BSIE Industrial Safety & Occupational Health 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does OSHA stand for and which federal department oversees it?
- Office of Safety and Health Administration, Department of Defense
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of Labor (Correct answer)
- Occupational Safety and Hazard Agency, Department of Commerce
- Operations Safety and Health Authority, Department of Health
Correct answer: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of Labor
OSHA stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration and operates under the U.S. Department of Labor to set and enforce workplace safety standards.
Question 2: What is the hierarchy of hazard controls, listed from most to least effective?
- PPE → Administrative → Engineering → Substitution → Elimination
- Elimination → Substitution → Engineering controls → Administrative controls → PPE (Correct answer)
- Administrative → PPE → Engineering → Substitution → Elimination
- Engineering → Elimination → PPE → Administrative → Substitution
Correct answer: Elimination → Substitution → Engineering controls → Administrative controls → PPE
NIOSH's hierarchy places elimination first (remove the hazard) through to PPE last (protect the worker), with each lower level being less inherently effective.
Question 3: What is a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedure used for?
- Securing storage areas against unauthorized access
- Controlling hazardous energy during equipment servicing and maintenance (Correct answer)
- Locking out employees who violate safety rules
- Tagging defective products before disposal
Correct answer: Controlling hazardous energy during equipment servicing and maintenance
LOTO procedures isolate and de-energize equipment from all hazardous energy sources before maintenance or servicing to prevent unexpected startup and injury.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)?
- To calculate workers' compensation premiums
- To systematically identify hazards associated with each step of a job task and develop controls (Correct answer)
- To evaluate employee job performance
- To document production efficiency metrics
Correct answer: To systematically identify hazards associated with each step of a job task and develop controls
A JHA breaks a job into steps, identifies the hazards at each step, and recommends controls—making it a proactive tool for preventing workplace injuries.
Question 5: What is the meaning of 'permissible exposure limit' (PEL) in occupational health?
- Maximum allowable noise level in decibels
- The legal limit for worker exposure to a chemical or physical hazard established by OSHA (Correct answer)
- The acceptable defect rate in product quality
- The maximum overtime hours allowed per week
Correct answer: The legal limit for worker exposure to a chemical or physical hazard established by OSHA
PELs are legally enforceable OSHA limits on worker exposure to hazardous substances or conditions, typically expressed as time-weighted averages.
Question 6: Which fire class involves flammable liquids such as gasoline and solvents?
- Class A
- Class B (Correct answer)
- Class C
- Class D
Correct answer: Class B
Class B fires involve flammable and combustible liquids (gasoline, oil, solvents) and require foam, CO2, or dry chemical extinguishers.
BSIE Industrial Safety & Occupational Health 1
What does OSHA stand for and which federal department oversees it?