COSS Accident Investigation Principles 4

Question 1

Under OSHA regulations, how long does an employer have to report a work-related fatality to OSHA?

Accepted Answer

8 hours

Answer

OSHA requires employers to report work-related fatalities within 8 hours of learning about them, either by phone, in person, or via OSHA's online reporting tool.

Question 2

Which of the following BEST describes the concept of 'energy trace and barrier analysis' in accident investigation?

Accepted Answer

Identifying the energy source involved and evaluating why barriers failed to control it

Answer

Energy trace and barrier analysis identifies the type and flow of energy that caused harm and systematically evaluates why the barriers intended to control that energy failed.

Question 3

An investigator discovers that a worker bypassed a safety interlock to speed up production. To prevent recurrence, which corrective action hierarchy should be applied FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Re-engineer the interlock so it cannot be bypassed without shutting down production

Answer

The hierarchy of controls prioritizes engineering controls first — redesigning the interlock to be bypass-proof addresses the root cause more reliably than retraining or discipline alone.

Question 4

What does the acronym 'MORT' stand for in the context of accident investigation?

Accepted Answer

Management Oversight and Risk Tree

Answer

MORT stands for Management Oversight and Risk Tree, a comprehensive analytical logic tree developed by the Department of Energy to evaluate management and oversight factors in accidents.

Question 5

Which type of question should an investigator AVOID when interviewing an accident witness?

Accepted Answer

Leading questions

Answer

Leading questions suggest the desired answer, which can contaminate witness recall and produce inaccurate testimony that skews the investigation findings.

COSS - Certified Occupational Safety Specialist Practice Test

COSS - Certified Occupational Safety Specialist Practice Test

COSS Accident Investigation Principles 4