aPHR Workplace Safety 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal agency administers workers' compensation benefits for federal civilian employees?
- OSHA
- Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) (Correct answer)
- Social Security Administration
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Correct answer: Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP)
The OWCP within the Department of Labor administers the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), providing workers' compensation for federal civilian workers.
Question 2: An employer wants to reduce ergonomic injuries among warehouse workers. Which intervention directly addresses the root cause of musculoskeletal disorders?
- Requiring workers to sign a liability waiver
- Redesigning workstations to reduce repetitive motion and awkward postures (Correct answer)
- Providing ibuprofen in the first-aid kit
- Requiring workers to report pain only at the end of shifts
Correct answer: Redesigning workstations to reduce repetitive motion and awkward postures
Workstation redesign is an engineering control that addresses the root cause of musculoskeletal disorders by reducing exposure to ergonomic risk factors.
Question 3: Under OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134), before an employee is required to use a respirator, the employer must ensure:
- The employee signs a voluntary use acknowledgment
- A physician or licensed health care professional (PLHCP) provides medical clearance (Correct answer)
- The employee passes a written safety test
- The respirator is approved by the state safety board
Correct answer: A physician or licensed health care professional (PLHCP) provides medical clearance
OSHA requires that employees receive medical clearance from a PLHCP before being assigned a respirator, ensuring they are physically capable of wearing it safely.
Question 4: The 'hierarchy of controls' places administrative controls in which position relative to engineering controls and PPE?
- More effective than engineering controls but less effective than PPE
- More effective than PPE but less effective than engineering controls (Correct answer)
- Equally effective as both engineering controls and PPE
- More effective than both engineering controls and PPE
Correct answer: More effective than PPE but less effective than engineering controls
Administrative controls (e.g., job rotation, training, work rules) are less effective than engineering controls because they rely on human behavior, but more effective than PPE.
Question 5: Which OSHA standard requires employers in construction and general industry to protect employees working near open-sided floors or holes from fall hazards?
- OSHA Walking-Working Surfaces standard (29 CFR 1910 Subpart D) (Correct answer)
- OSHA Machine Guarding standard (29 CFR 1910 Subpart O)
- OSHA Electrical standard (29 CFR 1910 Subpart S)
- OSHA Hazardous Materials standard (29 CFR 1910 Subpart H)
Correct answer: OSHA Walking-Working Surfaces standard (29 CFR 1910 Subpart D)
OSHA's Walking-Working Surfaces standard (29 CFR 1910 Subpart D) covers fall protection requirements including guardrails, safety nets, and personal fall arrest systems.
Question 6: A safety data sheet (SDS) contains how many standardized sections under the GHS-aligned HazCom standard?
- 8 sections
- 12 sections
- 16 sections (Correct answer)
- 20 sections
Correct answer: 16 sections
Under OSHA's HazCom 2012 standard aligned with GHS, safety data sheets must contain exactly 16 standardized sections covering hazard identification, composition, handling, and more.
Question 7: Which workers' compensation term describes the employee's return to work in a modified capacity while still recovering from a workplace injury?
- Permanent partial disability
- Light duty or transitional duty assignment (Correct answer)
- Maximum medical improvement (MMI)
- Temporary total disability
Correct answer: Light duty or transitional duty assignment
Light duty or transitional duty allows injured workers to return to work in a modified role that accommodates their physical restrictions while they recover.
aPHR Workplace Safety 4
Which federal agency administers workers' compensation benefits for federal civilian employees?