CPE CPE Safety, Risk Management & Regulations Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: OSHA's General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1)) requires employers to provide a workplace free from:
- All physical discomfort
- Recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm (Correct answer)
- Any form of stress or fatigue
- Environmental noise above 50 dB
Correct answer: Recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm
The General Duty Clause obligates employers to eliminate recognized serious hazards even when no specific OSHA standard directly applies.
Question 2: In a risk matrix, risk is commonly defined as the product of which two factors?
- Exposure frequency and control cost
- Severity of harm and probability (likelihood) of occurrence (Correct answer)
- Number of workers exposed and shift length
- Equipment cost and downtime duration
Correct answer: Severity of harm and probability (likelihood) of occurrence
Risk is typically expressed as Severity × Probability, creating a matrix that prioritizes hazards requiring the most urgent control measures.
Question 3: The hierarchy of ergonomic controls lists which type of control as most effective?
- Administrative controls
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Engineering controls and elimination (Correct answer)
- Training programs
Correct answer: Engineering controls and elimination
The hierarchy of controls prioritizes elimination of the hazard first, followed by engineering controls, then administrative controls, and finally PPE as the least effective option.
Question 4: What does OSHA's recordkeeping rule (29 CFR 1904) require employers to record as work-related MSDs?
- Any employee complaint about discomfort
- Injuries and illnesses meeting specific severity thresholds such as days away from work or restricted duty (Correct answer)
- All first-aid treatments for muscle soreness
- Annual ergonomics audits
Correct answer: Injuries and illnesses meeting specific severity thresholds such as days away from work or restricted duty
OSHA 1904 requires recording work-related injuries and illnesses that result in days away from work, job transfer or restriction, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness.
Question 5: Which ergonomic risk factor is specifically associated with whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure?
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Low back disorders in vehicle operators (Correct answer)
- Shoulder tendinitis in assembly workers
- Epicondylitis in keyboard users
Correct answer: Low back disorders in vehicle operators
Prolonged WBV exposure in forklift, truck, and heavy equipment operators is a recognized risk factor for low back disorders and disc degeneration.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) in ergonomics programs?
- Determine worker compensation claims
- Systematically identify task-specific ergonomic hazards and develop control recommendations (Correct answer)
- Calculate production throughput rates
- Schedule mandatory ergonomics training
Correct answer: Systematically identify task-specific ergonomic hazards and develop control recommendations
A JHA breaks jobs into steps, identifies ergonomic and other hazards at each step, and documents recommended controls to reduce injury risk.
CPE CPE Safety, Risk Management & Regulations Questions and Answers 1
OSHA's General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1)) requires employers to provide a workplace free from: