Emergency Management and Safety Flashcards
7 cards from real UMC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Emergency Management and Safety flashcards as text
What is the recommended minimum distance utility crews should maintain from an energized overhead power line when using non-insulated equipment?
Answer: 10 feet for lines up to 50 kV
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.333 and NESC specify a minimum approach distance of 10 feet for non-qualified workers near energized lines up to 50 kV.
In emergency water system management, what is the primary reason for maintaining a minimum residual chlorine of 0.2 mg/L throughout the distribution system?
Answer: To prevent microbial regrowth and protect against contamination between the plant and the tap
A minimum 0.2 mg/L residual chlorine throughout the system acts as a barrier against microbial contamination introduced after treatment.
Which emergency classification level in the Electric Sector Incident Severity Scale (ESISS) indicates a widespread outage affecting multiple states and requiring federal coordination?
Answer: Level 5 — Emergency
Level 5 in ESISS represents the most severe incidents with multi-state impact requiring federal government coordination and emergency declarations.
A utility manager must decide whether to issue a precautionary boil water notice after a water main break. Which factor most strongly supports issuing the notice?
Answer: System pressure dropped below 20 psi and the break occurred in an area with known contamination risk
A pressure loss below 20 psi combined with a high contamination-risk area is a strong indicator that contaminants may have entered the system, warranting a precautionary notice.
What is the purpose of the National Terrorist Financing Operations Section (NTFOS) reports in utility security planning?
Answer: To provide utilities with intelligence about credible threats to critical infrastructure
Federal threat intelligence products help utilities understand credible threats to water and wastewater infrastructure so they can adjust security posture accordingly.
Which action is the FIRST step in the OSHA lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) procedure before performing maintenance on energized utility equipment?
Answer: Notify all affected employees that equipment will be shut down and why
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 requires notifying affected employees before initiating shutdown so they are aware of and prepared for the de-energization.
During a prolonged power outage, a wastewater utility's lift stations are at risk of overflow. Which emergency measure is typically implemented first?
Answer: Deploy portable generators to maintain pump operations at highest-risk stations
Portable generators are deployed first to the most critical lift stations to maintain pumping and prevent sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs).