ANSWERS: What Do You Know About OSHA Employee Protection Regulations?

Yesterday, FacilityBlog featured a post about the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) new requirements for safety instructors. Answers are highlighted below in bold.

1. On OSHA’s Form 300, Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, what else might be written in the space marked ‘Employee’s name’ instead of the actual name?
A.) ‘Privacy Case’ – in the event of a privacy concern case, where confidentiality is necessary.
B.) The employee’s job title.
C.) You must always put the employee’s first and last name, with no exceptions.
D.) None of the above.

2. Which of these is an item of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for which an employer must pay?
A.) Rubber boots with steel toes.
B.) Prescription eyewear inserts/lenses for full face respirators.
C.) A and B.
D.) Employers must pay for all PPE.

3. Stress is psychological, not physical, so it is not considered a common workplace health hazard. True or false?
False

4. Why is a confined space, such as a manhole, sewer or silo, considered a potential safety hazard?
A.) It may contain too little oxygen.
B.) It may contain too much oxygen, with potential for an explosion.
C.) It may contain a build-up of carbon monoxide.
D.) All of the above.

5. Work-related fatalities and catastrophes which have resulted in the hospitalization of three or more workers must be reported by employers to OSHA:
A.) Within one hour.
B.) Within eight hours.
C.) Within 48 hours.
D.) Within five working days.

6. A sedentary worker dies of a heart attack at his desk, but because it occurred in the workplace, the death must still be investigated by OSHA. True or false?
False

7. If an employer retaliates against an employee for engaging in whistleblower activity, the employee:
A.) Has no legal recourse.
B.) Can file a complaint with OSHA.
C.) Has one year to file a complaint.
D.) None of the above.

8. An employee has the right to refuse to do a task, if he or she has reasonable grounds to believe hazardous conditions or imminent danger exists. The employee can:
A.) Walk off the job immediately, with full OSHA protection.
B.) Use vacation time instead of doing the task.
C.) Ask the employer for other work.
D.) Remain on the worksite, even if ordered to leave by the employer.

9. If an employee files an OSHA complaint form, their write-up of the ‘Hazard Description/Location’ should:
A.) Describe the hazard clearly.
B.) Identify chemicals involved and include copies of labels or Material Safety Data Sheets, if possible.
C.) Include the approximate number of employees exposed to or threatened by each hazard.
D.) All of the above.

10. Components of a Material Safety Data Sheet usually include:
A.) Physical and chemical properties of the substance.
B.) The flavor of the chemical, for accurate identification.
C.) Sales phone number, so more of the substance can be purchased.
D.) All of the above.

11. The OSHA website includes such features as:
A.) The latest OSHA news.
B.) A graphic slideshow of OSHA highlights.
C.) Recent information on worker fatalities.
D.) All of the above.

12. When reading OSHA standards, you will note that they:
A.) Break down into parts, subparts and sections.
B.) Are presented in chapters and paragraphs, like a novel.
C.) Are copiously illustrated with photographs.
D.) Are written in a friendly, conversational style.

How many wrong answers are permissible? In the workplace: zero. Employee protection is a serious issue with no leeway for error. So how well did you do?