CRSA / RSA Exam cheat sheet

Safety program elements follow the hierarchy: policy and leadership commitment, hazard identification, controls, training, evaluation, and management review; each element needs a documented owner and review cycle.

Return on safety investment = (benefit from avoided incident costs − program cost) ÷ program cost; indirect costs of a lost-time injury are commonly estimated at 1 to 4 times direct costs, so use a multiplier rather than direct costs alone.

Incident rate formulas: OSHA recordable rate = (N ÷ total hours worked) × 200,000; DART rate uses days away, restricted, or transferred cases; severity rate = days lost × 200,000 ÷ hours worked. The 200,000 constant equals 100 full-time workers at 40 hours for 50 weeks.

Leading indicators (near-miss reports, inspection completion, training currency, corrective action closure time) predict performance; lagging indicators (TRIR, DART, severity) confirm it. A program tracking only lagging metrics is reactive.

Annualized hours worked = average employees × hours per week × weeks worked per year; verify the denominator before comparing rates across sites, since part-time and contractor hours change the result materially.

Corrective action tracking requires a named owner, due date, verification method, and closure evidence; open actions past due are a standard audit finding regardless of incident outcome.

Top management review at planned intervals must cover audit results, incident trends, legal compliance status, resource adequacy, and progress on objectives; records of the review are the evidence auditors request.

A written safety policy states commitment, assigns accountability from executives to supervisors, and is signed by the most senior site authority; unsigned or undated policies are commonly cited as documentation deficiencies.

Hierarchy of controls, most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, then personal protective equipment. PPE is the last line of defense because it depends on correct human behavior.

Risk score = likelihood × severity (or probability × consequence). Use a defined matrix with written descriptors for each level so different assessors reach consistent scores.

Residual risk is the risk remaining after controls; assess it separately from initial risk and document whether it is acceptable against a stated tolerance criterion.

ALARP principle: risk must be reduced as low as reasonably practicable, weighing control cost against the magnitude of risk reduction; document the reasoning for accepting residual risk.

Qualitative techniques (job hazard analysis, what-if, checklist) suit routine tasks; semi-quantitative and quantitative techniques (HAZOP, LOPA, fault tree, FMEA) suit complex processes and high-consequence scenarios.

Job hazard analysis breaks a task into sequential steps, identifies hazards at each step, and specifies controls before the task is performed; it is not a substitute for a process hazard analysis.

Change management requires re-assessment before new equipment, chemicals, processes, or staffing changes are introduced; undocumented change is a frequent root cause of incidents.

Control verification confirms the control is present, functioning, and used as intended; a written control without verification is an assumption, not a safeguard.

Exposure assessment compares measured worker exposure to an occupational exposure limit: OELs include OSHA PELs (legally enforceable), NIOSH RELs (recommended), and ACGIH TLVs (guidance, not law).

TWA = Σ(Ci × Ti) ÷ 8 hours, where Ci is concentration during interval Ti; an 8-hour TWA must represent the full shift including breaks and overtime.

Exposure limits assume an 8-hour day and 40-hour week; extended shifts require adjustment because longer exposure per day and shorter recovery reduce acceptable concentration.

Noise: action level 85 dBA as an 8-hour TWA triggers hearing conservation (audiometric testing, training, protection availability); PEL is 90 dBA. Exchange rate 5 dB means each 5 dBA increase halves permissible exposure time.

Dose = (T1 ÷ T1allowed) + (T2 ÷ T2allowed) + ... ; a sum greater than 1 indicates the mixed exposure exceeds the limit.

Sampling strategy: personal breathing-zone samples represent individual exposure; area samples characterize sources. Use worst-case or high-task employees for initial screening.

Biological monitoring (blood lead, urinary metabolites) reflects absorbed dose and complements air sampling; it accounts for dermal uptake that air sampling misses.

Respirator assigned protection factor (APF) = expected workplace concentration ÷ protection factor needed; select a respirator whose APF keeps in-facepiece exposure below the OEL.

Adult learning principles: training must be relevant to the learner's tasks, problem-centered, and allow practice with feedback; lecture-only delivery produces poor retention of procedural skills.

Training needs analysis identifies gaps between required and actual competence by role; required content comes from hazard assessments, incident findings, and regulatory mandates.

Knowledge retention follows demonstration-and-practice models: explain, demonstrate, let the learner practice, then evaluate. Evaluation levels are reaction, learning, behavior, and results.

Comprehension verification uses teach-back or observed performance, not attendance signatures; a signature documents presence, not competence.

Hazard communication requires labels, safety data sheets, and training on hazards and precautions; pictograms and signal words convey severity and hazard class.

Language and literacy barriers are addressed with translated materials, pictograms, and interpreters; the training must be delivered in a language the worker understands.

Refresher intervals are set by regulation, change in workplace conditions, or demonstrated performance decline; retraining is also triggered after an incident revealing a knowledge gap.

Communication of residual risk must state what the hazard is, what controls exist, and what the worker must do; vague warnings such as 'be careful' do not transfer actionable information.

Investigation sequence: secure the scene and preserve evidence, provide care, notify as required, gather facts, analyze causes, determine corrective actions, verify closure, and share lessons.

Multiple-causes model: most incidents result from several contributing factors across worker, task, equipment, environment, and management systems; single-cause conclusions usually indicate a shallow investigation.

Root cause analysis tools include 5 Whys, fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram, fault tree analysis, and barrier analysis; select the tool based on incident complexity.

Distinguish immediate cause (unsafe act or condition) from root cause (management system deficiency such as inadequate training, design, or supervision). Corrective actions must address the root cause.

Interview witnesses separately and promptly, record verbatim statements, and avoid leading questions; memory degrades and witnesses influence each other after the event.

Emergency plan content: roles and authority, alarm and communication methods, evacuation routes and assembly points, accounting for personnel, medical response, and shutdown procedures.

Drills validate the plan and must be documented with participants, scenario, timing, deficiencies found, and corrective actions; an untested plan is unverified.

Recordkeeping: maintain incident reports, investigation records, corrective action status, and drill records for the period required by the applicable regulation or company standard.

Regulatory hierarchy: statute, then regulation, then incorporated standards, then guidance. Guidance and consensus standards inform practice but are not independently enforceable unless adopted by reference.

General duty clause concept: an employer must furnish a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious harm, even absent a specific standard.

Employer obligations commonly include written programs where required, hazard assessment, training, recordkeeping, reporting of fatalities and severe injuries within mandated timeframes, and posting of required notices.

Recordability determination requires the injury or illness to be work-related and to meet a defined severity threshold (death, days away, restricted work or transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, or significant diagnosis).

First aid versus medical treatment distinction determines recordability; standard first-aid items such as nonprescription medication, bandages, and simple wound cleaning generally do not make a case recordable.

Standards are updated periodically; verify the current edition of any consensus standard cited in a program document, since citing a superseded edition is a compliance gap.

Contractor and multi-employer worksites require defined responsibility for hazard control, coordination, and communication; each employer's duties may apply simultaneously.

Compliance audits compare written program requirements to actual practice and records; findings should be risk-ranked and tracked to closure with verification evidence.

Primary obligation is protection of people, environment, and the public; when interests conflict, safety professionals must not subordinate that obligation to commercial pressure.

Disclose conflicts of interest and avoid accepting gifts or benefits that could influence professional judgment; appearance of conflict is treated as a conflict.

Report findings accurately and completely; do not suppress unfavorable data, alter monitoring results, or overstate the effectiveness of controls.

Maintain competence within the scope of practice; refer work outside one's expertise to qualified persons rather than issuing unsupported conclusions.

Confidentiality applies to worker health information, investigation statements, and proprietary data; share only with those who have a legitimate need and legal right.

Documentation must be contemporaneous, factual, and attributable; opinions are labeled as opinions and distinguished from measured data.

When directed to act unethically or illegally, the professional should document the concern, escalate through internal channels, and use whistleblower protections where required.

Mentoring and knowledge transfer are professional obligations; a program dependent on one individual's undocumented knowledge carries continuity risk.