CTSP Incident Response and Investigation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The '5 Whys' technique used in incident investigation is designed to:
- Identify five workers responsible for an incident
- Determine five corrective actions required by OSHA
- Drill down to root causes by repeatedly asking why an event occurred (Correct answer)
- Document five witness perspectives on the incident
Correct answer: Drill down to root causes by repeatedly asking why an event occurred
The 5 Whys method iteratively asks 'why' to move beyond symptoms and identify the underlying root cause of an incident.
Question 2: Which OSHA recordkeeping form is used to summarize all work-related injuries and illnesses for a calendar year?
- OSHA Form 300A (Correct answer)
- OSHA Form 301
- OSHA Form 300
- OSHA Form 302
Correct answer: OSHA Form 300A
OSHA Form 300A is the Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, posted annually from February 1 through April 30.
Question 3: An arborist suffers a chainsaw laceration requiring stitches but is able to return to modified duty the same day. How should this be classified?
- First aid only — not recordable
- Recordable injury with restricted work activity (Correct answer)
- Recordable lost-time injury
- Near miss event
Correct answer: Recordable injury with restricted work activity
An injury requiring medical treatment beyond first aid and resulting in restricted work activity is OSHA recordable even without lost time.
Question 4: During post-incident investigation, photographs of the scene should be taken from:
- Only the supervisor's vantage point
- Multiple angles, including wide-shot, mid-range, and close-up views (Correct answer)
- A single overhead perspective for clarity
- Only the point where the victim was found
Correct answer: Multiple angles, including wide-shot, mid-range, and close-up views
Comprehensive photography from multiple distances and angles provides complete visual documentation of the incident scene.
Question 5: Which of the following is a 'contributing factor' versus a 'root cause' in incident investigation?
- A worker failed to wear PPE — this is the root cause
- Failure to wear PPE is a contributing factor; inadequate training or enforcement is the root cause (Correct answer)
- Both are equally considered root causes under ANSI standards
- Contributing factors are only equipment-related in arboriculture
Correct answer: Failure to wear PPE is a contributing factor; inadequate training or enforcement is the root cause
A contributing factor is a condition that increased the likelihood of an incident; the root cause is the underlying systemic failure that enabled the contributing factor.
Question 6: A crew member is exposed to poison ivy during brush clearing and develops a rash. Under OSHA, this is classified as:
- Not recordable because it is a natural environmental exposure
- Recordable if it results in medical treatment beyond first aid (Correct answer)
- Recordable only if the worker misses work
- A first aid case under all circumstances
Correct answer: Recordable if it results in medical treatment beyond first aid
Occupational skin disorders resulting from work activities are OSHA recordable when they require medical treatment beyond first aid.
Question 7: After completing an incident investigation, the corrective actions identified should be:
- Filed and reviewed only if a similar incident occurs again
- Assigned to specific responsible parties with deadlines and tracked to completion (Correct answer)
- Communicated only to upper management
- Implemented without documentation to save time
Correct answer: Assigned to specific responsible parties with deadlines and tracked to completion
Corrective actions must be assigned, tracked, and verified complete to prevent recurrence and demonstrate due diligence.
CTSP Incident Response and Investigation 3
The '5 Whys' technique used in incident investigation is designed to: