COSS Hazard Recognition and Control 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When conducting a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), what does 'detectability' refer to?
- The probability that a failure will occur
- The severity of injury if failure occurs
- The ability to detect a failure before it causes harm (Correct answer)
- The frequency of inspections required
Correct answer: The ability to detect a failure before it causes harm
In FMEA, detectability rates how easily a failure mode can be identified before it results in an adverse effect.
Question 2: An employee working outdoors in summer reports dizziness, nausea, and hot, dry skin. Which heat illness is MOST likely occurring?
- Heat cramps
- Heat syncope
- Heat exhaustion
- Heat stroke (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Heat stroke
Hot, dry skin combined with dizziness and nausea indicates heat stroke, a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate cooling.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a 'pre-task plan' (also called a tailgate or toolbox talk) in hazard recognition?
- Document injuries from the previous shift
- Identify hazards specific to today's work before starting (Correct answer)
- Train workers on OSHA regulations weekly
- Review workers' compensation claims
Correct answer: Identify hazards specific to today's work before starting
Pre-task plans are brief meetings held before work begins to identify site-specific hazards and control measures for that day's tasks.
Question 4: Which biological hazard is associated with standing water and cooling towers in workplaces?
- Hantavirus
- Legionella pneumophila (Correct answer)
- Histoplasma capsulatum
- Staphylococcus aureus
Correct answer: Legionella pneumophila
Legionella pneumophila thrives in warm standing water and building water systems, causing Legionnaires' disease when aerosolized.
Question 5: A safety specialist is reviewing a facility where workers are exposed to hand-arm vibration from power tools. Which health effect is MOST associated with chronic exposure?
- Carpal tunnel syndrome only
- Vibration white finger (Raynaud's phenomenon) (Correct answer)
- Rotator cuff tears
- Lumbar disc herniation
Correct answer: Vibration white finger (Raynaud's phenomenon)
Chronic hand-arm vibration exposure causes vibration-induced white finger (VWF), a vascular disorder affecting blood flow to the fingers.
Question 6: Under OSHA's Lockout/Tagout standard, which energy source is specifically exempt from LOTO procedures when under normal production conditions?
- Hydraulic energy above 50 psi
- Electrical energy below 600 volts
- Normal production operations using machine guards as specified in the standard (Correct answer)
- Pneumatic energy under 30 psi
Correct answer: Normal production operations using machine guards as specified in the standard
OSHA's LOTO standard (1910.147) does not apply during normal production when machines are properly guarded as required by other applicable standards.
Question 7: A safety specialist identifies that workers frequently bypass a machine safety interlock to speed up production. Which root cause category does this behavior BEST represent?
- Environmental factor
- Management system failure (Correct answer)
- Equipment deficiency
- Atmospheric condition
Correct answer: Management system failure
Bypassing safety interlocks due to production pressure reflects a management system failure in enforcement, culture, and hazard communication.
COSS Hazard Recognition and Control 4
When conducting a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), what does 'detectability' refer to?