Risk Assessment & Management Flashcards

An interior designer is hired for a project in a historic building. Which risk is unique to this type of project?

Answer: Restrictions imposed by historic preservation regulations

Historic buildings are often subject to local preservation ordinances and federal guidelines that restrict alterations, creating compliance risks if ignored.

A designer specifies a glass staircase railing in a home with young children. What is the most important safety standard to verify?

Answer: The glass meets tempered or laminated safety glazing requirements

Building codes (IBC/IRC) require railings use safety glazing (tempered or laminated) that, if broken, minimizes laceration risk rather than shattering into sharp shards.

Which type of insurance is most important for an interior designer to carry to protect against claims that a design error caused a client financial loss?

Answer: Professional liability (errors & omissions) insurance

Professional liability (E&O) insurance covers claims arising from design mistakes, omissions, or negligent advice that result in financial harm to the client.

A project site has asbestos-containing ceiling tiles. Under EPA regulations, the designer's responsibility is to:

Answer: Notify the client and recommend a licensed asbestos abatement contractor

Asbestos disturbance is federally regulated (NESHAP), and removal must be performed only by licensed abatement contractors to protect occupant and worker health.

When a designer selects window treatments for a pediatric healthcare facility, which risk factor should drive the specification?

Answer: Eliminating cord hazards that pose strangulation risk to children

The CPSC warns that corded window coverings are a leading strangulation hazard for young children, making cordless or motorized options mandatory in child-occupied spaces.

A designer receives a client's verbal approval to purchase $50,000 in furniture. Best practice risk management requires the designer to:

Answer: Obtain written authorization before placing any orders

Written purchase authorization protects the designer from disputes over whether purchases were approved, especially for large expenditures.

During a renovation, a contractor discovers unexpected mold behind a bathroom wall. As the project manager, the designer should first:

Answer: Stop work in the affected area and notify the client immediately

Mold is a health hazard requiring professional remediation assessment; continuing work without addressing it exposes occupants and workers to health risks and creates liability.