ASP ASP Ergonomics & Occupational Health 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ergonomic risk factor is associated with the force exerted on the body during repetitive lifting tasks?
- Static posture
- Contact stress
- Forceful exertion (Correct answer)
- Vibration
Correct answer: Forceful exertion
Forceful exertion is an ergonomic risk factor involving the muscular force required to perform tasks such as heavy lifting or gripping.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of the NIOSH Lifting Equation?
- Calculate the maximum allowable noise exposure for workers
- Determine the recommended weight limit for manual lifting tasks (Correct answer)
- Establish permissible exposure limits for chemical hazards
- Assess the risk of heat-related illness during outdoor work
Correct answer: Determine the recommended weight limit for manual lifting tasks
The NIOSH Lifting Equation calculates a Recommended Weight Limit (RWL) to help reduce the risk of low back injuries from manual material handling.
Question 3: Which occupational health condition results from prolonged exposure to repetitive motion, forceful exertion, and awkward postures and affects the muscles, tendons, and nerves?
- Pneumoconiosis
- Musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) (Correct answer)
- Occupational asthma
- Contact dermatitis
Correct answer: Musculoskeletal disorder (MSD)
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and joints caused by ergonomic stressors like repetition and awkward postures.
Question 4: What is 'whole-body vibration' as an ergonomic hazard?
- Vibration transmitted to the entire body through a seated or standing surface, such as from operating heavy equipment (Correct answer)
- High-frequency hand vibration from power tool use
- Noise-induced vibration affecting the inner ear
- Vibration from standing on resonant floor surfaces in factories
Correct answer: Vibration transmitted to the entire body through a seated or standing surface, such as from operating heavy equipment
Whole-body vibration is transmitted through a supporting surface to the entire body and is commonly experienced by workers operating forklifts, trucks, or construction equipment.
Question 5: Which of the following is an administrative control for reducing ergonomic risk factors?
- Installing adjustable workstations
- Using mechanical lifting assists
- Rotating workers between tasks to reduce repetitive strain exposure (Correct answer)
- Redesigning tools to reduce grip force
Correct answer: Rotating workers between tasks to reduce repetitive strain exposure
Job rotation is an administrative control that limits the time any single worker is exposed to ergonomic stressors by alternating task assignments.
Question 6: What does the 'lifting index' (LI) in the NIOSH Lifting Equation represent?
- The maximum weight that can be lifted safely under any conditions
- A relative estimate of physical stress associated with a specific lifting task (Correct answer)
- The number of lifts per hour that a worker can safely perform
- A classification of lifting zones from floor to knuckle height
Correct answer: A relative estimate of physical stress associated with a specific lifting task
The Lifting Index is a ratio of the actual load lifted to the Recommended Weight Limit, providing a relative estimate of musculoskeletal stress.
ASP ASP Ergonomics & Occupational Health 1
Which ergonomic risk factor is associated with the force exerted on the body during repetitive lifting tasks?