Funeral Service Test Funeral Service OSHA and Infectious Disease Control 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030), which type of control measure takes the highest priority in the hierarchy of controls?
- Personal protective equipment
- Engineering controls (Correct answer)
- Administrative controls
- Work practice controls
Correct answer: Engineering controls
Engineering controls rank highest in OSHA's hierarchy because they eliminate or reduce hazards at the source (e.g., ventilated prep rooms, sharps containers) without relying on worker behavior.
Question 2: What is OSHA's permissible exposure limit (PEL) for formaldehyde as a time-weighted average (TWA) over an 8-hour workday?
- 0.1 ppm
- 0.5 ppm
- 0.75 ppm (Correct answer)
- 1.0 ppm
Correct answer: 0.75 ppm
Under 29 CFR 1910.1048, OSHA sets the formaldehyde 8-hour TWA PEL at 0.75 ppm to protect workers from chronic respiratory and carcinogenic effects.
Question 3: Under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard, employers must offer hepatitis B vaccination to at-risk employees within how many working days of initial assignment?
- 10 days (Correct answer)
- 30 days
- 60 days
- 90 days
Correct answer: 10 days
29 CFR 1910.1030 requires hepatitis B vaccination to be made available within 10 working days of initial assignment to tasks with occupational exposure risk.
Question 4: Which combination of personal protective equipment is REQUIRED when performing embalming procedures under OSHA Standard Precautions?
- Safety glasses only
- Gloves only
- Gloves, gown, mask, and eye protection (Correct answer)
- Gloves and gown only
Correct answer: Gloves, gown, mask, and eye protection
OSHA Standard Precautions mandate full protection — gloves, gown, mask, and eye/face protection — during embalming due to the high risk of blood and body fluid splatter.
Question 5: What is OSHA's short-term exposure limit (STEL) for formaldehyde over any 15-minute period?
- 0.75 ppm
- 1.0 ppm
- 1.5 ppm
- 2.0 ppm (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 2.0 ppm
OSHA's formaldehyde standard sets a 15-minute STEL of 2.0 ppm, which is considerably higher than the 8-hour TWA PEL of 0.75 ppm.
Question 6: What is the correct method for disposing of contaminated sharps used during embalming under OSHA regulations?
- Place in a regular trash can with a biohazard label
- Recap the needle then place in a sharps container
- Place directly into an approved sharps container without recapping (Correct answer)
- Rinse with disinfectant solution before disposal
Correct answer: Place directly into an approved sharps container without recapping
OSHA requires contaminated sharps to be placed immediately into puncture-resistant, leak-proof sharps containers without any recapping, bending, or manipulation to prevent needlestick injuries.
Question 7: What does the acronym 'SDS' refer to under OSHA's updated Hazard Communication Standard?
- Safety Disposal System
- Safety Data Sheet (Correct answer)
- Standard Disinfection Schedule
- Substance Dilution Standard
Correct answer: Safety Data Sheet
SDS (Safety Data Sheet) replaced MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) when OSHA aligned its Hazard Communication Standard with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling.
