COHN Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield COHN facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which of the following is considered a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to workplace hazard identification? → Conducting regular safety inspections and walk-throughs
2. Which resource is MOST useful for quickly identifying emergency treatment information for an unknown chemical exposure in the field? → CHEMTREC (Chemical Transportation Emergency Center) hotline
3. What is the primary goal of occupational case management from the employer's perspective? → To minimize the employee's time away from work and control associated costs.
4. Which agency publishes Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) for workplace chemical exposures? → ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists)
5. An occupational health nurse is developing a pandemic influenza response plan. Which strategy BEST reduces transmission in the workplace? → Staggered work shifts and cohorting of work teams
6. What is 'subrogation' in the context of workers' compensation? → The insurer's right to recover costs from a liable third party
7. In the Incident Command System (ICS), what role does the occupational health nurse most commonly fulfill during a workplace emergency? → Medical Unit Leader
8. The success of any workplace health and safety program is most dependent on which of the following elements? → Visible and active commitment from top management.
9. Under OSHA's Emergency Action Plan standard, employers with more than how many employees must have a WRITTEN emergency action plan? → 10
10. Which lung disease is caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust in occupational settings? → Silicosis
11. When a worker enters a grain storage bin, the main risk they encounter is: → Suffocation
12. Which of the following best describes the need for the Factory Nurses Conference that occupational health nurses (OHNs) felt? → Most OHNs practiced alone and wanted to be able to interact with peers
13. What is the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) for noise as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA)? → 90 dBA
14. What is the primary purpose of a workplace walk-through survey in industrial hygiene? → To identify potential health hazards and understand work processes for further evaluation
15. Which of the following is a key function of an occupational health nurse in the role of a case manager? → Coordinating communication between the employee, healthcare providers, and the employer.
16. Which document serves as the foundation for workplace emergency preparedness planning under OSHA standards? → Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
17. The first worker's compensation law to be upheld in court was passed in... → Wisconsin
18. Using solvents inhalation can result in... → Pneumonitis and death
19. Affects systems with chromium → Respiratory, skin and mm
20. What term describes the skin condition caused by repeated occupational contact with irritating chemicals? → Contact dermatitis
21. What is the primary purpose of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) in the workplace? → To provide hazard communication and safe handling information for chemicals
22. In toxicology, the term LC50 refers to which of the following? → The lethal concentration of an airborne substance that kills 50% of a test population.
23. An occupational health nurse is reviewing shelter-in-place procedures. Which scenario BEST indicates when shelter-in-place is preferred over evacuation? → An external airborne chemical release with rapidly changing wind direction
24. Which assessment tool is used in the START triage system to categorize a non-breathing adult victim who does not breathe after one head-tilt/chin-lift? → Black (expectant/deceased)
25. What is the role of an independent medical examination (IME) in workers' compensation? → To obtain an objective medical opinion on diagnosis, causation, or work capacity
26. Which organs or tissues are most affected by ionizing radiation? → Bone marrow
27. Which of the following scenarios involving a work-related injury would require mandatory recording on the OSHA 300 Log? → An employee experiences a brief loss of consciousness after being struck by a falling box.
28. Which industrial hygiene sampling strategy determines the worst-case exposure for a worker during a particular task? → Worst-case or task-based sampling
29. A worker is found unconscious after exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas. After ensuring scene safety, the nurse's NEXT priority is: → Begin CPR and administer 100% oxygen
30. Treatment for exposure to lead → Remove from exposure and chelation