OFA Injury Management & Workplace Safety Procedures 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A worker suffers a heat stroke on a hot summer day. Which set of symptoms differentiates heat stroke from heat exhaustion?
- Heavy sweating, pale skin, and dizziness
- Red, hot, dry skin, confusion, and high body temperature above 104°F (Correct answer)
- Muscle cramps, nausea, and weakness
- Cool, clammy skin with a rapid weak pulse
Correct answer: Red, hot, dry skin, confusion, and high body temperature above 104°F
Heat stroke presents with hot, dry skin, altered mental status, and a core temperature above 104°F — differentiating it from heat exhaustion.
Question 2: What is the PRIMARY purpose of a workplace Safety Data Sheet (SDS) in the context of first aid?
- To document injured workers for insurance claims
- To provide first aiders with hazard and emergency treatment information for chemical exposures (Correct answer)
- To list all employees who are trained in first aid
- To outline evacuation routes and assembly points
Correct answer: To provide first aiders with hazard and emergency treatment information for chemical exposures
Section 4 of an SDS contains first aid measures specific to chemical exposure, guiding responders on appropriate treatment.
Question 3: An employee's hand is caught in machinery and partially amputated. After controlling bleeding, what should the OFA attendant do with the amputated part?
- Place the part directly on ice to freeze it for preservation
- Wrap the part in a moist sterile dressing, place in a sealed bag, and keep cool near ice (Correct answer)
- Discard the part as it cannot be reattached in most cases
- Submerge the amputated part in saline solution
Correct answer: Wrap the part in a moist sterile dressing, place in a sealed bag, and keep cool near ice
Amputated parts should be wrapped in moist sterile dressings, sealed in a bag, and kept cool (not frozen) for potential surgical reattachment.
Question 4: Which type of wound carries the HIGHEST risk of infection in a workplace setting?
- A clean surgical incision
- An abrasion on clean skin
- A puncture wound from a rusty nail (Correct answer)
- A shallow paper cut on the finger
Correct answer: A puncture wound from a rusty nail
Puncture wounds from contaminated objects like rusty nails carry a high risk of deep infection including tetanus.
Question 5: A worker is found unconscious with a suspected spinal injury after a fall. What is the correct first aid approach?
- Roll the worker immediately onto their side to open the airway
- Move the worker to a comfortable position while waiting for EMS
- Minimize movement and stabilize the head and neck in the position found (Correct answer)
- Flex the neck forward to open the airway and check for breathing
Correct answer: Minimize movement and stabilize the head and neck in the position found
Suspected spinal injuries require minimizing movement and manually stabilizing the head and neck in the position found.
Question 6: Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, what symbol on a chemical label indicates an acute health hazard?
- A flame symbol
- An exclamation mark symbol (Correct answer)
- A skull and crossbones symbol
- A corroding surface symbol
Correct answer: An exclamation mark symbol
The exclamation mark GHS pictogram indicates less severe but significant hazards such as skin irritation or acute toxicity.
Question 7: A worker is experiencing a suspected heart attack. Which symptom is considered an ATYPICAL presentation, especially common in female workers?
- Crushing chest pain radiating to the left arm
- Jaw pain with a sensation of heaviness
- Sudden nausea, fatigue, and shortness of breath without chest pain (Correct answer)
- Pain in the left shoulder and upper back
Correct answer: Sudden nausea, fatigue, and shortness of breath without chest pain
Women often experience heart attacks with atypical symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, and shortness of breath rather than classic chest pain.
A worker suffers a heat stroke on a hot summer day.
Which set of symptoms differentiates heat stroke from heat exhaustion?