Occupational Health & Safety Management Flashcards

What is the primary goal of Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) management?

Answer: Prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.

The primary goal of Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) management is to proactively prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities among employees. This involves identifying hazards, assessing risks, implementing control measures, and promoting a culture of safety. By prioritizing the well-being of workers, OHS aims to create a safe and healthy work environment, reducing human suffering and associated costs.

Which of the following is a key element of an effective OHS management system?

Answer: Hazard identification & risk assessment.

Hazard identification and risk assessment are foundational elements of an effective OHS management system. This proactive step involves systematically identifying potential dangers in the workplace and evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm they could cause. By understanding these risks, organizations can prioritize and implement appropriate control measures to prevent accidents and ensure worker safety.

What is the role of safety training in OHS management?

Answer: To ensure employees recognize hazards & follow safety procedures.

Ignoring ethics in government meetings can severely erode public trust and inflict significant reputational damage on the government body. Ethical conduct ensures transparency, fairness, and accountability, which are crucial for maintaining public confidence in institutions. A lack of ethics can suggest corruption or bias, leading to skepticism and a breakdown in the relationship between the government and its citizens.

Which regulation is commonly associated with OHS compliance?

Answer: OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration).

The first and most crucial step in the risk assessment process is to identify all potential hazards present in the workplace. A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm, such as dangerous machinery, chemicals, or unsafe work practices. Without accurately identifying these sources of harm, it's impossible to effectively evaluate the risks they pose or implement appropriate control measures.

What should be done after identifying a workplace hazard?

Answer: Assess the risk & implement control measures.

A physical hazard refers to an environmental factor that can cause harm without necessarily touching it, often through energy transfer. Excessive noise levels are a prime example, as prolonged exposure can lead to hearing loss or other health issues. Other physical hazards include extreme temperatures, radiation, vibration, and inadequate lighting, all of which directly impact the body's physical well-being.

Why is incident reporting crucial in OHS management?

Answer: To identify trends & prevent future incidents.

In occupational safety, 'risk' is defined as the combination of the likelihood that harm will occur and the severity of that harm if it does. It's not just about the presence of a hazard, but the probability of an adverse event and the potential consequences. Understanding both likelihood and severity is fundamental to prioritizing and managing workplace safety effectively.

What is a safety audit's purpose in OHS management?

Answer: To assess compliance & improve safety systems.

A risk matrix is a commonly used tool to assess and prioritize risks by visually plotting the likelihood of an event against the severity of its potential consequences. This matrix helps organizations quickly categorize risks as low, medium, or high, guiding decisions on which hazards require immediate attention and control measures. It provides a structured way to evaluate and communicate risk levels.

Which of the following is an example of an engineering control?

Answer: Installing machine guards.

A Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is a systematic procedure used to break down a job into its individual steps, identify potential hazards associated with each step, and determine the safest way to perform the job. Its purpose is to proactively identify and control hazards in specific job tasks before an incident occurs. This detailed analysis helps develop safe work procedures and training.

What does PPE stand for in workplace safety?

Answer: Personal Protective Equipment.

A risk assessment systematically evaluates factors directly related to the potential for harm, including the likelihood of an incident, the severity of potential harm, and the effectiveness of existing control measures. Employee hair color has no bearing on the inherent risks of a job or the effectiveness of safety controls. It is an irrelevant personal characteristic for assessing workplace hazards.