CLA Safety Principles 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the maximum safe load capacity guideline for a two-person manual lift without mechanical assistance?
- 35 lbs per person
- 50 lbs per person (Correct answer)
- 75 lbs per person
- 100 lbs per person
Correct answer: 50 lbs per person
NIOSH guidelines recommend that no worker lift more than 50 lbs without mechanical assistance; heavier loads require team lifts or equipment.
Question 2: Which ergonomic principle helps reduce lower back injury risk when lifting boxes from the floor?
- Bend at the waist and keep legs straight
- Squat down, keep the load close, and lift with legs (Correct answer)
- Twist the torso while lifting to build momentum
- Lean backward to counterbalance a heavy load
Correct answer: Squat down, keep the load close, and lift with legs
Squatting, keeping the load close to the body, and using leg muscles instead of the back significantly reduces lumbar strain during lifting.
Question 3: In a warehouse, what does a yellow floor marking typically indicate?
- Emergency exit route
- Aisle or traffic lane boundary (Correct answer)
- Hazardous material storage zone
- Inspection checkpoint
Correct answer: Aisle or traffic lane boundary
Yellow floor markings are the OSHA-recommended color for defining aisles, traffic lanes, and work cell boundaries to separate pedestrian and vehicle paths.
Question 4: Which condition makes a forklift load UNSAFE to transport?
- Load weight equals exactly the rated capacity
- Forks are fully inserted under the pallet
- Load extends beyond the front of the forks (Correct answer)
- Load is secured with stretch wrap
Correct answer: Load extends beyond the front of the forks
A load that extends beyond the fork tips shifts the center of gravity forward, increasing tip-over risk and reducing stability.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a Job Safety Analysis (JSA)?
- Document employee performance reviews
- Identify and control hazards for each step of a job task (Correct answer)
- Assign workload quotas for shift supervisors
- Record the cost of workplace accidents
Correct answer: Identify and control hazards for each step of a job task
A JSA breaks a job into individual steps, identifies potential hazards at each step, and recommends controls to eliminate or reduce those hazards.
Question 6: When stacking pallets in racking, which safety rule must always be followed?
- Place heaviest items on the top shelf for easy access
- Never exceed the rack's posted load capacity (Correct answer)
- Mix incompatible products to consolidate space
- Stack all pallets at least 2 inches above the beam
Correct answer: Never exceed the rack's posted load capacity
Rack load capacities are engineered limits; exceeding them can cause catastrophic collapse injuring workers and destroying inventory.
Question 7: What does the 'hierarchy of controls' prioritize as the MOST effective way to reduce workplace hazards?
- Administrative controls
- Personal protective equipment
- Elimination of the hazard (Correct answer)
- Engineering controls
Correct answer: Elimination of the hazard
NIOSH's hierarchy of controls ranks elimination — physically removing the hazard — as the most effective method because it removes risk entirely rather than managing it.
CLA Safety Principles 3
What is the maximum safe load capacity guideline for a two-person manual lift without mechanical assistance?