Mixed Deck — All COSS Topics Flashcards

The Severity Rate formula uses which unit instead of recordable cases?

Answer: Total days charged

Severity Rate = (Total days charged × 200,000) / Total hours worked, using charged days to measure impact rather than simply counting incidents.

A safety program's 'scope' document should primarily define:

Answer: The boundaries of the program including which operations, locations, and personnel are covered

A scope document defines the boundaries—what operations, sites, and personnel the safety program applies to—so all stakeholders understand coverage.

What does 'audit scope' primarily define in the context of safety auditing?

Answer: The boundaries and extent of the audit including locations, activities, and time period

Audit scope defines what is included in the audit — which sites, processes, time periods, and organizational units will be examined.

What is the primary purpose of re-enacting or reconstructing an accident during an investigation?

Answer: To verify witness accounts and identify physical cause factors

Accident reconstruction helps investigators verify witness statements and identify physical and environmental factors that contributed to the event.

Under OSHA's Lockout/Tagout standard (29 CFR 1910.147), an 'authorized employee' is defined as one who:

Answer: Locks out or tags out machines to perform servicing

An authorized employee is specifically the person who locks out or tags out the machine or equipment to perform service or maintenance.

An employee is using a portable extension ladder to access a roof landing. To comply with OSHA 1910.23, the side rails of the ladder must extend at least how far above the upper landing surface?

Answer: 3 feet

OSHA 1910.23(c)(11) states that portable ladders used to gain access to an upper landing surface must have side rails that extend at least 3 feet above that surface to provide a safe handhold for employees stepping on and off the ladder.

To reach a Position of Safety, as a COSS leading a group, how many lines can your group cross?

Answer: 1

Explanation: When working as a COSS with a group, you should ensure that your group crosses only one line to reach a Position of Safety. This helps minimize the risks associated with multiple line crossings and ensures safer operations.

An employer implements a lockout/tagout program. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147, how often must periodic inspections of energy control procedures be conducted?

Answer: Annually

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 requires annual periodic inspections of each energy control procedure to ensure its adequacy and employee proficiency.

An employee sprains their ankle at work on a Wednesday. A physician recommends the employee stay home for the rest of Wednesday, all of Thursday, and all of Friday. The employee is normally scheduled to be off on Saturday and Sunday and returns to full duty on Monday. How many days away from work should be recorded on the OSHA 300 Log?

Answer: 4

Per 29 CFR 1904.7(b)(3), you must count the number of calendar days the employee was unable to work, regardless of whether they were scheduled to work or not. The count begins the day after the injury occurred. Therefore, Thursday (1), Friday (2), Saturday (3), and Sunday (4) are all counted, for a total of 4 days.

What is the purpose of the OSHA 301 Incident Report (or equivalent)?

Answer: To provide detailed information about each individual recordable case

The OSHA 301 Incident Report captures detailed information about each individual recordable injury or illness, supplementing the OSHA 300 Log.

A safety manager is calculating the company's annual TRIR. Which of the following data points should be EXCLUDED from the 'Total Hours Worked' calculation?

Answer: Paid vacation and sick leave hours for all employees.

When calculating total hours worked for incident rates, only actual hours worked should be included. Time off, such as paid vacation, sick leave, or holidays, is not included in the calculation. Hours worked by temporary or salaried employees are included.

What is the primary purpose of a 'change analysis' or 'Management of Change' (MOC) process in hazard recognition?

Answer: Identify new hazards introduced by process, equipment, or material changes before implementation

MOC systematically evaluates changes before they are implemented to identify and control new hazards they may introduce.

How often should employers conduct evaluations of each powered industrial truck operator's performance?

Answer: At least once every 3 years

Explanation: According to safety regulations, employers are required to evaluate each powered industrial truck operator's performance at least once every three years. This evaluation ensures that operators maintain their skills and competence in operating powered industrial trucks safely, reducing the risk of accidents in the workplace.

According to OSHA, which of the following is a leading indicator of workplace safety performance?

Answer: Number of near-miss reports submitted

Near-miss reports are a leading indicator because they measure proactive safety engagement before injuries occur, unlike lagging indicators that measure outcomes.

A worker commutes by company vehicle and is injured in a traffic accident. Is this recordable?

Answer: Yes if the vehicle was being used for work tasks at the time

Commuting in a company vehicle is not work-related; however, if the employee was running a work errand or transporting materials, the injury would be recordable.

When should the accident scene be altered or cleaned up after a serious workplace injury?

Answer: Only after OSHA has been notified and, if required, granted permission

For fatalities and hospitalizations, OSHA regulations require employers to notify OSHA and generally preserve the scene until OSHA inspects or grants permission to proceed.

Which element should ALWAYS be included when writing a training objective using the ABCD model?

Answer: Audience, Behavior, Condition, Degree

The ABCD model stands for Audience (who), Behavior (what they will do), Condition (under what circumstances), and Degree (to what standard of performance).

A safety program audit differs from a safety inspection in that an audit:

Answer: Evaluates the effectiveness and compliance of the overall safety management system

An audit evaluates the safety management system's effectiveness and compliance with standards, while an inspection focuses on identifying physical workplace hazards.

Which of the following BEST describes a 'teachable moment' in a workplace safety context?

Answer: An opportunity to deliver training immediately following a near-miss or incident

A teachable moment occurs right after an incident or near-miss, when employees are most receptive to understanding what went wrong and how to prevent recurrence.

A safety trainer notices that new employees consistently fail the same post-training quiz question about lockout/tagout procedures. The BEST corrective action is to:

Answer: Revise the instructional content and delivery for that specific topic

Consistent failures on a specific item indicate a gap in instruction, so the training content or method for that topic should be revised.