CLT Safety & Infection Control 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which class of fire extinguisher is appropriate for electrical equipment fires in the laboratory?
- Class A
- Class B
- Class C (Correct answer)
- Class D
Correct answer: Class C
Class C extinguishers are rated for electrical fires and use non-conductive agents that will not cause electrocution.
Question 2: Under standard precautions, which body fluid does NOT require the same level of protection as blood?
- Cerebrospinal fluid
- Sweat (Correct answer)
- Pleural fluid
- Amniotic fluid
Correct answer: Sweat
Sweat is not considered infectious under standard precautions and does not require the same PPE as blood or other body fluids.
Question 3: A laboratory worker is exposed to a potentially infectious aerosol. What is the FIRST action to take?
- Complete an incident report
- Notify the supervisor
- Remove contaminated clothing and wash affected areas (Correct answer)
- Seek immediate medical attention
Correct answer: Remove contaminated clothing and wash affected areas
Immediate decontamination by removing contaminated clothing and washing affected skin or mucous membranes is the first priority after exposure.
Question 4: Which biosafety level (BSL) is required for work with agents that pose a high risk of life-threatening disease and for which no vaccine or therapy is available?
- BSL-1
- BSL-2
- BSL-3
- BSL-4 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: BSL-4
BSL-4 is the most stringent level and is required for dangerous exotic agents such as Ebola and Marburg viruses that pose a high risk of aerosol-transmitted infections.
Question 5: Which disinfectant concentration of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) is typically recommended for decontaminating laboratory bench surfaces after a blood spill?
- 0.05% (1:2000)
- 0.5% (1:10) (Correct answer)
- 5% (undiluted)
- 10% (concentrated)
Correct answer: 0.5% (1:10)
A 0.5% (1:10 dilution of household bleach) sodium hypochlorite solution is the standard recommendation for decontaminating surfaces after blood spills.
Question 6: What does the acronym PASS represent in fire extinguisher use?
- Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep (Correct answer)
- Push, Activate, Spray, Stop
- Pull, Apply, Spray, Secure
- Point, Arm, Squeeze, Spray
Correct answer: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep
PASS stands for Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep side to side.
Question 7: Which of the following is the most effective method to prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections in the laboratory?
- Routine use of gloves for all specimen handling
- Wearing a surgical mask at all times
- Frequent and proper hand hygiene (Correct answer)
- Disinfecting all work surfaces hourly
Correct answer: Frequent and proper hand hygiene
Hand hygiene is consistently recognized as the single most important measure to prevent the transmission of healthcare-associated infections.
CLT Safety & Infection Control 2
Which class of fire extinguisher is appropriate for electrical equipment fires in the laboratory?