CPSI Entrapment and Protrusion Hazard Testing Questions and Answers 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A hardware bolt on a climber has a hex head that protrudes 0.6 inch but is recessed inside a countersunk hole. How should the inspector measure protrusion?
- From the surface of the equipment to the top of the bolt head (Correct answer)
- From the bottom of the countersunk recess to the bolt head
- From the ground to the bolt head
- Protrusion is not measured when the bolt is recessed
Correct answer: From the surface of the equipment to the top of the bolt head
Protrusion is always measured from the equipment's outer surface to the tip of the hardware, not from the recess floor.
Question 2: What is the primary reason the CPSC specifies a lower bound of 3.5 inches for the head entrapment hazard zone?
- Openings smaller than 3.5 inches cannot be entered by any body part
- Openings smaller than 3.5 inches are too small for a young child's head to enter (Correct answer)
- Openings larger than 3.5 inches present a fall hazard instead
- The 3.5-inch lower bound is set by ladder rung spacing standards
Correct answer: Openings smaller than 3.5 inches are too small for a young child's head to enter
The 3.5-inch lower bound reflects the minimum head breadth of young children — openings smaller than this cannot be entered by the head.
Question 3: An inspector observes an S-hook on a swing chain with a gap measuring 0.04 inch. What is the correct determination?
- Hazardous — any gap in an S-hook is a protrusion hazard
- Safe — the gap is within acceptable limits (less than 0.04 inch required for citation)
- Hazardous — S-hook gaps must be completely closed (0 inch) to be safe (Correct answer)
- Safe — S-hooks are exempt from protrusion standards
Correct answer: Hazardous — S-hook gaps must be completely closed (0 inch) to be safe
S-hook openings must be completely closed (0-inch gap) to prevent clothing entanglement and entrapment; any measurable gap is a hazard.
Question 4: A slide handrail has an exposed pipe end with a flat cut (not capped). The pipe wall thickness is 0.1 inch and the inner diameter is 1 inch. What is the primary hazard?
- Head entrapment inside the pipe
- Finger entrapment inside the pipe bore (Correct answer)
- Protrusion from the cut edge of the pipe wall
- Impalement from the pipe end
Correct answer: Finger entrapment inside the pipe bore
Uncapped pipe ends with small inner diameters can trap a child's finger inside the bore, making finger entrapment the primary concern.
Question 5: During a post-installation inspection, a CPSI finds that a deck board gap measures exactly 3.5 inches. Which action is correct?
- Cite as a hazard — the opening equals the lower boundary of the entrapment zone (Correct answer)
- Approve — the opening must exceed 3.5 inches to be hazardous
- Approve — deck boards are exempt from entrapment standards
- Cite only if the deck is above 30 inches in height
Correct answer: Cite as a hazard — the opening equals the lower boundary of the entrapment zone
An opening that equals 3.5 inches is at the boundary of the entrapment zone and must be cited as a hazard because it can admit a child's head.
Question 6: What does a CPSI inspector check when using the torso probe (Template B) on a platform opening?
- Whether a child's head can pass through the opening
- Whether a child's torso can pass through but become trapped at the hips
- Whether the opening allows a child to fall through feet-first (Correct answer)
- Whether the opening meets ADA accessibility requirements
Correct answer: Whether the opening allows a child to fall through feet-first
The torso probe checks whether an opening is large enough for a child to fall through feet-first, which is the primary fall and entrapment risk for platform openings.
Question 7: A ring climber has circular handholds with inner diameters of 4 inches. What type of hazard, if any, do these present?
- No hazard — 4 inches is below the entrapment zone lower bound
- Head entrapment hazard — 4 inches falls within the 3.5–9 inch zone (Correct answer)
- Protrusion hazard — the ring edges protrude from the structure
- Fall hazard only — no entrapment risk is present
Correct answer: Head entrapment hazard — 4 inches falls within the 3.5–9 inch zone
A 4-inch inner diameter falls squarely within the 3.5–9 inch head entrapment zone, making these ring handholds a potential entrapment hazard.
CPSI Entrapment and Protrusion Hazard Testing Questions and Answers 4
A hardware bolt on a climber has a hex head that protrudes 0.6 inch but is recessed inside a countersunk hole.
How should the inspector measure protrusion?