IHMM CSHM study plan

Build a personal glossary of hazard analysis terms (hazard vs. risk, exposure, severity, probability, risk score) and write one-sentence definitions in your own words

Compare qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative risk assessment methods and list when each is appropriate

Construct a blank risk matrix with defined likelihood and severity scales and justify each anchor point

Select one real process from your workplace or a public case study and draft a preliminary hazard list using task decomposition

Apply a structured technique (HAZOP, FMEA, or what-if analysis) to the task chosen in week 1 and document the worksheet logic

Rank the identified hazards using the risk matrix and defend the top five rankings in writing

Map each top-ranked hazard to a control using the hierarchy of controls and explain why lower-level controls were rejected

Identify applicable exposure limits, consensus standards, or regulatory thresholds that apply to at least three of the hazards

Differentiate incident, accident, near miss, and unsafe condition, and classify five sample scenarios correctly

Outline the sequence of an investigation from scene preservation through evidence collection, interviews, causal analysis, and corrective action tracking

Practice interviewing technique by writing ten open-ended questions and identifying which are leading or closed

Compare causal analysis tools (5 Whys, fishbone, fault tree, events and causal factors chart) and select one for each of three scenario types

Distinguish root cause from contributing cause and direct cause in your mock report and revise any mislabeled findings

Evaluate corrective actions for adequacy, checking that each addresses a systemic cause rather than only individual behavior

Design a metric set for investigation program effectiveness (closure rate, recurrence rate, time to report, repeat-finding rate)

Explain recordkeeping and reporting obligations that apply to fatalities, hospitalizations, and significant incidents under the applicable jurisdiction

Distinguish compliance audits, management system audits, and program effectiveness evaluations and state the purpose of each

Draft a 25-item audit checklist mapped to a recognized management system framework, citing the clause or requirement behind each item

Write audit evidence rules that separate observation, interview, and document review, and specify what constitutes sufficient evidence

Plan an audit logistics package covering scope, criteria, sampling strategy, opening meeting, and closing meeting

Write five sample nonconformity findings in the correct format: requirement, evidence, and gap

Classify findings by severity and justify each classification against defined criteria

Design a corrective action request workflow with verification of effectiveness and closure authority

Identify common audit pitfalls (scope creep, halo effect, sampling bias, checklist dependence) and describe a mitigation for each

Trace the workers' compensation claim lifecycle from injury report through compensability determination, benefits, and return-to-work

Explain experience modification, premium calculation inputs, and how claim frequency and severity affect cost

Summarize the core obligations of the main product safety and environmental statutes in your jurisdiction and the reporting duties they create

Describe how labor relations, collective bargaining agreements, and joint safety committees affect safety program implementation

Synthesize the four domains by writing a business case memo that links a hazard finding, an incident trend, an audit gap, and a cost projection into one recommendation

Complete timed practice sets across all domains and log every missed item by domain and error type

Re-review only the logged weak areas and rewrite your personal glossary with corrections

Build a one-page exam-day reference sheet of formulas, hierarchies, and process steps you must recall from memory