CVPM OSHA and Workplace Safety 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A dog bites a veterinary assistant, breaking the skin. Under OSHA's recordkeeping rules, how should this injury be classified?
- Recordable if it requires medical treatment beyond first aid (Correct answer)
- Always recordable because it was caused by an animal
- Only recordable if the employee misses work
- Not recordable because animal bites are exempt from OSHA
Correct answer: Recordable if it requires medical treatment beyond first aid
Animal bites are recordable under OSHA 300 rules only when they result in medical treatment beyond first aid, lost workdays, restricted duty, or loss of consciousness.
Question 2: Which OSHA standard requires veterinary practices to have an emergency action plan (EAP)?
- 29 CFR 1910.38 (Correct answer)
- 29 CFR 1910.147
- 29 CFR 1910.1030
- 29 CFR 1910.134
Correct answer: 29 CFR 1910.38
29 CFR 1910.38 mandates an EAP for workplaces with more than 10 employees, covering evacuation routes, alarm systems, and emergency contacts.
Question 3: What does the hierarchy of controls recommend as the MOST effective way to eliminate a hazard in a veterinary practice?
- Elimination—physically remove the hazard from the workplace (Correct answer)
- Administrative controls such as rotating job duties
- PPE as the primary line of defense
- Engineering controls installed around the existing hazard
Correct answer: Elimination—physically remove the hazard from the workplace
Elimination is the highest level of the hierarchy because it removes the hazard entirely rather than managing exposure to it.
Question 4: Radiation safety in veterinary radiology requires that occupational exposure not exceed which annual whole-body dose limit set by NCRP and recognized by OSHA?
- 5 rem (50 mSv) per year (Correct answer)
- 1 rem (10 mSv) per year
- 0.5 rem (5 mSv) per year
- 10 rem (100 mSv) per year
Correct answer: 5 rem (50 mSv) per year
NCRP Report No. 116 sets the occupational whole-body dose limit at 5 rem (50 mSv) per year, which OSHA also references for general industry.
Question 5: A veterinary clinic stores compressed oxygen cylinders. Which OSHA and NFPA requirement applies to their storage?
- Store upright, secured to a wall or cart, away from heat sources and flammables (Correct answer)
- Store horizontally in a locked cabinet at room temperature
- Keep in the same room as flammable anesthetic agents for convenience
- No special storage requirements if cylinders are under 50 cubic feet
Correct answer: Store upright, secured to a wall or cart, away from heat sources and flammables
Compressed gas cylinders must be stored upright, chained or strapped to prevent falling, and separated from flammable materials to prevent catastrophic failure.
Question 6: Under OSHA's Personal Protective Equipment standard, who is responsible for providing and paying for required PPE in a veterinary practice?
- The employer must provide and pay for all required PPE at no cost to employees (Correct answer)
- Employees share the cost through payroll deductions
- Employees purchase their own PPE and are reimbursed quarterly
- The cost is split between employer and employee based on usage
Correct answer: The employer must provide and pay for all required PPE at no cost to employees
OSHA's PPE standard explicitly states that employers must provide required PPE at no cost to employees, with limited exceptions for items employees may use away from work.
Question 7: Which zoonotic disease risk requires veterinary practice managers to include specific protocols in their written Exposure Control Plan?
- Rabies, due to its potential presence in any animal patient (Correct answer)
- Ringworm, because it spreads through brief contact
- Parvo, because it survives on surfaces for months
- Distemper, due to its airborne transmission route
Correct answer: Rabies, due to its potential presence in any animal patient
Rabies is a potentially fatal zoonosis, and its inclusion in the Exposure Control Plan with post-exposure protocols is critical for veterinary workplaces.
CVPM OSHA and Workplace Safety 4
A dog bites a veterinary assistant, breaking the skin.
Under OSHA's recordkeeping rules, how should this injury be classified?