Industrial Hygiene and Workplace Safety

Question 1

What is NOT a goal of industrial hygiene?

Answer 1

Evaluation of workers exposed to potential hazards in the workplace.

Question 2

Burning is a common task in the fabrication of metal products. In burning, a hot flame from an oxygen-acetylene (oxyacetylene) torch is used to cut metal. What is true?

Answer 2

Meal oxides are fumes.

Question 3

The American Industrial Hygiene Association publishes BEIs, T or F?

Answer 3

False

Question 4

What is a permissible exposure limit (PEL)?

Answer 4

An air containment concentration level used by OSHA that is the upper limit of an employee exposure acceptability.

Question 5

What is an occupational exposure limit designated as a “ceiling”?

Answer 5

The concentration of a containment that should never be exceeded.

Question 6

Which of the following best describes how industrial hygienists are involved in occupational health?

Answer 6

They recognize, evaluate, and control health hazards in the workplace.

Question 7

An industrial hygienist informs you that an overexposure to lead is occurring in the machining area. What control strategy should be taken immediately?

Answer 7

Shut down the operation until the employees are provided with the appropriate respiratory protection.

Question 8

What is the BEI?

Answer 8

A warning level of biologic response to a chemical or metabolite

Question 9

During an industrial hygiene review, a worker’s exposure to ethyl alcohol and ethyl acetate are determined to be 600 ppm and 280 ppm, respectively. If the permissible exposure level for ethyl alcohol is 1,000 ppm and the PEL for the ethyl acetate is 400 ppm, how would you evaluate the mixture as an equivalent exposure?

Answer 9

Worker is overexposed, equivalent exposure 1.3

Question 10

Particle size-selective exposure limits consider the size of the containment particle to evaluate the hazard because?

Answer 10

The health effects of a particle may vary depending on the level at which it is deposited in the lungs.

Question 11

What is the primary purpose of the safety professional?

Answer 11

Assist management in reducing the risk of work-related injury and illness.

Question 12

OSHA developed the VPP in 1980 to do what?

Answer 12

Supplement the chronically understaffed inspection and enforcement approach

Question 13

What organization has a resource available to investigate unexplained clusters of illness or exposures?

Answer 13

NIOSH

Question 14

A worker’s injury triggers OSHA recordability in what circumstances?

Answer 14

1. .) An employee loses a day of work due to injury

2. ) An employee has work restrictions imposed as a result of the injury

Question 15

The determination of a “safety-sensitive job” is the responsibility of?

Answer 15

A. Health care professional or physician
B. Management or employer
C. Patient or worker

Question 16

Four definitive elements of IH?

Answer 16

1. .) Anticipation - what if? Process hazard analysis
2. ) Recognition - try to recognize hazards already in place
3. ) Evaluation - sample, compare with PEL
4. ) Control - administrative