Risk Assessment and Management Flashcards

Under OSHA's Process Safety Management standard (29 CFR 1910.119), how often must a process hazard analysis (PHA) be updated and revalidated?

Answer: At least every 5 years

1910.119(e)(6) requires the PHA to be updated and revalidated at least every five years.

Which PHA technique systematically applies guidewords such as 'no,' 'more,' 'less,' and 'reverse' to process design parameters?

Answer: HAZOP

HAZOP pairs guidewords with parameters like flow, pressure, and temperature to identify deviations from design intent.

Which of the following are the four steps of the EPA human health risk assessment process, in order?

Answer: Hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, risk characterization

EPA's framework, based on the 1983 NRC 'Red Book,' runs from hazard identification through risk characterization.

In the EPA dose-response framework, a hazard quotient (HQ) greater than 1 indicates what?

Answer: Exposure exceeds the reference dose and non-cancer effects may be possible

HQ is the exposure dose divided by the RfD, so a value above 1 signals potential for adverse non-cancer effects.

A risk that remains after all planned control measures have been implemented is called what?

Answer: Residual risk

Residual risk is what remains after controls are in place and must be judged acceptable or further reduced.

Which deductive analysis technique starts with an undesired top event and works backward using AND/OR logic gates to identify causes?

Answer: Fault tree analysis

Fault tree analysis is a top-down, deductive method using Boolean logic gates to trace causes of a top event.

A company buys an insurance policy to cover potential environmental cleanup liabilities. Which risk treatment strategy is this?

Answer: Risk transfer

Insurance shifts the financial consequences of a risk to another party, which is risk transfer.