SMS Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132, who is responsible for conducting a workplace hazard assessment to determine necessary PPE?
- The employee who performs the task
- The employer (Correct answer)
- OSHA compliance officers
- The PPE manufacturer
Correct answer: The employer
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132(d) places the responsibility on the employer to assess the workplace for hazards and determine what PPE is necessary.
Question 2: What is the correct hierarchy for controlling workplace hazards when determining whether PPE is needed?
- PPE, Administrative Controls, Engineering Controls, Elimination
- Elimination, Substitution, Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls, PPE (Correct answer)
- Administrative Controls, PPE, Engineering Controls, Substitution
- PPE, Substitution, Elimination, Engineering Controls
Correct answer: Elimination, Substitution, Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls, PPE
The hierarchy of controls prioritizes elimination first, then substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and finally PPE as the last line of defense.
Question 3: Which ANSI standard governs the selection and use of eye and face protection in general industry?
- ANSI Z41
- ANSI Z87.1 (Correct answer)
- ANSI Z89.1
- ANSI Z88.2
Correct answer: ANSI Z87.1
ANSI Z87.1 is the standard for occupational and educational personal eye and face protection devices.
Question 4: When must an employer pay for employee PPE under OSHA regulations?
- Only when the employer selects the PPE
- For all PPE required by OSHA standards, with limited exceptions (Correct answer)
- Only when PPE costs exceed $100 per item
- Only for PPE used in hazardous chemical environments
Correct answer: For all PPE required by OSHA standards, with limited exceptions
Under 29 CFR 1910.132(h), employers must pay for required PPE, except for non-specialty safety-toe footwear and non-specialty prescription safety eyewear that employees may use off the job.
Question 5: A safety manager discovers that employees are correctly wearing their respirators but complaining of headaches and fatigue. What is the most likely issue?
- The respirators are counterfeit products
- Improper fit testing or an incorrect respirator type for the hazard (Correct answer)
- Employees need additional PPE training
- The respirators are expired
Correct answer: Improper fit testing or an incorrect respirator type for the hazard
Symptoms like headaches and fatigue while wearing respirators often indicate a poor face seal from improper fit testing or the wrong respirator type/cartridge for the contaminant present.
Question 6: Which class of hard hat is required when workers face exposure to high-voltage electrical conductors?
- Class A
- Class B (Correct answer)
- Class C
- Class G
Correct answer: Class B
ANSI Z89.1 Class E (Electrical) hard hats, formerly Class B, are required for high-voltage protection and are tested up to 20,000 volts.
Question 7: What does a qualitative fit test (QLFT) assess for respirator users?
- The exact pressure differential across the respirator cartridge
- Whether the wearer can detect a test agent through taste or smell, indicating a poor seal (Correct answer)
- The respiratory rate and oxygen consumption of the wearer
- The filtration efficiency of the respirator cartridge
Correct answer: Whether the wearer can detect a test agent through taste or smell, indicating a poor seal
A qualitative fit test uses the wearer's sensory detection (taste, smell, or irritation) of a challenge agent to determine if the respirator seals adequately.
SMS Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 1
According to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132, who is responsible for conducting a workplace hazard assessment to determine necessary PPE?