CPHR Workplace Health and Safety 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When conducting a job hazard analysis (JHA), the first step an analyst should take is to:
- Identify the hazards in each job step
- Select the job to be analyzed (Correct answer)
- Determine preventive measures
- Observe the worker performing the job
Correct answer: Select the job to be analyzed
The JHA process begins with selecting which job to analyze, typically prioritizing those with high injury rates, severe potential consequences, or recent near misses.
Question 2: OSHA's Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) standard primarily protects workers from:
- Chemical spills during maintenance
- Unexpected energization or startup of machinery (Correct answer)
- Falls from elevated work platforms
- Electrical shock from overhead power lines
Correct answer: Unexpected energization or startup of machinery
LOTO procedures control hazardous energy (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal, etc.) to prevent unexpected machine startup or energy release during servicing.
Question 3: An employer discovers that a worker's injury was partly caused by a pre-existing condition. Under workers' compensation, this situation is typically handled through:
- Denial of the entire claim
- An apportionment or aggravation doctrine (Correct answer)
- Immediate referral to civil litigation
- Mandatory independent medical examination only
Correct answer: An apportionment or aggravation doctrine
Most jurisdictions use apportionment or aggravation rules to allocate responsibility between the pre-existing condition and the work-related event.
Question 4: Which leading indicator would best help an HR professional predict future workplace injury rates?
- Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR)
- Number of lost workdays last quarter
- Safety training completion rates (Correct answer)
- Workers' compensation costs year-to-date
Correct answer: Safety training completion rates
Safety training completion rates are a leading indicator—they measure preventive activity before incidents occur, unlike TRIR or lost-day counts which are lagging indicators.
Question 5: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an employer may require a medical examination after a conditional job offer is made only if:
- The position involves safety-sensitive duties
- The exam is job-related and consistent with business necessity
- All applicants in that job category are examined
- Both B and C are true (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Both B and C are true
Post-offer medical exams are permissible under the ADA only when they are job-related, consistent with business necessity, AND required of all entering employees in the same job category.
Question 6: A confined space is classified as a 'permit-required confined space' primarily because it:
- Requires a ladder for entry
- Has limited or restricted means of entry or exit and contains or has a potential to contain a serious hazard (Correct answer)
- Is located underground
- Has not been entered in more than 30 days
Correct answer: Has limited or restricted means of entry or exit and contains or has a potential to contain a serious hazard
OSHA defines a permit-required confined space as one with limited entry/exit AND one or more serious hazards such as hazardous atmosphere, engulfment risk, or converging walls.
Question 7: Which workplace health program component has the strongest evidence base for reducing cardiovascular disease risk among employees?
- On-site fitness center access alone
- Comprehensive wellness programs integrating health coaching, biometric screening, and behavior change support (Correct answer)
- Distributing heart-health literature annually
- Mandatory annual physical examinations
Correct answer: Comprehensive wellness programs integrating health coaching, biometric screening, and behavior change support
Research consistently shows that multi-component wellness programs combining screening, coaching, and behavioral support produce the greatest reductions in cardiovascular risk factors.
CPHR Workplace Health and Safety 3
When conducting a job hazard analysis (JHA), the first step an analyst should take is to: