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.
Funeral Service Test Funeral Service OSHA and Infectious Disease Control 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?