CHC Safety & Risk Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During healthcare construction, which interim life safety measure (ILSM) is typically required when a fire alarm system is impaired for more than 4 hours?
- Increase frequency of fire drills in affected areas
- Shut down the construction project immediately
- Notify the local fire marshal and evacuate the building
- Post a 24-hour fire watch in the affected area (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Post a 24-hour fire watch in the affected area
A 24-hour fire watch is required when a fire alarm system is impaired for more than 4 hours per NFPA 101 and Joint Commission standards.
Question 2: A CHC project team is planning demolition work adjacent to an occupied ICU. What is the PRIMARY risk assessment concern?
- Noise levels exceeding OSHA standards
- Vibration potentially affecting sensitive medical equipment
- Dust and airborne contaminants reaching immunocompromised patients (Correct answer)
- Temporary power interruptions to non-critical outlets
Correct answer: Dust and airborne contaminants reaching immunocompromised patients
Airborne contaminants such as Aspergillus from construction dust pose the greatest infection control risk to immunocompromised ICU patients.
Question 3: Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926, what is the minimum fall protection requirement for construction workers on a healthcare rooftop at 8 feet above a lower level?
- Safety nets must be installed below the work area
- Personal fall arrest systems, guardrails, or safety nets are required (Correct answer)
- Warning lines at 6 feet from the edge are sufficient
- Fall protection is only required above 10 feet on rooftops
Correct answer: Personal fall arrest systems, guardrails, or safety nets are required
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.502 requires fall protection at 6 feet or more in construction via guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems.
Question 4: What document must a CHC contractor maintain on-site to demonstrate compliance with hazardous material handling for asbestos abatement?
- A completed EPA Form 8700-22
- A written asbestos abatement plan and worker training records (Correct answer)
- A signed statement from the facility safety officer
- OSHA Form 300 injury log updated daily
Correct answer: A written asbestos abatement plan and worker training records
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101 requires a written asbestos abatement plan, air monitoring records, and documentation of worker training and medical surveillance.
Question 5: A healthcare facility risk assessment identifies a moderate probability of disrupting oxygen piping during renovation. Which risk control hierarchy step should be implemented FIRST?
- Provide workers with supplemental oxygen respirators
- Eliminate the hazard by rerouting work away from oxygen lines (Correct answer)
- Install administrative controls limiting work hours near piping
- Post warning signage near all oxygen line locations
Correct answer: Eliminate the hazard by rerouting work away from oxygen lines
The hierarchy of controls mandates elimination of the hazard as the first and most effective step before considering engineering or administrative controls.
Question 6: Which agency's guidelines does a CHC primarily follow when performing a Pre-Construction Risk Assessment (PCRA) in a hospital?
- OSHA and the EPA jointly
- The Joint Commission (TJC) and NFPA (Correct answer)
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) exclusively
- State Department of Health only
Correct answer: The Joint Commission (TJC) and NFPA
The Joint Commission Environment of Care standards and NFPA 101 provide the primary framework for PCRAs in accredited healthcare facilities.
Question 7: When a contractor breaches a negative pressure containment barrier in an ICRA Class IV area, what is the IMMEDIATE required action?
- Notify the project manager and document the breach in the daily log
- Stop work, reseal the breach, notify infection control, and assess patient impact (Correct answer)
- Increase air changes in the adjacent occupied space temporarily
- Relocate patients within 2 hours as a precautionary measure
Correct answer: Stop work, reseal the breach, notify infection control, and assess patient impact
A containment breach requires immediate work stoppage, resealing, notification of infection control, and patient exposure assessment per ICRA protocols.
CHC Safety & Risk Management 2
During healthcare construction, which interim life safety measure (ILSM) is typically required when a fire alarm system is impaired for more than 4 hours?