Occupational Health and Hygiene Flashcards
7 cards from real HSE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Occupational Health and Hygiene flashcards as text
Work in a confined space with oxygen concentration below what percentage is considered oxygen-deficient and requires supplied-air or SCBA?
Answer: 19.5%
OSHA defines an oxygen-deficient atmosphere as one with less than 19.5% oxygen by volume, requiring respiratory protection that supplies breathable air.
Heat stress risk is evaluated using which index that accounts for temperature, humidity, radiant heat, and air movement?
Answer: Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT)
WBGT is the internationally recognized index for evaluating heat stress because it incorporates dry bulb temperature, natural wet bulb temperature, and globe temperature to account for all thermal environmental factors.
Ionizing radiation exposure in the workplace is primarily regulated by which U.S. federal agency for general industry?
Answer: OSHA under 29 CFR 1910.1096
OSHA regulates ionizing radiation exposure in general industry workplaces under 29 CFR 1910.1096, while the NRC regulates licensed radioactive materials.
What is the primary purpose of a medical surveillance program in occupational health?
Answer: To detect early signs of work-related disease and evaluate effectiveness of exposure controls
Medical surveillance programs detect early, subclinical health effects from occupational exposures, enabling early intervention and evaluating whether existing controls adequately protect workers.
A worker develops contact dermatitis after handling a cutting fluid. Which route of exposure is most responsible?
Answer: Dermal absorption through skin contact
Contact dermatitis from cutting fluids is caused by direct skin contact (dermal route), leading to either irritant or allergic contact dermatitis.
Which of the following best describes a 'ceiling limit' as used in occupational exposure standards?
Answer: A concentration that should never be exceeded at any time during a work shift
A ceiling limit is a concentration that must not be exceeded at any moment during the workday, used for substances with immediate toxic effects.
Occupational asthma is distinguished from pre-existing asthma aggravated by work by the fact that:
Answer: Occupational asthma is caused or induced by a specific work-related exposure
Occupational asthma is defined as asthma caused by sensitization or irritation from a specific agent encountered in the workplace, rather than pre-existing asthma that is merely worsened at work.