a low-risk task
- An imminent danger condition is identified that cannot be immediately corrected (Correct answer)
- A subcontractor's toolbox talk ran five minutes short
- A scheduled OSHA inspection is announced for the following day
Correct answer: An imminent danger condition is identified that cannot be immediately corrected
Imminent danger — conditions likely to cause death or serious physical harm — requires immediate work stoppage until the hazard is abated.
Question 7: A safety program evaluation reveals that employees can recite safety rules but frequently take unsafe shortcuts. This gap MOST likely indicates a failure in which program element?
- Hazard identification procedures
- Safety culture and reinforcement of safe behaviors (Correct answer)
- Written safety program documentation
- Personal protective equipment procurement
Correct answer: Safety culture and reinforcement of safe behaviors
Knowing the rules but not following them points to a cultural or reinforcement gap, not a knowledge or documentation problem.
CHST CHST - Construction Health and Safety Technician Safety Program Management Questions and Answers 4
According to OSHA 29 CFR 1926, what is the minimum frequency for inspecting scaffolding on construction sites?