SSP Environmental Health & Safety 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom), Safety Data Sheets must include how many sections?
- 8
- 12
- 16 (Correct answer)
- 20
Correct answer: 16
OSHA's HazCom Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) requires SDS documents to follow the GHS format with exactly 16 standardized sections.
Question 2: Which of the following is the primary purpose of an industrial hygiene exposure assessment?
- Determine worker compensation eligibility
- Quantify worker exposure to health hazards and compare against OELs (Correct answer)
- Schedule equipment maintenance intervals
- Establish emergency evacuation routes
Correct answer: Quantify worker exposure to health hazards and compare against OELs
An exposure assessment quantifies worker contact with chemical, physical, or biological hazards and compares results against occupational exposure limits (OELs) to determine risk.
Question 3: A facility stores 15,000 pounds of ammonia. Under EPA's RMP rule, this facility is most likely classified as which program level?
- Program 1
- Program 2
- Program 3 (Correct answer)
- Exempt — below threshold
Correct answer: Program 3
Ammonia has a threshold quantity of 10,000 lbs under RMP; at 15,000 lbs the facility exceeds the threshold and, as a manufacturing process, typically qualifies for Program 3.
Question 4: Which engineering control method is considered most effective in the industrial hygiene hierarchy of controls for reducing chemical exposure?
- Administrative controls
- Personal protective equipment
- Substitution (Correct answer)
- Ventilation
Correct answer: Substitution
Substitution — replacing a hazardous substance with a less hazardous one — ranks above elimination only when elimination is impossible, making it the most effective feasible engineering approach when source removal isn't an option; however, substitution itself sits just below elimination in the true hierarchy.
Question 5: OSHA's permissible exposure limit (PEL) for noise is 90 dBA as an 8-hour TWA. If a worker's exposure is measured at 95 dBA, their maximum allowable exposure time per OSHA's 5-dB exchange rate is:
- 8 hours
- 6 hours
- 4 hours (Correct answer)
- 2 hours
Correct answer: 4 hours
OSHA uses a 5-dB exchange rate: for every 5-dB increase above 90 dBA, allowable exposure time is halved, so 95 dBA = 4 hours.
Question 6: Which regulation governs the storage and handling of hazardous waste at facilities that generate, treat, store, or dispose of such waste?
- CERCLA
- RCRA Subtitle C (Correct answer)
- TSCA
- EPCRA Title III
Correct answer: RCRA Subtitle C
RCRA Subtitle C establishes a cradle-to-grave regulatory system for hazardous waste management, covering generators, transporters, and TSDFs.
Question 7: An employee reports symptoms of 'sick building syndrome.' Which of the following is the FIRST step an EHS professional should take?
- Immediately shut down the HVAC system
- Conduct a walkthrough assessment and review ventilation records (Correct answer)
- Issue respirators to all affected employees
- File an OSHA complaint on behalf of employees
Correct answer: Conduct a walkthrough assessment and review ventilation records
An initial walkthrough assessment and review of ventilation records allows the EHS professional to identify potential sources before implementing corrective actions.
SSP Environmental Health & Safety 2
Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom), Safety Data Sheets must include how many sections?