CIC Safety 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A newly hired CNA refuses the hepatitis B vaccine series offered by their employer. Under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, what must the employer do?
- Terminate the employee for non-compliance
- Have the employee sign a declination form (Correct answer)
- Require the employee to complete an alternative immunization course
- Prohibit the employee from patient care until vaccinated
Correct answer: Have the employee sign a declination form
OSHA requires that employees who decline the HBV vaccine sign a declination statement, acknowledging they were offered and refused the vaccine.
Question 2: Which engineering control is MOST effective for reducing transmission of airborne infectious agents in an operating room?
- Laminar airflow systems with positive pressure (Correct answer)
- Negative pressure ventilation with HEPA filtration
- Standard HVAC with 6 ACH
- Portable UV germicidal irradiation devices
Correct answer: Laminar airflow systems with positive pressure
Operating rooms use positive pressure laminar airflow to push air outward and protect the sterile field from contamination entering from outside.
Question 3: During a disaster drill, an infection preventionist notes that staff are not decontaminating before entering the clean zone. Which safety principle does this violation affect?
- Chain of custody
- Zone control and decontamination corridor integrity (Correct answer)
- Incident command structure
- Mass casualty triage priority
Correct answer: Zone control and decontamination corridor integrity
Bypassing decontamination compromises zone control, allowing hazardous materials to spread from the warm/hot zone into clean areas.
Question 4: Which occupational exposure route is associated with the HIGHEST risk of HIV transmission to healthcare workers?
- Mucous membrane splash
- Intact skin contact with blood
- Percutaneous injury with a hollow-bore needle from an HIV-positive source (Correct answer)
- Indirect contact via contaminated surfaces
Correct answer: Percutaneous injury with a hollow-bore needle from an HIV-positive source
Percutaneous injury with a hollow-bore needle from an HIV-infected source carries the highest occupational risk of HIV transmission, approximately 0.3%.
Question 5: A facility is updating its exposure control plan. Under OSHA, how often must the Bloodborne Pathogens exposure control plan be reviewed and updated?
- Every 5 years
- Annually and whenever new tasks or procedures affect exposure (Correct answer)
- Only when a new pathogen emerges
- Every 3 years or when staff turnover exceeds 20%
Correct answer: Annually and whenever new tasks or procedures affect exposure
OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires the exposure control plan to be reviewed and updated at least annually and whenever new procedures or tasks create new exposure risks.
Question 6: What is the primary function of a safety officer in a healthcare facility's Incident Command System (HICS) during an emergency?
- Coordinate supply and logistics
- Monitor and ensure safe operations for all responding personnel (Correct answer)
- Manage media communications
- Authorize patient transfers to other facilities
Correct answer: Monitor and ensure safe operations for all responding personnel
In HICS, the Safety Officer monitors all emergency operations to identify and mitigate hazards that could harm response personnel.
Question 7: Which patient care scenario requires the use of both contact AND airborne precautions simultaneously?
- Clostridioides difficile infection
- Influenza A infection
- Active varicella-zoster (chickenpox) infection (Correct answer)
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) wound infection
Correct answer: Active varicella-zoster (chickenpox) infection
Varicella-zoster (chickenpox) is transmitted by both the airborne route and direct contact with vesicle fluid, requiring combined airborne and contact precautions.
CIC Safety 5
A newly hired CNA refuses the hepatitis B vaccine series offered by their employer.
Under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, what must the employer do?