CHSP Hazard Control Practices 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A healthcare safety professional is assessing indoor air quality after staff report headaches near a newly renovated wing. Which control measure addresses the root cause MOST directly?
- Distribute surgical masks to affected staff during working hours
- Increase the outdoor air ventilation rate in the renovated area (Correct answer)
- Rotate staff assignments so no one stays in the area all day
- Install air fresheners to mask odors from new construction materials
Correct answer: Increase the outdoor air ventilation rate in the renovated area
Increasing outdoor air ventilation is an engineering control that dilutes and removes volatile organic compounds at the source, directly addressing indoor air quality.
Question 2: Under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom 2012), which element on a GHS-compliant Safety Data Sheet (SDS) specifically describes first aid measures?
- Section 2 – Hazard Identification
- Section 4 – First Aid Measures (Correct answer)
- Section 8 – Exposure Controls/Personal Protection
- Section 11 – Toxicological Information
Correct answer: Section 4 – First Aid Measures
Section 4 of the GHS-formatted SDS is dedicated to first aid measures, describing initial care for inhalation, skin contact, eye contact, and ingestion exposures.
Question 3: A hospital laundry facility identifies a risk of worker exposure to bloodborne pathogens from contaminated linen. Which combination of controls BEST reflects the hierarchy of controls?
- Provide gloves and train workers to sort linen carefully
- Install automated linen sorting machines and require cut-resistant gloves when manual handling is necessary (Correct answer)
- Post biohazard signs and conduct monthly bloodborne pathogen training
- Use color-coded bags and rely on workers to handle only sealed containers
Correct answer: Install automated linen sorting machines and require cut-resistant gloves when manual handling is necessary
Automated sorting (engineering control) minimizes manual contact, while cut-resistant gloves (PPE) address residual risk when manual handling is unavoidable—correctly applying the hierarchy.
Question 4: What is the function of a 'tagout' device when lockout is not feasible during maintenance activities?
- It physically prevents re-energization of equipment
- It warns authorized employees that the equipment must not be operated (Correct answer)
- It documents the maintenance work completed on the equipment
- It replaces the need for a written energy control procedure
Correct answer: It warns authorized employees that the equipment must not be operated
A tagout device is a warning label that communicates the equipment must not be operated; unlike lockout, it does not physically prevent energization and requires additional protective measures.
Question 5: When evaluating the effectiveness of an implemented hazard control, which metric BEST indicates actual risk reduction?
- The percentage of employees who completed safety training
- The reduction in incident rates and near-miss reports related to the specific hazard (Correct answer)
- The cost savings from implementing the control measure
- The number of safety inspections completed after implementation
Correct answer: The reduction in incident rates and near-miss reports related to the specific hazard
A reduction in incident and near-miss rates directly measures whether the control is preventing harm, which is the primary purpose of hazard control.
Question 6: A safety officer discovers that a hospital pharmacy is storing flammable liquids in a standard refrigerator. What is the correct immediate corrective action?
- Label the refrigerator with a flammable hazard warning sticker
- Transfer the flammable liquids to a listed flammable-materials storage refrigerator immediately (Correct answer)
- Limit access to the refrigerator to pharmacy staff only
- Require pharmacy staff to complete fire safety training within 30 days
Correct answer: Transfer the flammable liquids to a listed flammable-materials storage refrigerator immediately
Standard refrigerators contain ignition sources (motors, thermostats) that can ignite flammable vapors; only listed flammable-materials refrigerators are designed to eliminate internal ignition sources.
Question 7: Which principle underlies the concept of 'defense in depth' when applying multiple layers of hazard controls in a healthcare facility?
- A single robust control is sufficient if it is properly maintained
- Multiple independent controls ensure that failure of one does not result in uncontrolled worker exposure (Correct answer)
- Administrative controls should always be the primary layer of protection
- PPE is the most reliable layer because it is always present on the worker
Correct answer: Multiple independent controls ensure that failure of one does not result in uncontrolled worker exposure
Defense in depth uses redundant, independent layers of control so that if one layer fails, remaining controls continue to protect workers from the hazard.
CHSP Hazard Control Practices 5
A healthcare safety professional is assessing indoor air quality after staff report headaches near a newly renovated wing.
Which control measure addresses the root cause MOST directly?