ASP - Associate Safety Professional Risk Assessment and Control Questions and Answers

Question 1

A safety professional is conducting a risk assessment for a new manufacturing process. After identifying hazards, the next step is to analyze and evaluate the risk. Which of the following is the BEST representation of the fundamental components of risk analysis?

Accepted Answer

The probability of an event occurring and the severity of its consequences

Answer

Risk is fundamentally characterized by two components: the likelihood (or probability) that a hazardous event will occur, and the severity of the harm or damage (consequences) if it does. A risk matrix is a common tool used to plot these two factors to prioritize risks.

Question 2

A maintenance team is tasked with replacing a faulty valve on a chemical processing line. To control the hazard of chemical exposure, the supervisor ensures the line is drained, flushed with water, and then air-gapped before the work begins. According to the hierarchy of controls, this approach is an example of which control measure?

Accepted Answer

Elimination

Answer

By physically removing the hazardous chemical from the section of the pipe where work is being performed, the hazard has been eliminated. This is the most effective method in the hierarchy of controls.

Question 3

When performing a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), what is the correct sequence of steps?

Accepted Answer

Prioritize jobs, break the job into steps, identify hazards, recommend controls.

Answer

The standard process for a JHA involves first prioritizing which jobs to analyze (based on risk), then breaking the selected job into a sequence of steps, then identifying the potential hazards associated with each step, and finally, determining preventive measures and controls for those hazards.

Question 4

A safety manager at a construction site observes workers using a solvent with a high volatile organic compound (VOC) content for cleaning tools. To reduce the risk of respiratory irritation and long-term health effects, the manager sources and provides a low-VOC, water-based cleaner that performs the same function. This action is an example of which type of control from the hierarchy of controls?

Accepted Answer

Substitution

Answer

Substitution involves replacing a hazardous material or process with a less hazardous one. In this scenario, the high-VOC solvent (a greater hazard) is replaced by a low-VOC, water-based cleaner (a lesser hazard).

Question 5

Which of the following risk assessment techniques is a graphical method that visualizes the pathways from the causes of an event to its consequences, including the preventative and mitigative barriers?

Accepted Answer

Bowtie Analysis

Answer

Bowtie analysis is a diagrammatic way to describe and analyze the pathways of a risk from its causes to its consequences. The diagram is shaped like a bowtie, with the hazard/top event in the center, threats and preventative controls on the left, and consequences and mitigative controls on the right.

(ASP) Associate Safety Professional Practice Test

(ASP) Associate Safety Professional Practice Test

ASP - Associate Safety Professional Risk Assessment and Control Questions and Answers