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IHMM CSHM practice questions

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Question 1Hazard analysis

Under a recognized safety management framework, which document is the primary formal record that identifies workplace hazards, evaluates their risk, and documents the controls selected to reduce that risk to an acceptable level?

  1. The job hazard analysis (JHA)
  2. The incident investigation report
  3. The hazard analysis and risk assessment record Correct answer.
  4. The emergency action plan

Explanation

A hazard analysis and risk assessment record is the formal document that ties each identified hazard to a risk evaluation and to the chosen controls, providing the auditable link between hazard and mitigation. Incident reports are reactive records of events, JHAs focus on task-level steps, and emergency plans address response rather than baseline hazard evaluation.

Question 2Hazard analysis

Which risk assessment method is best suited to ranking hazards by combining a severity rating with a likelihood rating in a matrix format?

  1. Event tree analysis
  2. Risk matrix scoring Correct answer.
  3. Hazard and operability study
  4. Fault tree analysis

Explanation

Risk matrix scoring multiplies or maps severity against likelihood to produce a relative risk ranking that supports prioritization of controls. Fault tree and event tree analyses are deductive and inductive logic models, and HAZOP is a structured deviation study, none of which primarily produce a simple severity-by-likelihood ranking.

Question 3Hazard analysis

A safety manager is selecting a qualitative technique to identify hazards in a new process where deviations from design intent must be examined node by node using guide words. Which method fits this purpose?

  1. Bow-tie analysis
  2. Preliminary hazard analysis
  3. HAZOP Correct answer.
  4. What-if analysis

Explanation

HAZOP applies guide words to process parameters at each node to systematically reveal deviations from design intent, making it the standard choice for this objective. Preliminary hazard analysis is done early and broadly, what-if analysis relies on open brainstorming, and bow-tie analysis visualizes controls around a known top event.

Question 4Hazard analysis

In risk assessment terminology, what does the term 'residual risk' describe?

  1. The risk present before any controls are applied
  2. The risk that is transferred to a contractor
  3. The risk that remains after existing or planned controls are implemented Correct answer.
  4. The risk associated with a single catastrophic event

Explanation

Residual risk is the level of risk remaining once controls have been applied and their effectiveness considered. It is compared against acceptability criteria to determine whether additional controls are required.

Question 5Hazard analysis

When constructing a risk matrix, why must the likelihood and severity scales each be clearly defined with written criteria?

  1. To eliminate the need for any subsequent control measures
  2. To convert the assessment into a fully quantitative probability model
  3. To ensure that different assessors assign comparable ratings to the same hazard Correct answer.
  4. To satisfy equipment warranty conditions

Explanation

Defined scale criteria promote consistency and inter-rater reliability so that different assessors reach comparable ratings for the same hazard. Without anchors, ratings drift and prioritization becomes subjective and inconsistent.

Question 6Hazard analysis

Which of the following is the most appropriate first step in a systematic workplace hazard analysis?

  1. Writing the incident investigation procedure
  2. Calculating the total cost of control measures
  3. Selecting personal protective equipment for each worker
  4. Breaking the operation into tasks and identifying hazards for each Correct answer.

Explanation

Systematic hazard analysis begins by decomposing the operation into tasks or process steps and identifying the hazards associated with each before evaluating risk and selecting controls. Selecting controls or costing them comes after hazards and risks are understood.

Question 7Hazard analysis

A facility uses a hierarchy of controls to address a noise hazard. Which control is preferred first under that hierarchy?

  1. Providing hearing protection devices
  2. Posting warning signs and rotating workers
  3. Instituting audiometric testing
  4. Eliminating or substituting the noisy equipment Correct answer.

Explanation

The hierarchy of controls prioritizes elimination and substitution at the top because they remove the hazard at its source rather than relying on worker behavior or protective equipment. PPE, signage, and medical surveillance sit lower in the hierarchy.

Question 8Hazard analysis

In a job hazard analysis, which element should be documented for each task step?

  1. The potential hazards and the safe procedure or controls for that step Correct answer.
  2. The employee's seniority
  3. The supervisor's performance review rating
  4. The equipment purchase date

Explanation

A JHA documents, for each task step, the hazards that could cause harm and the safe work procedure or controls that mitigate them. This task-step-to-hazard-to-control linkage is the defining content of a JHA.

Question 9Hazard analysis

A risk assessment identifies a hazard with high severity but very low likelihood. How should the assessor most appropriately treat this result?

  1. Reclassify severity downward to match the low likelihood
  2. Dismiss it because low likelihood makes it irrelevant
  3. Defer all action until an incident occurs
  4. Evaluate it against acceptability criteria, since high-consequence hazards may still require controls Correct answer.

Explanation

High-consequence hazards can remain unacceptable even at low likelihood, so the combined risk score must be judged against defined acceptability criteria before deciding on controls. Severity should never be manipulated to force a lower rating.

Question 10Hazard analysis

Which of the following best describes the purpose of a preliminary hazard list or preliminary hazard analysis early in a project?

  1. To identify and screen major hazards so that resources can be focused on the highest-risk areas Correct answer.
  2. To finalize the detailed operating procedures
  3. To replace all later detailed hazard studies
  4. To document employee training records

Explanation

Preliminary hazard analysis is a screening tool used early in design to flag major hazards and focus later, more detailed study resources on the highest-risk areas. It complements rather than replaces detailed analyses performed later.

Question 11Hazard analysis

A what-if analysis is being conducted for a chemical storage area. Which practice most improves the quality of this technique?

  1. Limiting participation to a single manager
  2. Recording only scenarios that have previously caused injuries
  3. Using a multidisciplinary team familiar with the operation to brainstorm credible scenarios Correct answer.
  4. Restricting the analysis to normal operating conditions only

Explanation

What-if analysis depends on the collective knowledge of a multidisciplinary team to generate credible failure and deviation scenarios. Restricting the group or the scope reduces the breadth of hazards identified.

Question 12Hazard analysis

In a fault tree analysis, what does the top event represent?

  1. The control with the highest cost
  2. The most frequent minor deviation
  3. The undesired event whose causes are being analyzed Correct answer.
  4. The final step of the operating procedure

Explanation

The top event in a fault tree is the specific undesired event being analyzed, and the tree traces the combinations of basic events and logic gates that could produce it. This deductive structure links causes to a defined consequence.

Question 13Hazard analysis

Which source of information is most useful for identifying hazards that have not yet caused incidents at a facility?

  1. The annual budget forecast
  2. The facility's OSHA 300 log of past injuries
  3. The payroll register
  4. Industry incident databases and process safety information for similar operations Correct answer.

Explanation

Industry databases and process safety information for similar operations reveal hazards and failure modes observed elsewhere, allowing facilities to anticipate events they have not yet experienced. Relying only on local injury logs captures only what has already happened.

Question 14Hazard analysis

Which characteristic distinguishes a quantitative risk assessment from a qualitative one?

  1. It requires no documentation
  2. It relies entirely on expert judgment without numerical values
  3. It can only be applied to office environments
  4. It expresses risk using numerical estimates of likelihood and consequence Correct answer.

Explanation

Quantitative risk assessment expresses risk numerically, for example as estimated frequencies and consequences, whereas qualitative methods use descriptive categories. Both require documentation and expert input.

Question 15Hazard analysis

A HAZOP team is studying a pipeline node and applies the guide word 'no flow' to the parameter 'flow'. What is the team doing?

  1. Confirming that the pipeline meets its design flow rate
  2. Calculating the annual energy cost
  3. Selecting a flow meter vendor
  4. Recording a deviation from design intent to examine its causes and consequences Correct answer.

Explanation

HAZOP applies guide words to process parameters to generate deviations from design intent, then examines the causes, consequences, and safeguards for each deviation. 'No flow' is a classic guide-word deviation for the flow parameter.

Question 16Hazard analysis

Which of the following best describes the role of a bow-tie diagram in hazard management?

  1. It replaces the need for any risk assessment
  2. It calculates the exact probability of every basic event
  3. It visually links a top event to its threats, preventive barriers, consequences, and mitigative barriers Correct answer.
  4. It documents only financial risks

Explanation

A bow-tie diagram places the top event at the center, with threats and preventive barriers on one side and consequences and mitigative barriers on the other, giving a clear picture of control layers. It communicates barrier logic rather than computing exact probabilities.

Question 17Hazard analysis

During a risk assessment, an assessor credits an administrative control with the same risk reduction as an engineering control. Why is this generally inappropriate?

  1. Administrative controls eliminate the hazard entirely
  2. Administrative controls depend on human behavior and are typically less reliable than engineering controls Correct answer.
  3. Engineering controls cannot be documented
  4. Administrative controls are always more expensive

Explanation

Administrative controls rely on human compliance and are generally less reliable than engineering controls that physically reduce or isolate the hazard. Crediting them equally overstates the actual risk reduction achieved.

Question 18Hazard analysis

Which term describes the process of systematically reviewing a completed risk assessment to confirm that controls are implemented and effective?

  1. Hazard substitution
  2. Scope definition
  3. Risk transfer
  4. Risk verification and monitoring Correct answer.

Explanation

Risk verification and monitoring is the follow-up process that confirms controls were implemented as planned and remain effective over time. It closes the loop between assessment and actual practice.

Question 19Hazard analysis

A risk assessment team is evaluating a task where workers must enter a confined space. Which finding most strongly indicates that the risk is unacceptable regardless of procedural controls?

  1. A rescue plan has been prepared
  2. The space has a documented entry procedure
  3. Atmospheric testing shows oxygen-deficient conditions that cannot be reliably purged before entry Correct answer.
  4. Workers have received confined space training

Explanation

An oxygen-deficient atmosphere that cannot be reliably purged presents an immediately dangerous condition that procedures alone cannot adequately control, indicating the risk is not acceptable without engineering or elimination measures. Training, procedures, and rescue plans are administrative safeguards that do not remove the atmospheric hazard.

Question 20Hazard analysis

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of risk avoidance as a treatment option?

  1. Discontinuing a process that presents an unacceptably high hazard Correct answer.
  2. Purchasing insurance to cover potential losses
  3. Adding a guard to a machine
  4. Providing respirators to workers

Explanation

Risk avoidance means eliminating the activity or process that creates the risk entirely. Discontinuing the hazardous process removes the risk rather than controlling, transferring, or accepting it.

Question 21Hazard analysis

When prioritizing hazards for corrective action, which combination generally warrants the highest priority?

  1. High severity with negligible likelihood
  2. High severity with high likelihood Correct answer.
  3. Low severity with low likelihood
  4. Low severity with high likelihood

Explanation

Hazards combining high severity and high likelihood produce the greatest risk and therefore the highest priority for corrective action. Prioritization reflects the combined risk, not severity or likelihood alone.

Question 22Hazard analysis

Which element is essential for a hazard analysis to remain valid over time?

  1. Excluding contractor activities from scope
  2. Periodic review and update when processes, equipment, or conditions change Correct answer.
  3. Restricting the analysis to management personnel
  4. A one-time assessment that is never revisited

Explanation

Hazard analyses must be reviewed and updated whenever processes, equipment, materials, or conditions change so that the assessment reflects current reality. A one-time study quickly becomes outdated.

Question 23Hazard analysis

A safety professional is choosing between a checklist analysis and a HAZOP for a well-understood, routine maintenance task. Which choice is most defensible?

  1. HAZOP, because it is always more rigorous
  2. Checklist analysis, because it is efficient for routine, well-understood tasks with known hazards Correct answer.
  3. Bow-tie analysis, because it diagrams barriers
  4. Fault tree analysis, because it models basic events

Explanation

For routine, well-understood tasks with known hazards, a checklist analysis is efficient and adequate, applying established criteria. HAZOP is resource-intensive and better suited to complex process deviations, so it would be disproportionate here.

Question 24Hazard analysis

In risk assessment, what is the difference between a hazard and a risk?

  1. They are identical terms with no distinction
  2. A risk is a physical object, while a hazard is a numerical value
  3. A hazard is always measurable, while risk is never measurable
  4. A hazard is the potential source of harm, while risk is the combination of the likelihood and consequence of that harm Correct answer.

Explanation

A hazard is a potential source of harm, whereas risk expresses the likelihood and severity of harm arising from that hazard. This distinction underpins the entire analysis process, from identification to evaluation.

Question 25Hazard analysis

A team completes a risk assessment and identifies several hazards rated above the acceptability threshold. What is the most appropriate next action?

  1. Remove the hazards from the register to reduce the count
  2. Accept the risks because the assessment is complete
  3. Implement additional controls and reassess to confirm residual risk is acceptable Correct answer.
  4. Delay action until the next annual review

Explanation

When evaluated risk exceeds the acceptability criteria, additional controls must be implemented and the risk reassessed to confirm the residual level is acceptable. Completing the assessment does not itself make the risk acceptable.

Question 26Hazard analysis

A safety manager is selecting a hazard analysis technique for a new, complex chemical process with many interacting variables and little operating history. Which characteristic of the analysis method matters most in this situation?

  1. Its use of historical incident records as the primary input
  2. Its reliance on a single experienced analyst
  3. Its speed and low cost of administration
  4. Its ability to examine deviations from design intent in a structured team setting Correct answer.

Explanation

For a complex process with little operating history, a method that systematically explores deviations from design intent (such as HAZOP) generates the most insight, because historical data are sparse. Speed, low cost, and single-analyst execution are trade-offs that sacrifice depth. Historical incident records are least useful when the process is new.

Question 27Hazard analysis

In a job hazard analysis, a task is broken into steps and each step is examined for exposure. Which pairing correctly describes the two core elements recorded for each step?

  1. Training hours and certification dates
  2. Production rate and labor cost
  3. Audit scores and inspection frequency
  4. Hazard exposures and the controls that mitigate them Correct answer.

Explanation

A job hazard analysis documents, for each task step, the hazards the worker is exposed to and the controls that reduce that exposure. Production metrics, training records, and audit scores are management data, not the hazard-control pairing at the heart of a JHA.

Question 28Hazard analysis

A preliminary hazard list is prepared during the concept stage of a project. What is the primary value of this early product?

  1. It identifies hazards while design changes are still inexpensive to make Correct answer.
  2. It provides a quantitative estimate of fatality frequency
  3. It replaces the need for later detailed analyses
  4. It satisfies regulatory reporting requirements before construction

Explanation

Early hazard identification allows designers to eliminate or reduce hazards when design flexibility is greatest and change costs are lowest. A preliminary list is a screening tool, not a substitute for detailed analysis, and it is typically qualitative rather than a frequency estimate.

Question 29Hazard analysis

A what-if analysis team is examining a solvent dispensing operation. Which practice most directly strengthens the credibility of the team's conclusions?

  1. Limiting participation to the process engineer who designed the system
  2. Using only the most recent incident report as the basis for questions
  3. Completing the session quickly to minimize production downtime
  4. Recording each what-if question with a documented answer and assigned action Correct answer.

Explanation

A what-if analysis is only as good as its documentation; capturing each question, the team's answer, and the resulting action creates traceability and accountability. Narrow participation, time pressure, and a single incident report all reduce the breadth of questions raised.

Question 30Hazard analysis

In a fault tree analysis, the top event is best understood as which of the following?

  1. The most frequent basic event in the system
  2. The initiating cause that starts the sequence
  3. The control measure that prevents the failure
  4. The undesired outcome the tree is constructed to explain Correct answer.

Explanation

The top event is the specific undesired outcome (for example, a release or fire) that the analyst decomposes into contributing causes through logic gates. Basic events and initiating causes sit lower in the tree, and controls are represented as barriers or mitigating factors, not as the top event.

Question 31Hazard analysis

An analyst is building a fault tree for a single pump failure and finds that the failure requires both a loss of seal integrity and a failure of the standby pump to start. Which logic gate correctly represents this relationship?

  1. AND gate Correct answer.
  2. OR gate
  3. Inhibit gate
  4. Priority AND gate

Explanation

An AND gate produces the output only when all input events occur, which matches a failure requiring both the seal loss and the standby pump failure. An OR gate would produce the output if either event occurred, which overstates the failure condition.

Question 32Hazard analysis

A HAZOP team applies the guide word 'more' to the parameter 'temperature' at a reactor node. What is the team primarily trying to identify?

  1. The maintenance schedule for the temperature sensor
  2. Whether the reactor was built to specification
  3. Plausible causes and consequences of a higher-than-design temperature Correct answer.
  4. The training requirements for reactor operators

Explanation

Guide words combined with parameters prompt the team to imagine deviations from design intent; 'more temperature' directs attention to causes and consequences of excess temperature. Construction verification, maintenance scheduling, and training are separate activities outside the HAZOP deviation analysis.

Question 33Hazard analysis

A bow-tie diagram is used to communicate risk for a high-consequence hazard. Which element does the diagram place at its center?

  1. The cost of the control measures
  2. The critical event linking threats to consequences Correct answer.
  3. The frequency of near-miss reports
  4. The list of regulatory citations

Explanation

A bow-tie places the critical (top) event at the center, with threats and preventive barriers on one side and consequences and mitigative barriers on the other. Citations, control costs, and near-miss frequency are not structural elements of the diagram.

Question 34Hazard analysis

Which statement correctly distinguishes a hazard from a risk in an occupational safety assessment?

  1. A hazard is a source of potential harm, while risk combines the likelihood and severity of that harm Correct answer.
  2. A hazard is a completed incident, while risk is a near miss
  3. A hazard is an acceptable exposure level, while risk is a regulatory limit
  4. A hazard is the probability of harm, while risk is the severity of injury

Explanation

A hazard is a potential source of harm (a condition, substance, or activity), whereas risk expresses the likelihood and severity of harm arising from exposure to that hazard. Conflating the two leads to controls that address probability without addressing the source of harm.

Question 35Hazard analysis

A risk matrix rates a hazard as high severity and low likelihood. How should the assessor most appropriately treat this result?

  1. Defer action until a similar incident occurs
  2. Reclassify severity downward to match the low likelihood
  3. Treat it seriously because severe consequences may still require strong controls despite low likelihood Correct answer.
  4. Dismiss it because low likelihood means the hazard is acceptable

Explanation

High-consequence events warrant attention even at low likelihood, because a single occurrence can be catastrophic and because likelihood estimates carry uncertainty. Downgrading severity or waiting for an incident defeats the purpose of prospective analysis.

Question 36Hazard analysis

A quantitative risk assessment is being compared with a qualitative one. Which feature is characteristic of the quantitative approach?

  1. It expresses risk using numerical estimates of frequency and consequence Correct answer.
  2. It uses color-coded ranking categories as its primary output
  3. It relies solely on expert judgment without any numerical input
  4. It avoids the need to define consequences

Explanation

Quantitative risk assessment produces numerical estimates, often combining event frequency with consequence magnitude, which allows comparison and prioritization. Qualitative approaches rely on descriptive rankings and expert judgment rather than numeric outputs.

Question 37Hazard analysis

During a risk assessment, an assessor credits an administrative control (a written procedure) with the same risk reduction as an engineering control (a machine guard). What is the principal flaw in this reasoning?

  1. Procedures cannot be documented in a risk assessment
  2. Administrative controls depend on human behavior and are generally less reliable than engineering controls Correct answer.
  3. Administrative controls are always more expensive than engineering controls
  4. Engineering controls require more training than administrative controls

Explanation

Engineering controls physically reduce exposure and are less dependent on worker behavior, whereas administrative controls rely on compliance and are therefore generally less reliable. Equating their effectiveness overstates the protection achieved by the procedure.

Question 38Hazard analysis

A facility must enter a confined space to clean a tank. Which finding most strongly indicates that entry should not proceed under the current plan?

  1. A rescue service has been identified and briefed
  2. Workers have completed confined space training
  3. The entry permit has been signed by the supervisor
  4. Atmospheric testing shows oxygen below the acceptable range and no forced ventilation is planned Correct answer.

Explanation

An oxygen-deficient atmosphere without ventilation presents an immediate life-threatening condition, and entry should be prohibited until the atmosphere is controlled. A signed permit, trained workers, and an identified rescue service are supportive elements, not disqualifying findings.

Question 39Hazard analysis

Which scenario best illustrates risk avoidance as a treatment option?

  1. Posting warning signs at the work area
  2. Adding ventilation to reduce airborne concentration
  3. Discontinuing a task that requires handling a highly toxic substance Correct answer.
  4. Requiring respirators during the task

Explanation

Risk avoidance eliminates the activity that creates the risk, so the hazard is removed entirely. Ventilation, respirators, and signage reduce or communicate risk but do not avoid it, because the hazardous activity continues.

Question 40Hazard analysis

When prioritizing corrective actions from a hazard analysis, which combination generally warrants the highest priority?

  1. High severity with no credible exposure pathway
  2. High severity of consequence with a credible likelihood of occurrence Correct answer.
  3. Low severity with frequent near-miss reports
  4. Low severity with negligible likelihood

Explanation

Priority rises with both consequence severity and credible likelihood, so the combination of high severity and plausible occurrence ranks highest. High severity without an exposure pathway is not credible risk, and low-severity events rank lower even when frequent.

Question 41Hazard analysis

A completed hazard analysis is now several years old and the process has been modified. What action keeps the analysis valid over time?

  1. Replacing it with a generic checklist at each audit
  2. Revalidating the analysis whenever processes, equipment, or conditions change Correct answer.
  3. Filing the analysis permanently without further review
  4. Reviewing it only after a recordable injury occurs

Explanation

A hazard analysis reflects the system as it existed when performed; management-of-change triggers revalidation so the analysis stays aligned with current conditions. Filing it away, waiting for injury, or substituting a generic checklist allows the analysis to become stale.

Question 42Hazard analysis

A safety professional must choose between a checklist analysis and a HAZOP for a well-understood, routine maintenance task. Which reasoning best supports the choice?

  1. A HAZOP is required whenever any maintenance is performed
  2. A HAZOP is faster and cheaper for simple, well-understood tasks
  3. A checklist is proportionate because the task is routine and its hazards are well characterized Correct answer.
  4. A checklist is inappropriate because it cannot address routine tasks

Explanation

Method selection should match the complexity and novelty of the task; a well-understood routine task is efficiently handled with a checklist, while a HAZOP's structured deviation analysis is better suited to complex or novel systems. A HAZOP is neither mandatory for all maintenance nor faster for simple tasks.

Question 43Hazard analysis

A risk assessment identifies several hazards rated above the acceptability threshold. What is the most appropriate immediate next step?

  1. Assign corrective actions with owners and target dates and track them to closure Correct answer.
  2. Wait for the next scheduled annual review
  3. Close the assessment because hazards have been identified
  4. Lower the ratings so all hazards fall below the threshold

Explanation

Identifying unacceptable risk obligates the organization to act; assigning accountable owners and deadlines with tracking converts findings into reduced risk. Closing the assessment, adjusting ratings, or waiting a year leaves the risk unmanaged.

Question 44Hazard analysis

In a HAZOP, the team combines the guide word 'as well as' with the parameter 'flow' at a node. What deviation is the team exploring?

  1. An additional phase or material present in the stream beyond design intent Correct answer.
  2. A flow rate higher than design
  3. A complete absence of flow
  4. A flow direction reversal

Explanation

The guide word 'as well as' explores the presence of an additional component, such as an extra phase or contaminant, beyond what the design intends. Absence, excess, and reversal are covered by other guide words such as 'none', 'more', and 'reverse'.

Question 45Hazard analysis

A risk assessment uses a matrix with likelihood and severity axes. Two hazards fall in the same cell. What does this result indicate?

  1. Both hazards share the same combined risk rating but may need different controls Correct answer.
  2. Both hazards have the same exposure frequency
  3. Both hazards have identical root causes
  4. Both hazards require the same corrective action

Explanation

A matrix cell reflects only the combined likelihood-severity rating; hazards in the same cell can differ in causes, exposure patterns, and appropriate controls. Assuming identical causes or identical corrective actions ignores the distinct nature of each hazard.

Question 46Hazard analysis

Which term describes the process of systematically reviewing a completed risk assessment to confirm that identified controls are in place and functioning?

  1. Risk avoidance
  2. Hazard identification
  3. Fault tree construction
  4. Verification of controls Correct answer.

Explanation

Verification confirms that the controls credited in a risk assessment actually exist and perform as assumed, closing the gap between plan and reality. Hazard identification and fault tree construction are analysis activities, and risk avoidance is a treatment strategy.

Question 47Hazard analysis

A team is analyzing a task where a worker must reach into a press to clear jams. Which finding most strongly indicates that a higher-order control is needed?

  1. The press was purchased within the last five years
  2. The operator has been trained on the lockout procedure
  3. The current procedure relies on the operator remembering to lock out the press before reaching in Correct answer.
  4. A warning label is affixed to the press

Explanation

A control that depends on memory and behavior to prevent contact with a hazardous energy source is inherently unreliable, so an engineering solution such as an interlock or fixed guard is warranted. Training, labels, and equipment age do not substitute for eliminating the reliance on human recall.

Question 48Hazard analysis

What is the primary purpose of a hazard analysis in an occupational safety management system?

  1. To calculate workers' compensation premiums
  2. To assign blame for past incidents
  3. To identify hazards and evaluate risk so that controls can be selected and prioritized Correct answer.
  4. To document disciplinary actions

Explanation

Hazard analysis is a prospective process that identifies hazards and evaluates their risk so that controls can be chosen and prioritized. It is not a fault-finding exercise, a disciplinary record, or an insurance calculation.

Question 49Hazard analysis

A fault tree analysis estimates the probability of the top event using basic event probabilities. Which assumption most affects the validity of that estimate?

  1. That the analysis was performed by a single analyst
  2. That the top event has a single cause
  3. That the basic events are independent of one another Correct answer.
  4. That the system has never failed before

Explanation

Fault tree probability calculations typically multiply basic event probabilities under an independence assumption; if events share a common cause or are correlated, the computed top-event probability is inaccurate. Prior failure history, single-cause structure, and team size are not the governing assumption for the calculation.

Question 50Hazard analysis

An employer is deciding how to address a noise hazard that exceeds the exposure limit. Under the hierarchy of controls, which option is preferred first?

  1. Warning signs posted at the entrance
  2. Engineering controls that reduce noise at the source Correct answer.
  3. Hearing protection devices worn by workers
  4. A rotation schedule that limits exposure time

Explanation

The hierarchy of controls places elimination and engineering controls above administrative controls and personal protective equipment because source reduction protects all workers without relying on individual behavior. Hearing protection, rotation, and signage are lower-order measures used when source controls are not feasible.