EMPCO Health Surveillance & Monitoring 3

Question 1

Which agency publishes the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) used as occupational exposure benchmarks in health surveillance?

Accepted Answer

ACGIH

Answer

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) publishes TLVs, which are widely used as occupational health exposure benchmarks.

Question 2

What does the term 'specificity' mean when evaluating a health surveillance screening test?

Accepted Answer

The proportion of truly non-diseased individuals who test negative

Answer

Specificity is the ability of a test to correctly identify those without the disease (true negative rate), minimizing false positives.

Question 3

In audiometric surveillance, a Standard Threshold Shift (STS) is defined as an average shift in hearing threshold of how many decibels?

Accepted Answer

10 dB averaged over 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz

Answer

OSHA defines STS as a change in hearing threshold averaging 10 dB or more at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz in either ear.

Question 4

Which hazard category most commonly necessitates blood lead level (BLL) surveillance in an occupational health program?

Accepted Answer

Heavy metal (lead) exposure in smelting or battery manufacturing

Answer

Blood lead level surveillance is mandated for workers exposed to lead during operations like smelting, battery manufacturing, and lead abatement.

Question 5

What is the role of a 'control biopsy' or baseline sample in longitudinal health surveillance?

Accepted Answer

To establish an individual's pre-exposure health status for future comparisons

Answer

Baseline samples establish a worker's pre-exposure health status so that future results can be compared to detect any deterioration attributable to work.

(EMPCO) Employment Medical Program Company Practice Test

(EMPCO) Employment Medical Program Company Practice Test

EMPCO Health Surveillance & Monitoring 3