NSC Workplace Safety 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under OSHA's General Duty Clause, employers must protect workers from:
- All conceivable risks in any environment
- Recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm (Correct answer)
- Conditions employees find personally uncomfortable
- Only hazards addressed by specific OSHA standards
Correct answer: Recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm
Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act requires employers to eliminate recognized serious hazards even when no specific OSHA standard exists.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a 'Toolbox Talk'?
- To review project budgets before a shift
- To conduct a brief worksite safety discussion on the day's hazards (Correct answer)
- To formally document OSHA compliance
- To train workers on complex emergency evacuation procedures
Correct answer: To conduct a brief worksite safety discussion on the day's hazards
A Toolbox Talk is a short, informal safety meeting focused on hazards specific to the tasks planned for that day.
Question 3: When is it acceptable to use only a tagout device instead of a lockout device during energy control?
- When the energy isolating device cannot accept a lock due to its design (Correct answer)
- Whenever a supervisor authorizes tags instead of locks
- When the maintenance task takes fewer than 15 minutes
- When the energy source is electrical only
Correct answer: When the energy isolating device cannot accept a lock due to its design
Tagout alone is only permissible when the energy isolating device is physically incapable of being locked out.
Question 4: Which ergonomic risk factors are most associated with back injuries among warehouse workers?
- Repetitive fine motor finger movements
- Awkward postures combined with heavy manual lifting (Correct answer)
- Prolonged sedentary sitting
- Vibration from computer input devices
Correct answer: Awkward postures combined with heavy manual lifting
Awkward postures and heavy manual lifting are the primary ergonomic risk factors for back injuries in warehouse and distribution settings.
Question 5: What should a worker do FIRST upon discovering an uncontrolled hazardous chemical spill?
- Immediately begin cleaning the spill with absorbents
- Evacuate the area and notify the supervisor or emergency response team (Correct answer)
- Dilute the spill with water to reduce concentration
- Check the SDS before taking any action
Correct answer: Evacuate the area and notify the supervisor or emergency response team
The first priority in an uncontrolled spill is to evacuate and alert emergency responders to prevent further injury.
Question 6: Which of the following is a 'leading indicator' of workplace safety performance?
- Number of recordable injuries in the past year
- Percentage of safety training completed on schedule (Correct answer)
- Total workers' compensation costs year-to-date
- Days away from work due to injuries
Correct answer: Percentage of safety training completed on schedule
Leading indicators measure proactive safety activities — like training completion — that predict future injury prevention, unlike lagging indicators that count past incidents.
Question 7: What does 'IDLH' stand for in occupational safety?
- Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (Correct answer)
- Industrial Default Limit for Hazards
- Incremental Dose Limit for Hazardous chemicals
- Integrated Daily Level of Harm
Correct answer: Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health
IDLH means Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health — a concentration that poses an immediate threat to life or could cause irreversible health effects.
NSC Workplace Safety 5
Under OSHA's General Duty Clause, employers must protect workers from: