NYC Sanitation MCQ Exam 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the correct procedure when a sanitation truck is involved in a minor fender-bender with a parked car?
- Leave a note and continue the route
- Stop, secure the scene, notify dispatch and police, and file an accident report (Correct answer)
- Take a photo and report it at the end of the shift
- Move the parked car to clear the obstruction
Correct answer: Stop, secure the scene, notify dispatch and police, and file an accident report
Any vehicle accident involving a DSNY truck requires an immediate stop, police notification, and formal incident reporting regardless of severity.
Question 2: NYC's 'zero waste' goal aims to achieve what by 2030?
- Eliminate all street litter completely
- Send zero waste to landfills by maximizing recycling, composting, and reduction (Correct answer)
- Reduce collection crews by 50% through automation
- Convert all DSNY trucks to electric vehicles
Correct answer: Send zero waste to landfills by maximizing recycling, composting, and reduction
NYC's Zero Waste goal targets diverting all recoverable materials from landfills through a combination of recycling, composting, and waste reduction strategies.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the term 'putrescible waste'?
- Waste that can be compressed in a packer truck
- Organic waste that decomposes and generates odors, such as food scraps (Correct answer)
- Any waste that contains liquid
- Recyclable materials that have been contaminated
Correct answer: Organic waste that decomposes and generates odors, such as food scraps
Putrescible waste is organic material capable of decomposing through bacterial action, producing odors and potential health hazards if not collected promptly.
Question 4: A NYC sanitation worker is assigned to a new district for the day. Before beginning collection, the worker should:
- Begin collecting from the nearest address immediately
- Review the route sheet and familiarize themselves with the assigned route (Correct answer)
- Contact the previous driver for verbal instructions only
- Wait at the garage until a supervisor personally escorts them
Correct answer: Review the route sheet and familiarize themselves with the assigned route
Reviewing the route sheet ensures the worker knows collection points, special stops, and any route-specific instructions before beginning the shift.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of NYC's 'containerization' requirement for residential buildings with 9 or more units?
- To reduce the number of daily collection trips
- To keep garbage off sidewalks, improve aesthetics, and reduce pest activity (Correct answer)
- To make buildings responsible for their own waste disposal
- To allow tenants to self-sort recyclables more effectively
Correct answer: To keep garbage off sidewalks, improve aesthetics, and reduce pest activity
Containerization requirements reduce the amount of time bags sit exposed on sidewalks, which significantly cuts rodent activity and improves neighborhood cleanliness.
Question 6: Which of the following is the correct way to handle a situation where a resident verbally abuses a sanitation worker on the job?
- Respond in kind to defend professional dignity
- Remain professional, disengage from the confrontation, and report the incident to a supervisor (Correct answer)
- Refuse to collect that resident's garbage going forward
- Call the police immediately
Correct answer: Remain professional, disengage from the confrontation, and report the incident to a supervisor
DSNY workers are expected to remain professional in all public interactions; confrontations should be disengaged from and reported through proper supervisory channels.
Question 7: Under NYC law, which entity is responsible for cleaning litter from city streets and public spaces as part of its core mandate?
- NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
- NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) (Correct answer)
- NYC Department of Transportation
- NYC Office of Management and Budget
Correct answer: NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY)
The NYC Department of Sanitation holds the primary mandate for street cleaning, litter basket collection, and maintaining cleanliness of public spaces citywide.
NYC Sanitation MCQ Exam 5
What is the correct procedure when a sanitation truck is involved in a minor fender-bender with a parked car?