CRSA / RSA Exam flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

OSHA recordable rate formula

Multiply the number of recordable cases by 200,000 and divide by total hours worked. The 200,000 constant represents 100 full-time employees working 40 hours per week for 50 weeks.

DART rate

Rate covering cases with days away from work, restricted work, or job transfer. Calculated as DART cases times 200,000 divided by hours worked, and considered a leading severity indicator.

Leading versus lagging indicators

Leading indicators measure preventive activity such as inspections, near-miss reporting, and training currency. Lagging indicators measure outcomes such as injury rates and lost days.

Safety policy requirements

A written policy states management commitment, assigns accountability at each level, and is signed and dated by the senior site authority. Undated or unsigned policies are documentation deficiencies.

Corrective action closure criteria

Each action needs an owner, due date, verification method, and objective evidence of completion. Actions past due remain open findings regardless of whether an incident occurred.

Hierarchy of controls

Ranked from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment. PPE ranks last because effectiveness depends on correct human behavior.

Risk score calculation

Risk equals likelihood multiplied by severity, applied through a matrix with written descriptors for each level. Defined descriptors improve consistency between different assessors.

Residual risk

The risk remaining after controls are applied. It is assessed separately from initial risk and compared against a documented tolerance criterion to decide acceptability.

ALARP principle

Risk must be reduced as low as reasonably practicable, balancing control cost against the magnitude of risk reduction. The reasoning for accepting residual risk is documented.

Job hazard analysis

A technique that breaks a task into sequential steps, identifies hazards at each step, and specifies controls before work begins. It does not replace process hazard analysis for complex processes.

Management of change

A process requiring hazard reassessment before new equipment, chemicals, processes, or staffing changes are introduced. Undocumented change is a frequent root cause of incidents.

Exposure limit types

OSHA PELs are legally enforceable, NIOSH RELs are recommended, and ACGIH TLVs are guidance rather than law. Comparisons must state which limit is being applied.

8-hour TWA calculation

Sum each concentration multiplied by its duration, then divide by eight hours. The calculation must represent the full shift including breaks and overtime.

Noise action level and PEL

An 85 dBA 8-hour TWA triggers hearing conservation programs including audiometric testing and training. The permissible exposure limit is 90 dBA, with a 5 dB exchange rate.

Mixed exposure dose formula

Add each exposure divided by its allowable limit. A sum greater than one means the combined exposure exceeds the limit even if each individual component is below its own limit.

Personal versus area sampling

Personal breathing-zone samples measure individual worker exposure and are preferred for compliance decisions. Area samples characterize source emissions and general conditions.

Respirator assigned protection factor

The APF is the expected workplace concentration divided by the protection needed. Select a respirator whose APF keeps in-facepiece exposure below the occupational exposure limit.

Adult learning principles

Effective training is relevant to the learner's tasks, problem-centered, and includes practice with feedback. Lecture-only delivery yields poor retention of procedural skills.

Training evaluation levels

Four levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Behavior and results levels require workplace observation and outcome measurement, not just end-of-class surveys.

Teach-back verification

The learner explains or demonstrates the content in their own words. This verifies comprehension, whereas an attendance signature documents only presence.

Hazard communication elements

Requires container labels with pictograms and signal words, safety data sheets, and training on hazards and precautions. Training must be in a language the worker understands.

Retraining triggers

Retraining occurs at regulatory intervals, after workplace changes, or when performance shows a knowledge gap. An incident revealing misunderstanding also triggers retraining.

Incident investigation sequence

Secure the scene and preserve evidence, provide care, notify as required, gather facts, analyze causes, assign corrective actions, verify closure, and share lessons learned.

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

Common tools include 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, fault tree analysis, and barrier analysis. Tool selection depends on incident complexity and consequence potential.

Immediate versus root cause

Immediate causes are unsafe acts or conditions at the time of the event. Root causes are system deficiencies such as inadequate design, training, or supervision.

Witness interview practice

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

Emergency drill documentation

Drills are recorded with participants, scenario, timing, deficiencies identified, and corrective actions. An untested emergency plan remains unverified.

Regulatory hierarchy

Order of authority: statute, regulation, standards incorporated by reference, then guidance. Guidance and consensus standards are not independently enforceable unless formally adopted.

General duty clause concept

Employers must furnish a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm, even where no specific standard applies to the hazard.

Recordability threshold

A case is recordable when work-related and meeting a 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

First aid includes nonprescription medication, bandages, and simple wound cleaning and generally does not make a case recordable. Medical treatment beyond first aid does.