DCI Safety Practices & Procedures 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the term 'hierarchy of controls' mean in the context of worksite hazard management?
- A chain of command for reporting unsafe conditions
- A prioritized framework for eliminating or reducing hazards, from elimination to PPE (Correct answer)
- OSHA's ranking of the most common construction injuries
- The order in which safety inspections are conducted
Correct answer: A prioritized framework for eliminating or reducing hazards, from elimination to PPE
The hierarchy of controls prioritizes hazard elimination first, then substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE as the last resort.
Question 2: A cable installer is using a powder-actuated tool to fasten cable supports to concrete. Who is authorized to operate this tool?
- Any licensed electrician on site
- Only trained and certified operators per manufacturer requirements (Correct answer)
- Any crew member with more than one year of experience
- The site foreman only
Correct answer: Only trained and certified operators per manufacturer requirements
OSHA 1926.302(e) requires that powder-actuated tools be operated only by workers trained and certified by the tool manufacturer.
Question 3: When installing cable hangers from a scissor lift, where should tools and materials be stored while working at height?
- Hanging from the guardrail for easy access
- In a tool belt or secured container on the platform to prevent falling objects (Correct answer)
- On top of cable trays already installed above
- On the floor below for quick retrieval
Correct answer: In a tool belt or secured container on the platform to prevent falling objects
Unsecured tools on elevated platforms create falling-object hazards for workers below; all tools must be secured on the person or in secured containers.
Question 4: A technician develops a rash after handling plenum-rated cable jacketing. Which SDS section should be consulted first?
- Section 1 – Identification
- Section 4 – First Aid Measures (Correct answer)
- Section 9 – Physical and Chemical Properties
- Section 14 – Transport Information
Correct answer: Section 4 – First Aid Measures
SDS Section 4 provides first aid instructions for skin, eye, inhalation, and ingestion exposure to the substance.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) before beginning a cable installation task?
- To estimate the project cost and material quantities
- To identify potential hazards for each task step and establish preventive measures before work begins (Correct answer)
- To document completed work for client billing
- To schedule crew breaks and shift rotations
Correct answer: To identify potential hazards for each task step and establish preventive measures before work begins
A JHA systematically identifies hazards at each step of a task so controls can be established before work starts, preventing injuries.
Question 6: A data cable installer is asked to work in a room with asbestos ceiling tiles that will not be disturbed. What action is required?
- Refuse to enter the room under any circumstances
- Don full asbestos abatement PPE before entering
- Obtain site documentation confirming the ACM condition and avoid disturbing the material (Correct answer)
- Report to OSHA before beginning work
Correct answer: Obtain site documentation confirming the ACM condition and avoid disturbing the material
Intact, non-friable asbestos-containing materials (ACM) that will not be disturbed do not require abatement PPE, but workers must be informed and must avoid disturbing the material.
Question 7: Which safety color, per ANSI Z535.1, is used to signal an IMMEDIATE danger that will result in death or serious injury if not avoided?
- Orange
- Yellow
- Red (Correct answer)
- Blue
Correct answer: Red
ANSI Z535.1 designates red for DANGER signals, indicating an imminently hazardous situation that will result in death or serious injury.
DCI Safety Practices & Procedures 5
What does the term 'hierarchy of controls' mean in the context of worksite hazard management?