CTSP Incident Response and Investigation 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When investigating a struck-by incident involving a falling branch, which physical evidence should be collected first?
- The personal protective equipment worn by the victim
- The branch itself, cut sections, and rigging hardware involved (Correct answer)
- The victim's employment and training records
- Weather data from the nearest meteorological station
Correct answer: The branch itself, cut sections, and rigging hardware involved
Physical evidence directly involved in the incident—such as the branch, cut sections, and any rigging—provides the most critical clues about causation.
Question 2: Which of the following scenarios would NOT require an OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping entry?
- A worker receives prescription medication for a work-related back strain
- A worker receives over-the-counter medication and a bandage for a minor cut (Correct answer)
- A worker is placed on restricted duty following a shoulder injury
- A worker is hospitalized overnight due to a fall from a tree
Correct answer: A worker receives over-the-counter medication and a bandage for a minor cut
Minor injuries treated only with over-the-counter medication and first aid supplies are not OSHA recordable.
Question 3: An employee involved in a serious incident requests union representation before providing a statement. The employer should:
- Deny representation to speed up the investigation
- Delay the entire investigation until union representation is arranged
- Allow representation as required under the Weingarten rights ruling (Correct answer)
- Proceed with the interview and note the refusal in the report
Correct answer: Allow representation as required under the Weingarten rights ruling
Under NLRB v. Weingarten, unionized employees have the right to union representation during investigatory interviews that could result in discipline.
Question 4: A tree worker is transported to the hospital after a fall. Under OSHA, an in-patient hospitalization must be reported within:
- 8 hours
- 24 hours (Correct answer)
- 48 hours
- 72 hours
Correct answer: 24 hours
OSHA requires that in-patient hospitalizations (not fatalities) be reported within 24 hours of the employer learning of the event.
Question 5: What is the main advantage of using a fault tree analysis (FTA) in a serious incident investigation?
- It limits the investigation to equipment failures only
- It visually maps the logical relationships between events leading to an incident (Correct answer)
- It identifies the single employee most responsible for the incident
- It replaces the need for witness interviews
Correct answer: It visually maps the logical relationships between events leading to an incident
Fault tree analysis uses Boolean logic and a tree diagram to systematically identify the combination of events that led to an incident.
Question 6: Which factor is MOST likely to compromise the accuracy of a witness statement collected days after an incident?
- The witness's years of experience in tree care
- Memory decay and potential influence from discussing the event with coworkers (Correct answer)
- The time of day the incident occurred
- The witness's proximity to the incident at the time
Correct answer: Memory decay and potential influence from discussing the event with coworkers
Memory is reconstructive and can be altered by elapsed time, subsequent conversations, and social pressure from peers.
Question 7: During an investigation, a crew member states the climber 'always skipped the tie-in check.' This type of information represents:
- Hearsay that should be discarded from the investigation
- A potential systemic behavioral hazard worth corroborating through records and other witnesses (Correct answer)
- A definitive root cause requiring no further analysis
- An insurance fraud indicator
Correct answer: A potential systemic behavioral hazard worth corroborating through records and other witnesses
Statements about habitual unsafe behavior are leads that should be verified through documentation, training records, and additional witness accounts.
CTSP Incident Response and Investigation 4
When investigating a struck-by incident involving a falling branch, which physical evidence should be collected first?