CHSP Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment & Control 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A safety officer discovers that the hospital's oxygen storage room lacks proper ventilation. Using the bow-tie model, where would 'inadequate ventilation' be classified?
- Top event
- Threat (left side)
- Consequence (right side)
- Escalation factor (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Escalation factor
In the bow-tie model, an escalation factor is a condition that weakens a preventive barrier, making the top event more likely — inadequate ventilation undermines the ventilation control.
Question 2: Which OSHA standard specifically requires healthcare employers to conduct annual exposure determinations and update their Exposure Control Plan?
- 29 CFR 1910.132 (PPE)
- 29 CFR 1910.1030 (Bloodborne Pathogens) (Correct answer)
- 29 CFR 1910.119 (Process Safety Management)
- 29 CFR 1910.1200 (HazCom)
Correct answer: 29 CFR 1910.1030 (Bloodborne Pathogens)
29 CFR 1910.1030 mandates annual review and update of the Exposure Control Plan to reflect changes in tasks, procedures, and available safer devices.
Question 3: A root cause analysis team uses a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram after a patient fall. The categories typically examined include all of the following EXCEPT:
- Methods
- Machines
- Market share (Correct answer)
- Manpower
Correct answer: Market share
Market share is a business metric, not one of the classic 6M fishbone categories (Man, Machine, Method, Material, Measurement, Mother Nature/Environment).
Question 4: A hospital's environmental health and safety department is assessing chemical hazards in the lab using NFPA 704 diamond ratings. What does the BLUE section of the diamond indicate?
- Flammability hazard
- Health hazard (Correct answer)
- Reactivity/instability hazard
- Special hazard (e.g., oxidizer)
Correct answer: Health hazard
The blue (left) section of the NFPA 704 diamond indicates health hazard, rated 0–4 based on the degree of acute health risk.
Question 5: When assessing ergonomic hazards for surgical technologists who stand for prolonged periods, which control is an example of an ENGINEERING control rather than an administrative control?
- Rotating staff between scrub and circulate roles
- Providing anti-fatigue matting at the surgical table (Correct answer)
- Scheduling mandatory rest breaks every 90 minutes
- Training staff on proper weight-shifting techniques
Correct answer: Providing anti-fatigue matting at the surgical table
Anti-fatigue matting is a physical modification to the workstation (engineering control), while rotation schedules, breaks, and training are administrative controls.
Question 6: A healthcare safety professional is conducting a quantitative fit test for N95 respirators. Which method measures aerosol concentration inside and outside the mask to calculate a fit factor?
- Bitrex (saccharin) qualitative test
- OSHA ambient aerosol condensation nuclei counter (CNC) method (Correct answer)
- Isoamyl acetate (banana oil) qualitative test
- Visual inspection and user seal check
Correct answer: OSHA ambient aerosol condensation nuclei counter (CNC) method
The OSHA-accepted ambient aerosol CNC method (PortaCount) is a quantitative fit test that measures particle counts inside vs. outside the facepiece to generate a numerical fit factor.
Question 7: A hospital safety committee wants to reduce the risk of workplace violence in the emergency department. Which approach best exemplifies a COMBINATION of engineering and administrative controls working together?
- Installing panic buttons at triage desks AND training staff on de-escalation techniques (Correct answer)
- Posting 'No Violence Tolerated' signs AND disciplining offenders
- Issuing personal alarms to staff AND documenting incidents in the safety log
- Conducting risk assessments AND providing self-defense classes
Correct answer: Installing panic buttons at triage desks AND training staff on de-escalation techniques
Panic buttons (engineering) paired with de-escalation training (administrative) represent a complementary layered approach addressing both the physical environment and staff behavior.
CHSP Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment & Control 5
A safety officer discovers that the hospital's oxygen storage room lacks proper ventilation.
Using the bow-tie model, where would 'inadequate ventilation' be classified?