COHN Ergonomics and Physical Hazards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A warehouse worker lifts 50-lb boxes from floor level repeatedly. Which ergonomic control is MOST effective as a primary intervention?
- Provide a back support belt
- Raise the storage height to reduce floor-level lifting (Correct answer)
- Rotate workers every 2 hours
- Post a lifting technique reminder sign
Correct answer: Raise the storage height to reduce floor-level lifting
Engineering controls that eliminate or reduce the hazard at the source are the preferred hierarchy-of-controls approach for manual material handling.
Question 2: Which measurement tool is used to quantify the hand-arm vibration dose a worker receives over a shift?
- Sound level meter
- Dosimeter calibrated to ISO 5349 (Correct answer)
- Lux meter
- Sling psychrometer
Correct answer: Dosimeter calibrated to ISO 5349
ISO 5349 specifies measurement and evaluation of human exposure to hand-transmitted vibration using a vibration dosimeter.
Question 3: A COHN is evaluating pinch-grip force requirements at an assembly line. Excessive pinch force is most associated with which condition?
- De Quervain's tenosynovitis (Correct answer)
- Lateral epicondylitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
Correct answer: De Quervain's tenosynovitis
De Quervain's tenosynovitis involves inflammation of the tendons controlled by the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis, aggravated by repetitive pinch-grip tasks.
Question 4: Under OSHA's General Duty Clause, an employer's ergonomics program is defensible if it demonstrates which key element?
- Workers received ergonomics training once per year
- A feasible abatement method was implemented for recognized hazards (Correct answer)
- Workers signed acknowledgment of musculoskeletal risks
- The company purchased ergonomic chairs for all employees
Correct answer: A feasible abatement method was implemented for recognized hazards
The General Duty Clause requires employers to recognize and abate serious hazards using feasible methods; documented abatement is the core of a defensible program.
Question 5: Which factor in the NIOSH Lifting Equation (NLE) penalizes lifts performed with significant body twisting?
- Horizontal Multiplier (HM)
- Asymmetry Multiplier (AM) (Correct answer)
- Frequency Multiplier (FM)
- Coupling Multiplier (CM)
Correct answer: Asymmetry Multiplier (AM)
The Asymmetry Multiplier (AM) decreases the Recommended Weight Limit when the load is not lifted in the sagittal plane, reflecting the added spinal stress of twisting.
Question 6: A COHN notes that a machine operator holds her arm elevated above shoulder height for extended periods. This posture primarily increases risk for which condition?
- Plantar fasciitis
- Rotator cuff tendinitis (Correct answer)
- Knee osteoarthritis
- Raynaud's phenomenon
Correct answer: Rotator cuff tendinitis
Sustained overhead and above-shoulder postures impinge on rotator cuff tendons and bursae, leading to tendinitis or impingement syndrome.
Question 7: Which lighting condition is classified as a physical hazard that a COHN should evaluate in an occupational health assessment?
- Insufficient task lighting causing eyestrain and accident risk (Correct answer)
- Fluorescent lighting flickering at 60 Hz
- Natural daylighting in office environments
- Blue-enriched light promoting alertness
Correct answer: Insufficient task lighting causing eyestrain and accident risk
Inadequate illumination is a recognized physical hazard that increases eyestrain, reduces accuracy, and raises the risk of accidents and injuries in the workplace.
COHN Ergonomics and Physical Hazards 2
A warehouse worker lifts 50-lb boxes from floor level repeatedly.
Which ergonomic control is MOST effective as a primary intervention?