BAP Risk Management & Mitigation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does a risk register primarily document during a building assessment project?
- Cost estimates for all proposed improvements
- Identified risks, their likelihood, impact, and planned responses (Correct answer)
- Contractor license numbers and insurance certificates
- Utility billing history for the past 12 months
Correct answer: Identified risks, their likelihood, impact, and planned responses
A risk register is a living document cataloging each identified risk with its probability, consequence, and mitigation plan.
Question 2: A home with an attached garage poses which SPECIFIC health risk that a building analyst must assess?
- Excessive daylighting from garage windows
- Carbon monoxide migration from vehicle exhaust into living spaces (Correct answer)
- Reduced acoustic comfort near the garage wall
- Increased heating load from uninsulated garage floor
Correct answer: Carbon monoxide migration from vehicle exhaust into living spaces
Carbon monoxide from vehicles and stored equipment can migrate through unsealed gaps between the garage and living area.
Question 3: Which mitigation measure is most effective at reducing radon entry through a slab-on-grade foundation?
- Sealing interior wall cracks with hydraulic cement
- Sub-slab depressurization system (SSD) (Correct answer)
- Increasing mechanical ventilation rate
- Installing a vapor barrier on the interior floor surface
Correct answer: Sub-slab depressurization system (SSD)
Sub-slab depressurization reverses the pressure differential that drives radon into the building through the slab.
Question 4: When a blower door test reveals a house is too tight to meet ASHRAE 62.2 ventilation requirements, the building analyst should recommend:
- Relaxing the air-sealing scope to leave intentional leaks
- Installing a mechanical ventilation system to ensure adequate fresh air (Correct answer)
- Advising the client to open windows daily
- Increasing the HVAC system capacity to compensate
Correct answer: Installing a mechanical ventilation system to ensure adequate fresh air
Mechanical ventilation ensures controlled, filterable fresh air without relying on unpredictable infiltration.
Question 5: The presence of knob-and-tube wiring in an attic creates which risk specifically tied to insulation work?
- Reduced insulation R-value due to electromagnetic fields
- Fire hazard if insulation covers the wiring and prevents heat dissipation (Correct answer)
- Grounding faults that trip GFCI outlets on the floor below
- Higher blower door CFM50 readings from wire penetrations
Correct answer: Fire hazard if insulation covers the wiring and prevents heat dissipation
Knob-and-tube wiring relies on air circulation for cooling; covering it with insulation can cause overheating and fire.
Question 6: Which condition would cause a building analyst to DEFER weatherization work until remediation is complete?
- Attic insulation depth below current code minimum
- Active mold growth on basement rim joists (Correct answer)
- HVAC filter that has not been replaced in 6 months
- Single-pane windows with broken seals
Correct answer: Active mold growth on basement rim joists
Active mold represents a health hazard and indicates underlying moisture problems that must be resolved before adding insulation or air sealing.
Question 7: A risk mitigation strategy that shifts financial consequences to a third party is called:
- Risk avoidance
- Risk reduction
- Risk transfer (Correct answer)
- Risk acceptance
Correct answer: Risk transfer
Risk transfer moves the financial burden of a loss to another party, typically through insurance or contractual indemnification.
BAP Risk Management & Mitigation 3
What does a risk register primarily document during a building assessment project?