Funeral Service Test Funeral Service OSHA and Infectious Disease Control 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the OSHA action level for formaldehyde, at which additional monitoring, training, and medical surveillance requirements are triggered?
- 0.1 ppm
- 0.5 ppm (Correct answer)
- 0.75 ppm
- 1.0 ppm
Correct answer: 0.5 ppm
OSHA's formaldehyde action level is 0.5 ppm as an 8-hour TWA; exceeding this triggers medical surveillance and increased monitoring even though it is below the PEL.
Question 2: Under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard, medical records related to occupational exposure must be retained for how long?
- 5 years
- 10 years
- 20 years
- Duration of employment plus 30 years (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Duration of employment plus 30 years
OSHA requires medical records for bloodborne pathogen exposure to be kept for the duration of employment plus 30 years to account for diseases with long latency periods such as HIV and hepatitis.
Question 3: Which of the following represents the greatest route of bloodborne pathogen transmission risk for embalmers?
- Casual skin contact with the deceased
- Needlestick injuries during embalming (Correct answer)
- Inhaling embalming room air
- Contact with intact skin
Correct answer: Needlestick injuries during embalming
Needlestick injuries create direct percutaneous access to the bloodstream, making them the primary route for transmitting bloodborne pathogens such as HBV, HCV, and HIV.
Question 4: What color are biohazardous regulated medical waste bags required to be under OSHA and EPA guidelines?
- Red or orange (Correct answer)
- Yellow
- Blue
- White with red markings
Correct answer: Red or orange
Regulated medical waste must be placed in red or orange closeable, puncture-resistant bags labeled with the biohazard symbol to alert handlers to the infectious contents.
Question 5: Which hepatitis virus poses the greatest occupational transmission risk for funeral service workers due to its environmental stability and high infectivity?
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B (Correct answer)
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis D
Correct answer: Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can survive on environmental surfaces for up to 7 days and is approximately 100 times more infectious than HIV through needlestick injury, making it the primary occupational concern.
Question 6: When is initial formaldehyde air monitoring REQUIRED under OSHA's formaldehyde standard?
- Only when an employee reports symptoms
- Upon initial assignment of employees to formaldehyde-exposed tasks (Correct answer)
- Once every 5 years
- Only when a new embalming product line is introduced
Correct answer: Upon initial assignment of employees to formaldehyde-exposed tasks
OSHA requires initial air monitoring when workers are first assigned to formaldehyde-exposed tasks to establish baseline exposure levels before determining if ongoing monitoring is needed.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of an OSHA Exposure Control Plan in a funeral home setting?
- To document employee wages and benefits
- To eliminate or minimize employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens (Correct answer)
- To track funeral home revenue and expenses
- To schedule routine facility maintenance
Correct answer: To eliminate or minimize employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens
An Exposure Control Plan is a written OSHA-required document that identifies employees at risk for bloodborne pathogen exposure and describes specific engineering controls, work practices, and PPE to minimize that risk.
