CPWM - Certified Professional in Waste Management Regulatory Compliance and Safety Questions and Answers

Question 1

An employee at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) must clear a jam inside a large baler. To comply with OSHA standards, what is the most critical procedure to perform before the employee enters the machine?

Accepted Answer

Implement Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures on the baler's energy sources.

Answer

OSHA's standard for The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout), 29 CFR 1910.147, requires that machinery be isolated from all energy sources and rendered inoperative before maintenance or servicing is performed. This prevents the unexpected energization or startup of the equipment, which is the greatest risk in this scenario. While PPE, briefings, and attendants are important safety measures, they do not prevent the machine from activating.

Question 2

Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), a party that arranged for the disposal or treatment of hazardous substances at a facility is known as what type of Potentially Responsible Party (PRP)?

Accepted Answer

Arranger or Generator

Answer

CERCLA Section 107(a) identifies four main classes of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs). 'Arrangers' or 'Generators' are those parties that arranged for the disposal, treatment, or transport of hazardous substances they owned or possessed to the site in question.

Question 3

A large municipal solid waste landfill is subject to the Clean Air Act's New Source Performance Standards (NSPS). Which of the following is the primary regulatory requirement for such a facility once its non-methane organic compound (NMOC) emissions reach the specified threshold?

Accepted Answer

Obtain a Title V operating permit and install a gas collection and control system (GCCS).

Answer

Under the Clean Air Act NSPS (e.g., Subpart XXX), landfills exceeding a certain design capacity and an NMOC emission threshold (34 megagrams per year) must install and operate a gas collection and control system (GCCS). This system captures and destroys landfill gas to reduce emissions of methane and other pollutants. These facilities are also typically required to obtain a Title V operating permit.

Question 4

A truck is transporting a 2,000-pound (approx. 907 kg) shipment of a solid hazardous waste identified as "Corrosive, Class 8". According to Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, what must be displayed on the exterior of the vehicle?

Accepted Answer

A placard corresponding to the material's hazard class (Class 8 - Corrosive).

Answer

DOT regulations in 49 CFR Part 172 require vehicles transporting over 1,001 pounds (454 kg) of a Table 2 hazardous material, such as a Class 8 Corrosive, to be placarded on all four sides with the appropriate hazard class placard. The physical state (solid or liquid) does not eliminate this requirement.

Question 5

In solid waste management, employees may be exposed to discarded needles and other medical sharps. The OSHA standard that specifically addresses the risk of exposure to viruses like HBV and HIV from such items is the:

Accepted Answer

Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030)

Answer

The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) is designed to protect employees from health hazards associated with exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). This includes implementing exposure control plans, using universal precautions, and providing training and PPE to prevent injuries from contaminated sharps often found in waste streams.

(CPWM) Certified Professional in Waste Management Practice Test

(CPWM) Certified Professional in Waste Management Practice Test

CPWM - Certified Professional in Waste Management Regulatory Compliance and Safety Questions and Answers