HSE Emergency Response Planning and Incident Investigation 2 ā Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which document formally assigns roles and responsibilities during an emergency response?
- Incident Action Plan (IAP) (Correct answer)
- Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)
- Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Correct answer: Incident Action Plan (IAP)
The Incident Action Plan defines objectives, strategies, and role assignments for each operational period of an emergency.
Question 2: During incident investigation, the '5 Whys' technique is primarily used to:
- Document witness statements
- Identify root causes by repeatedly asking why a failure occurred (Correct answer)
- Rank hazard severity
- Calculate the cost of an incident
Correct answer: Identify root causes by repeatedly asking why a failure occurred
The 5 Whys method traces a problem back to its root cause by iteratively asking 'why' at each causal level.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a 'hot wash' conducted immediately after an emergency exercise?
- To decontaminate personnel and equipment
- To capture immediate lessons learned while events are fresh (Correct answer)
- To update the emergency response plan
- To brief upper management on financial losses
Correct answer: To capture immediate lessons learned while events are fresh
A hot wash is an immediate after-action discussion held right after an exercise to capture real-time observations and lessons.
Question 4: Under OSHA's HAZWOPER standard (29 CFR 1910.120), first responders at the 'operations level' are trained to:
- Investigate the source and stop the release
- Perform advanced cleanup of hazardous materials
- Contain the release from a safe distance without stopping it (Correct answer)
- Provide medical treatment to contaminated victims
Correct answer: Contain the release from a safe distance without stopping it
Operations-level responders are trained to containānot stopāa hazmat release from a safe defensive position.
Question 5: Which element is typically included in a site emergency response plan but NOT in a community emergency response plan?
- Evacuation routes
- Facility-specific chemical inventory and shutdown procedures (Correct answer)
- Communication with local fire departments
- Sheltering-in-place protocols
Correct answer: Facility-specific chemical inventory and shutdown procedures
Site-specific plans include detailed facility shutdown procedures and chemical inventories that are unique to the facility's operations.
Question 6: The Haddon Matrix is used in incident investigation to analyze:
- The sequence of human errors leading to a decision failure
- The interaction between host, agent, and environment across pre-event, event, and post-event phases (Correct answer)
- Near-miss frequency rates compared to industry benchmarks
- The cost-benefit ratio of corrective actions
Correct answer: The interaction between host, agent, and environment across pre-event, event, and post-event phases
The Haddon Matrix maps countermeasures across the hostāagentāenvironment triad and the three phases of an incident.
Question 7: When an emergency response plan requires an 'accountability system,' what is its primary function?
- Track spending on emergency resources
- Know the location and status of all personnel during an emergency (Correct answer)
- Record the chain of custody for evidence
- Log all communications with regulatory agencies
Correct answer: Know the location and status of all personnel during an emergency
Personnel accountability systems ensure emergency commanders know exactly who is on-scene, where they are, and whether they are safe.
HSE Emergency Response Planning and Incident Investigation 2
Which document formally assigns roles and responsibilities during an emergency response?