CIEE Workplace Analysis & Risk Identification 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In participatory ergonomics, who is MOST important to include in the workplace analysis team?
- External consultants only
- Workers who perform the job daily (Correct answer)
- Senior management exclusively
- Human resources personnel
Correct answer: Workers who perform the job daily
Workers who perform the job daily have firsthand knowledge of task demands, awkward conditions, and practical feasibility of interventions.
Question 2: A CIEE evaluator uses the Washington State Caution Zone Checklist. A task is flagged as a 'caution zone' job. What does this mean?
- The job requires immediate shutdown
- The job has ergonomic risk factors that warrant further analysis (Correct answer)
- The job must be redesigned within 30 days
- Workers must wear wrist splints
Correct answer: The job has ergonomic risk factors that warrant further analysis
A caution zone designation indicates ergonomic risk factors are present and the job should be analyzed more thoroughly to determine if controls are needed.
Question 3: Which of the following hand postures creates the GREATEST risk for carpal tunnel syndrome development?
- Neutral wrist with power grip
- Sustained wrist flexion or extension with forceful exertion (Correct answer)
- Straight wrist with pinch grip
- Open palm rest on keyboard wrist pad
Correct answer: Sustained wrist flexion or extension with forceful exertion
Sustained non-neutral wrist postures combined with forceful exertion increase carpal tunnel pressure and are strongly associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Question 4: An ergonomic assessment of a grocery checkout counter reveals that the scanner is 12 inches to the left of center for a right-handed cashier. What risk does this create?
- Trunk rotation and lateral reach repetitively (Correct answer)
- Excessive keyboard force
- Glare on the monitor
- Leg fatigue from standing
Correct answer: Trunk rotation and lateral reach repetitively
Scanning to one side forces repeated trunk rotation and lateral reaching, increasing the risk of back and shoulder musculoskeletal disorders.
Question 5: Which survey method asks workers to rate the physical difficulty of specific body regions using a body map diagram?
- Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (Correct answer)
- Job Content Questionnaire
- Borg RPE Scale
- WISHA checklist
Correct answer: Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire
The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire uses a body map to capture self-reported discomfort or pain prevalence in specific body regions over defined time periods.
Question 6: During a lifting task analysis, the horizontal distance from the worker's ankles to the load's center of gravity is 24 inches. How does this affect the NIOSH Lifting Equation result?
- It increases the Recommended Weight Limit because the load is farther away
- It decreases the Recommended Weight Limit because a longer moment arm increases spinal load (Correct answer)
- It has no effect on the calculation
- It triggers a mandatory intervention regardless of load weight
Correct answer: It decreases the Recommended Weight Limit because a longer moment arm increases spinal load
Greater horizontal distance increases the moment arm and spinal compressive force, reducing the Horizontal Multiplier and thus the Recommended Weight Limit.
Question 7: A task requires workers to apply 20 lbs of push force to move a cart. Snook tables indicate the acceptable initial push force for that population is 40 lbs. What does this result indicate?
- The task is within acceptable limits for the target population (Correct answer)
- The task requires immediate engineering control
- The task exceeds OSHA's mandatory force limit
- Workers must be retrained in pushing technique
Correct answer: The task is within acceptable limits for the target population
Because the required force (20 lbs) is below the Snook table acceptable limit (40 lbs), the task falls within the acceptable range for that population.
CIEE Workplace Analysis & Risk Identification 4
In participatory ergonomics, who is MOST important to include in the workplace analysis team?