EMPCO Occupational Health Services 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal agency sets permissible exposure limits (PELs) for hazardous substances in the workplace?
- NIOSH
- OSHA (Correct answer)
- EPA
- CDC
Correct answer: OSHA
OSHA establishes and enforces PELs to protect workers from health hazards associated with chemical exposures.
Question 2: A fitness-for-duty evaluation is BEST described as:
- A pre-employment drug screen
- An assessment of whether an employee can safely perform their job functions (Correct answer)
- An annual physical examination required by law
- A psychological evaluation for all workers
Correct answer: An assessment of whether an employee can safely perform their job functions
Fitness-for-duty evaluations determine whether an employee's physical or mental condition allows them to perform their job safely.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) / Safety Data Sheet (SDS)?
- To document workplace injuries
- To provide chemical hazard and safe handling information (Correct answer)
- To record employee training hours
- To outline emergency evacuation routes
Correct answer: To provide chemical hazard and safe handling information
SDS documents communicate hazard information, composition, handling, and emergency measures for chemical substances.
Question 4: Noise-induced hearing loss in occupational settings is classified as:
- Acute injury
- Cumulative trauma disorder (Correct answer)
- Infectious disease
- Ergonomic injury
Correct answer: Cumulative trauma disorder
Noise-induced hearing loss develops gradually over time from repeated exposure to high sound levels, making it a cumulative trauma disorder.
Question 5: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an employer must provide reasonable accommodations unless:
- The employee has been with the company less than one year
- It would cause undue hardship to the employer (Correct answer)
- The disability was pre-existing before employment
- The job is considered safety-sensitive
Correct answer: It would cause undue hardship to the employer
The ADA requires reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities unless doing so would impose undue hardship on the employer.
Question 6: Which type of ventilation is MOST appropriate for controlling airborne chemical hazards at the source?
- General dilution ventilation
- Local exhaust ventilation (Correct answer)
- Positive pressure ventilation
- Natural ventilation
Correct answer: Local exhaust ventilation
Local exhaust ventilation captures contaminants at or near the source before they can disperse into the work environment.
Question 7: An occupational health nurse performing a worksite walk-through should PRIMARILY focus on:
- Reviewing employee personnel files
- Identifying hazards and health risks in the work environment (Correct answer)
- Auditing payroll records for accuracy
- Evaluating supervisory management styles
Correct answer: Identifying hazards and health risks in the work environment
Worksite walk-throughs allow occupational health professionals to identify potential hazards and assess health risks in the work environment.
EMPCO Occupational Health Services 2
Which federal agency sets permissible exposure limits (PELs) for hazardous substances in the workplace?