Incident Investigation and Reporting Flashcards
6 cards from real CHST practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Incident Investigation and Reporting flashcards as text
Under OSHA 1904.39, within what timeframe must employers report an in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye to OSHA?
Answer: Within 24 hours of learning about the event
OSHA 1904.39(a)(2) requires employers to report in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and loss of an eye to OSHA within 24 hours of learning about the incident — distinct from the 8-hour requirement for fatalities.
What is the difference between an 'immediate cause' and a 'root cause' in incident investigation?
Answer: The immediate cause is the direct action or condition that triggered the incident; the root cause is the underlying systemic failure that allowed the immediate cause to exist
The immediate cause is the final event in the causation chain — the unsafe act or condition present at the moment of the incident. The root cause is the systemic failure that created the conditions for the immediate cause to exist.
Under OSHA 1904.7, which treatments are considered 'first aid' and therefore do NOT make an injury recordable?
Answer: Use of non-prescription medications at non-prescription strength, wound closure using butterfly bandages, use of elastic bandages, and irrigation of the eye with water
OSHA 1904.7(a) defines first aid as including non-prescription medication at non-prescription strength, wound closure using butterflies or steri-strips, use of elastic bandages, irrigation with eye wash, and similar treatments.
The Haddon Matrix is a systematic tool used in incident investigation. What are its two analytical dimensions?
Answer: Host/Agent/Environment (columns) across Pre-event/Event/Post-event phases (rows) — creating a 3x3 grid to identify intervention opportunities at each phase
The Haddon Matrix creates a 3×3 grid analyzing Host (human), Agent/Vehicle (energy source), and Environment (physical/social) across pre-event, event, and post-event phases to systematically identify countermeasures.
Under OSHA's recordkeeping standard 1904.5, how is 'work-relatedness' determined for an injury or illness?
Answer: An injury or illness is work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the condition, or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition
OSHA 1904.5 defines work-relatedness as any injury, illness, or aggravation of a pre-existing condition caused or contributed to by an event or exposure in the work environment — location and clock time alone do not determine work-relatedness.
What is the most critical output of an effective incident investigation, and why?
Answer: A corrective action plan with systemic remedies, assigned owners, and completion dates — because without meaningful systemic changes, incidents will recur
The corrective action plan that addresses root causes with specific, trackable actions is the most critical investigation output — without systemic changes, the same hazards will produce future incidents.