CHST - Construction Health and Safety Technician Incident Investigation and Reporting Questions and Answers

Question 1

Which of the following is the primary purpose of conducting an incident investigation on a construction site?

Accepted Answer

To identify root causes and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

Answer

The fundamental goal of an incident investigation is to determine the underlying or root causes to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. While completing paperwork is a requirement and financial impacts are a concern, the core purpose is prevention, not placing blame, which can discourage reporting and hinder the discovery of systemic safety issues.

Question 2

A scaffold collapses on a project, resulting in a serious injury. After ensuring the injured worker receives immediate medical attention, what should be the safety technician's highest priority?

Accepted Answer

Secure the scene to prevent further injuries and preserve evidence.

Answer

After medical care is provided, the highest priority is to secure the incident scene. This involves using barricade tape or other means to prevent unauthorized entry, which protects others from potential hazards and preserves the physical evidence (e.g., failed components, tool positions) for the investigation. Other steps like interviews and reporting will follow but preserving the scene is the immediate next step.

Question 3

According to OSHA's recordkeeping rule (29 CFR 1904), which of the following work-related incidents is required to be recorded on the OSHA 300 Log?

Accepted Answer

A welder experiences a burn that is treated with two days of restricted work duty.

Answer

OSHA 29 CFR 1904.7 states that an injury or illness is recordable if it results in death, days away from work, restricted work, or transfer to another job. An injury resulting in restricted work duty meets this criterion. The other options are examples of first aid (splinter removal, tetanus shot) or are non-work-related/non-recordable symptoms without a diagnosis, and therefore are not required to be logged on the OSHA 300.

Question 4

An employer must report the in-patient hospitalization of an employee to OSHA. According to 29 CFR 1904.39, this report must be made within what timeframe?

Accepted Answer

24 hours of learning about the hospitalization.

Answer

According to OSHA 29 CFR 1904.39(a)(2), an employer must report an in-patient hospitalization to OSHA within 24 hours of knowing about it. The 8-hour timeframe is for reporting a fatality. The clock for reporting starts when the employer learns of the qualifying event, not necessarily when the incident occurred.

Question 5

During a site walk, a safety technician observes a heavy tool fall from an upper level, landing just a few feet from a worker. No one was injured. Why is it crucial to investigate this "near miss"?

Accepted Answer

It provides an opportunity to identify and correct system failures before they cause an injury.

Answer

A near miss is an indicator of a weakness in the safety system that could lead to a serious incident. Investigating it with the same rigor as an accident allows the company to identify root causes and implement corrective actions proactively, preventing a future event where an injury or property damage occurs. Near misses are not reportable to OSHA or recordable on the 300 Log unless an injury meeting the criteria occurs.

CHST - Construction Health and Safety Technician Practice Test

CHST - Construction Health and Safety Technician Practice Test

CHST - Construction Health and Safety Technician Incident Investigation and Reporting Questions and Answers