NYC Sanitation Worker Civil Service Exam — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Which borough has the most DSNY collection districts due to its geographic size?

Manhattan
The Bronx
Queens (Correct answer)
Brooklyn

Correct answer: Queens

Queens has the most DSNY collection districts because it is the largest borough by land area in New York City.

Question 2: What is the primary purpose of NYC's containerization law for large residential buildings?

To reduce overtime pay for sanitation workers
To prevent pests and reduce street litter (Correct answer)
To speed up collection routes
To reduce truck fuel consumption

Correct answer: To prevent pests and reduce street litter

The containerization law requires large buildings to store refuse in sealed containers primarily to prevent pests and reduce litter on NYC streets.

Question 3: Under NYC Local Law 146 of 2019, what change was made to how NYC manages its paper and metal recycling contracts?

Recycling was fully privatized city-wide
NYC stopped recycling paper entirely
NYC began exporting all paper to New Jersey
The city moved from paying vendors to receiving revenue-sharing or negotiated contracts for recyclable commodities (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The city moved from paying vendors to receiving revenue-sharing or negotiated contracts for recyclable commodities

Local Law 146 improved NYC's recycling economics by restructuring contracts to better reflect commodity market conditions.

Question 4: What NYC regulation requires DSNY to post collection schedules, and where must this information be publicly accessible?

Mailed only to building owners
Available on the NYC DSNY website and through 311 for each residential district (Correct answer)
Posted only inside sanitation district garages
Only available by calling the Commissioner's office

Correct answer: Available on the NYC DSNY website and through 311 for each residential district

NYC law requires DSNY to make collection schedules publicly accessible via their website and 311 so residents can comply with set-out rules.

Question 5: Under NYC regulations, what must a sanitation worker do if a resident's recyclables are contaminated with food waste?

Report the resident to the police
Leave them and affix a rejection notice (Correct answer)
Call a supervisor before collecting
Collect them anyway and note the violation

Correct answer: Leave them and affix a rejection notice

When recyclables are contaminated, sanitation workers leave them behind and attach a rejection notice explaining the reason.

Question 6: How should NYC residents dispose of used cooking oil from households?

Place in the blue recycling bin
Pour it down the drain
Bring it to DSNY drop-off sites or participating locations (Correct answer)
Freeze it and place in regular garbage

Correct answer: Bring it to DSNY drop-off sites or participating locations

Used cooking oil must be brought to DSNY designated drop-off sites or participating locations; pouring it down the drain clogs sewers.

Question 7: An older red Camaro sideswipes a white Taurus that is parked across the street as sanitation worker Banks is gathering trash at 635 Dennison Road. Banks tries to get the license number when the Camaro's driver does not pull over. Only the first two letters, which are WR, can he read. Additionally, the resident at 635 Dennison calls the police after seeing the accident. <br> Which of the following would Banks say when the police show up to best and most accurately characterize the incident?

I saw a red Camaro sideswipe a Taurus at 635 Dennison while I was gathering trash at the time. I attempted to obtain the license number of the Camaro's driver after he failed to pull over. WR are the first two letters. (Correct answer)
The driver of a red Camaro refused to stop on Dennison, so I looked at his license, which had a W and an R on it. You can get the information I didn't have from the resident at 635 Dennison.
Although I only received a portion of the license, the automobile across the street on Dennison was sideswiped as I was collecting trash. The white Taurus is it. I only received the first two letters since the driver of the car did not stop.
At 635 Dennison, a red Camaro was approaching from the opposite direction as I was gathering trash. The Taurus was struck, yet he kept moving. Only the W and R could I read.

Correct answer: I saw a red Camaro sideswipe a Taurus at 635 Dennison while I was gathering trash at the time. I attempted to obtain the license number of the Camaro's driver after he failed to pull over. WR are the first two letters.

Option D provides the most accurate and best-characterized account of the incident because it is factual, chronological, and includes all relevant details observed by Banks. It clearly states what he saw, where he was, his attempt to get the license plate, and the specific information he managed to obtain. The other options are either less complete, less direct, or contain slightly less precise phrasing, making them less ideal for a police report.

Question 8: Which situation requires a DSNY sanitation worker to wear a respirator during collection operations?

Handling ordinary household black bags
Operating the hopper controls
Working in cold weather
Encountering visible dust or chemical fumes from waste (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Encountering visible dust or chemical fumes from waste

Visible dust, vapors, or chemical fumes indicate potential respiratory hazards requiring a respirator to protect lung health.

Question 9: A sanitation worker slips and falls during route operations. What must they do according to DSNY incident reporting requirements?

Report it only if a supervisor was present
Report only if medical treatment is needed beyond first aid
File a written incident report the same day, regardless of injury severity (Correct answer)
Wait until the supervisor notices

Correct answer: File a written incident report the same day, regardless of injury severity

All workplace incidents must be reported the same day to create a record that protects the worker's rights and enables safety improvements.

Question 10: What should a DSNY collection crew do when they encounter an address that has excessive amounts of refuse beyond normal limits?

Skip the address entirely
Collect only the permitted amount and leave a notice of violation for the excess (Correct answer)
Call the police
Collect everything regardless of the amount

Correct answer: Collect only the permitted amount and leave a notice of violation for the excess

Collecting only the permitted amount and issuing a violation notice enforces compliance while keeping collection routes on schedule.

Question 11: Which NYC agency is responsible for enforcing sanitation code violations against property owners?

Department of Health
NYC Buildings Department
NYPD
DSNY (Correct answer)

Correct answer: DSNY

The NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) issues and enforces sanitation code violations related to waste disposal.

Question 12: Who is credited with professionalizing NYC's sanitation workforce in the 1890s?

Fiorello La Guardia
George Waring (Correct answer)
Theodore Roosevelt
John Lindsay

Correct answer: George Waring

Colonel George Waring transformed DSNY in the 1890s by professionalizing the workforce, introducing uniforms, and reorganizing street cleaning operations.

Question 13: NYC residents who generate large amounts of hazardous waste through home-based businesses are classified as what type of hazardous waste generator?

Residential Exempt Generator
Conditionally Exempt Generator
Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG) (Correct answer)
Large Quantity Generator (LQG)

Correct answer: Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG)

Home-based businesses generating small quantities of hazardous waste typically fall under the Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG) classification under EPA regulations.

Question 14: What contamination problem most commonly reduces the value and recyclability of NYC's collected paper recycling stream?

Paper with color ink printing
Food contamination — wet or food-soiled paper cannot be recycled (Correct answer)
Paper that is folded too tightly
Too much cardboard mixed with newspaper

Correct answer: Food contamination — wet or food-soiled paper cannot be recycled

Wet and food-soiled paper contaminates the entire paper bale, making it unsellable as a recycled commodity.

Question 15: What type of commercial driver's license (CDL) is required to operate a standard DSNY collection truck in New York?

Standard Class D license
Class A CDL
Class B CDL (Correct answer)
Class C CDL

Correct answer: Class B CDL

A Class B CDL is required for single-unit vehicles over 26,001 lbs GVWR, which includes standard refuse collection trucks.

Question 16: What does DSNY's Office of Management and Budget primarily oversee?

Equipment procurement and vehicle maintenance contracts
Training programs for new sanitation workers
Hiring and HR processes
Budget allocation and financial management for the department (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Budget allocation and financial management for the department

DSNY's Office of Management and Budget is responsible for the department's budget planning, financial management, and resource allocation.

Question 17: Under NYC's 'Zero Waste' initiative, what is the city's long-term target for waste sent to landfills?

Zero waste to landfill by 2030 (Correct answer)
Complete elimination of all landfill use by 2025
50% reduction by 2030
25% reduction by 2040

Correct answer: Zero waste to landfill by 2030

NYC's Zero Waste goal aims to send nothing to landfills or incinerators by 2030 through aggressive reduction, reuse, and recycling.

Question 18: What does NYC's 'Containerization Law' primarily require of commercial establishments?

To weigh all waste before set-out
To use clear bags for all waste
To store all refuse in covered, leak-proof containers that prevent pest access (Correct answer)
To purchase NYC-branded containers only

Correct answer: To store all refuse in covered, leak-proof containers that prevent pest access

The Containerization Law requires commercial refuse to be stored in sealed, pest-resistant containers to maintain sanitary conditions.

Question 19: NYC's Fresh Kills Landfill, once the world's largest, is located in which borough?

The Bronx
Queens
Staten Island (Correct answer)
Brooklyn

Correct answer: Staten Island

Fresh Kills Landfill is located on Staten Island and operated from 1948 to 2001, when it was closed and began its conversion into a public park.

Question 20: What is the primary purpose of the NYC DSNY tonnage report completed after each collection shift?

To track the amount of material collected for billing and planning (Correct answer)
To document overtime hours worked
To report vehicle fuel consumption
To calculate individual worker bonuses

Correct answer: To track the amount of material collected for billing and planning

Tonnage reports help DSNY track collected waste volumes, which is used for budget planning, billing, and operational analysis.

Question 21: Which color coding is used to identify compressed gas cylinders containing oxygen in hazardous material contexts?

Green (Correct answer)
Yellow
Red
Blue

Correct answer: Green

In the United States, compressed oxygen cylinders are traditionally color-coded green, helping workers quickly identify the contents.

Question 22: NYC's 'e-waste' law (Local Law 48 of 2008) prohibits placing which items in the regular trash?

Old newspapers and cardboard
Light bulbs only
Computers, televisions, and other covered electronic devices (Correct answer)
Alkaline batteries

Correct answer: Computers, televisions, and other covered electronic devices

Local Law 48 banned covered electronic devices from the regular waste stream and created a manufacturer take-back program.

Question 23: Under NYC Administrative Code, how many hours before scheduled collection can residents place garbage at the curb?

4 hours
24 hours
6 hours (Correct answer)
12 hours

Correct answer: 6 hours

NYC rules allow residents to place garbage at the curb no earlier than 6 hours before the scheduled collection time.

Question 24: Which DSNY bureau is responsible for issuing sanitation violations and enforcing the health code?

Bureau of Enforcement (Correct answer)
Bureau of Legal Affairs
Bureau of Waste Disposal
Bureau of Cleaning and Collection

Correct answer: Bureau of Enforcement

DSNY's Bureau of Enforcement deploys agents citywide to issue summonses and enforce NYC's sanitation code and health code provisions.

Question 25: What was the significance of the 1968 DSNY sanitation workers' strike in New York City?

It demonstrated workers' power and resulted in significant wage and benefit gains (Correct answer)
It caused the mayor to create DSNY
It resulted in privatization of sanitation services
It led to the creation of curbside recycling

Correct answer: It demonstrated workers' power and resulted in significant wage and benefit gains

The 1968 strike shut down NYC garbage collection for nine days and resulted in significant pay increases and improved conditions for sanitation workers.

Question 26: NYC's commercial waste zone system, enacted under Local Law 2020, was designed to achieve what primary goal?

Cut the number of private sanitation truck trips through city streets to reduce congestion and emissions (Correct answer)
Reduce the number of DSNY employees
Privatize all residential collection
Eliminate recycling requirements for businesses

Correct answer: Cut the number of private sanitation truck trips through city streets to reduce congestion and emissions

Commercial waste zones assign exclusive geographic zones to licensed carters, dramatically reducing the number of trucks making multiple overlapping routes.

Question 27: Which offense can result in a DSNY summons being issued to a building owner for their tenant's actions?

Tenant noise violations
Refuse placed outside without a container on non-collection days (Correct answer)
Parking a moving truck without a permit
Tenant jaywalking near the building

Correct answer: Refuse placed outside without a container on non-collection days

Building owners can receive a DSNY summons if their tenants place refuse outside without proper containers on non-collection days.

Question 28: NYC residents are required to place recyclables at the curb no earlier than how many hours before the scheduled collection time?

24 hours (Correct answer)
4 hours
8 hours
48 hours

Correct answer: 24 hours

NYC sanitation rules allow residents to place materials at the curb no earlier than 24 hours before their scheduled collection.

Question 29: Which DSNY rank is the first supervisory level above sanitation worker?

District Superintendent
Section Superintendent
Sanitation Supervisor (SS) (Correct answer)
Deputy Commissioner

Correct answer: Sanitation Supervisor (SS)

The Sanitation Supervisor (SS) rank is the first level of supervision above the Sanitation Worker title in DSNY's career ladder.

Question 30: Under NYC law, when may a property owner legally burn refuse on their property?

Only on weekends with a permit
Never — open burning of refuse is prohibited in NYC (Correct answer)
Only for yard waste under 50 lbs
With written approval from DSNY

Correct answer: Never — open burning of refuse is prohibited in NYC

Open burning of refuse is completely prohibited in NYC due to air quality laws and fire safety regulations.

NYC Sanitation Worker Civil Service Exam

The NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) civil service exam tests cognitive abilities and job-related knowledge for sanitation worker candidates, covering waste collection operations, sanitation regulations and legal framework, and department history and administrative procedures.

Questions

40 min

Time Limit

70%

To Pass

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