IHSA Emergency Response & Incident Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which NIMS principle ensures that personnel report to only one supervisor during an emergency response?
- Modular organization
- Unity of command (Correct answer)
- Comprehensive resource management
- Integrated communications
Correct answer: Unity of command
Unity of command means every individual has a single designated supervisor, reducing confusion and conflicting orders during emergencies.
Question 2: An excavation cave-in partially buries two workers. Which action should responders take BEFORE entering the trench?
- Shore or slope the trench walls to prevent secondary collapse (Correct answer)
- Immediately dig by hand to free victims
- Set up a perimeter 10 feet away and wait for heavy equipment
- Administer oxygen to the victims from the trench edge
Correct answer: Shore or slope the trench walls to prevent secondary collapse
Secondary collapse is the primary hazard in trench rescues; shoring or sloping must be established before rescuers enter to protect both victims and responders.
Question 3: Under OSHA's Process Safety Management (PSM) standard, an emergency response plan for highly hazardous chemicals must be coordinated with which external entity?
- Local emergency planning committees (LEPCs) (Correct answer)
- State department of transportation
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regional office
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) national office
Correct answer: Local emergency planning committees (LEPCs)
29 CFR 1910.119(n) requires PSM emergency response plans to be coordinated with local emergency planning committees to integrate community-level response.
Question 4: A chemical spill creates an IDLH atmosphere. The hot zone, warm zone, and cold zone layout is part of which hazmat response concept?
- Site safety planning
- Zonal control or site work zones (Correct answer)
- Decontamination corridor
- Unified command post setup
Correct answer: Zonal control or site work zones
Hazmat zonal control divides the site into hot, warm, and cold zones to control access, limit exposure, and stage decontamination activities.
Question 5: Which category of fire extinguisher is specifically required for energized electrical equipment fires?
- Class A
- Class B
- Class C (Correct answer)
- Class D
Correct answer: Class C
Class C extinguishers use non-conductive agents rated for fires involving energized electrical equipment.
Question 6: A site safety coach discovers that the posted assembly point is directly downwind of a leaking gas line. What is the correct action?
- Relocate workers to the posted assembly point and shelter in place
- Redirect workers to a new upwind assembly point and notify emergency services (Correct answer)
- Maintain the current assembly point since it is the designated location
- Wait for air monitoring results before moving anyone
Correct answer: Redirect workers to a new upwind assembly point and notify emergency services
Assembly points must always be upwind of hazard sources; if the current point is compromised, workers must be redirected and emergency services notified immediately.
Question 7: Which physiological sign indicates a worker may be experiencing neurogenic shock following a high-energy fall?
- Rapid, thready pulse and pale skin
- Bradycardia with warm, dry skin below the injury level (Correct answer)
- Hypertension and increased respiratory rate
- Profuse sweating and restlessness
Correct answer: Bradycardia with warm, dry skin below the injury level
Neurogenic shock from spinal cord injury causes paradoxical bradycardia and vasodilation below the lesion, resulting in warm, dry skin rather than the typical cold, clammy presentation.
IHSA Emergency Response & Incident Management 3
Which NIMS principle ensures that personnel report to only one supervisor during an emergency response?