CIEE Task Analysis & Job Demands 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which method uses predetermined time values to estimate how long each element of a task should take without direct observation?
- Methods Time Measurement (MTM) (Correct answer)
- Time-and-motion study
- Work sampling
- Frequency-severity index
Correct answer: Methods Time Measurement (MTM)
MTM is a predetermined motion time system that assigns standard time values to basic human motions, enabling task duration estimation without stopwatch measurement.
Question 2: An ergonomic evaluator is assessing a packaging line where workers rotate among four stations every 30 minutes. What is the PRIMARY ergonomic benefit of this rotation schedule?
- Reduces cumulative loading on any single muscle group (Correct answer)
- Eliminates the need for personal protective equipment
- Increases production throughput per worker
- Reduces the requirement for engineering controls
Correct answer: Reduces cumulative loading on any single muscle group
Job rotation distributes musculoskeletal load across different body regions, reducing cumulative exposure and lowering injury risk.
Question 3: In a Functional Job Analysis (FJA), the 'Things' scale rates worker interaction with:
- Inanimate objects, machines, and materials (Correct answer)
- Data and information processing
- People and interpersonal communication
- Environmental hazard levels
Correct answer: Inanimate objects, machines, and materials
FJA uses three scales — Data, People, and Things — where the Things scale measures the complexity of a worker's relationship with physical objects and equipment.
Question 4: A task requires workers to exert 45 lbs of push force on a cart at waist height across a level surface. Which NIOSH guideline element is most directly violated?
- Initial push force limit for frequent pushing tasks (Correct answer)
- Recommended weight limit for lifting
- Maximum acceptable torque for hand tools
- Wrist deviation threshold for repetitive tasks
Correct answer: Initial push force limit for frequent pushing tasks
NIOSH and Liberty Mutual guidelines specify acceptable initial and sustained push/pull force limits; 45 lbs initial force on a level surface exceeds recommended limits for most working populations.
Question 5: Which element of a task analysis describes the sensory information a worker must receive and interpret to perform a step correctly?
- Perceptual requirements (Correct answer)
- Physical demand rating
- Task frequency count
- Anthropometric constraint
Correct answer: Perceptual requirements
Perceptual requirements capture the visual, auditory, or tactile cues a worker must detect and process to execute a task step safely and correctly.
Question 6: A worker performs 4,800 keystrokes per hour for a data-entry task. When calculating repetitiveness exposure, the ergonomic evaluator should compare this rate against:
- Finger flexion frequency thresholds per unit time (Correct answer)
- ACGIH TLV for whole-body vibration
- OSHA permissible noise exposure levels
- NIOSH lifting equation frequency multiplier table
Correct answer: Finger flexion frequency thresholds per unit time
High keystroke rates are assessed against finger/wrist repetition thresholds (e.g., >10,000 keystrokes/hour is often cited as high risk) rather than lifting or vibration standards.
Question 7: During a task analysis, the evaluator documents that a quality inspector must hold a part at arm's length for 8 seconds per inspection cycle at a rate of 200 cycles per hour. Which MSD risk factor is PRIMARILY elevated?
- Sustained static shoulder load combined with high repetition (Correct answer)
- Whole-body vibration exposure
- Contact stress from a pinch grip
- Lumbar compression from forward trunk flexion
Correct answer: Sustained static shoulder load combined with high repetition
Holding a part at arm's length creates sustained shoulder abduction/flexion, and 200 cycles per hour adds a high-repetition component, making static shoulder loading the primary concern.
CIEE Task Analysis & Job Demands 2
Which method uses predetermined time values to estimate how long each element of a task should take without direct observation?