Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 5e (Dessler)
Chapter 14 Improving Occupational Safety, Health, and Risk Management
1) Each year there are roughly ________ million occupational injuries and illnesses in the United
States.
A) 1.2
B) 2.9
C) 5.4
D) 9.8
2) The basic purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is to ________.
A) set and enforce the safety and health standards that apply to almost all workers in the United
States
B) ensure that employees of state agencies have safe and healthy working conditions
C) provide safe and healthy working conditions to all self-employed persons
D) prevent the occurrence of occupational illnesses among all employees
3) The Occupational Safety and Health Act was intended to ________.
A) set national, state, and local safety and health standards
B) assure every person safe and healthful working conditions
C) provide safe and healthful working conditions to self-employed persons
D) prevent the occurrence of occupational illnesses among public employees
4) All of the following are covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act EXCEPT
________.
A) federal agents
B) hospital nurses
C) public school teachers
D) self-employed persons
5) Which government agency enforces the standards set out in the Occupational Safety and
Health Act?
A) Department of Health and Human Services
B) Department of Commerce
C) Department of Agriculture
D) Department of Labor
6) Under OSHA, employers with ________ or more employees must maintain records of and
report occupational injuries and occupational illnesses.
A) 5
B) 11
C) 25
D) 100
7) What term is used to describe any abnormal condition or disorder caused by exposure to
environmental factors associated with employment?
A) occupational injury
B) work-related disease
C) chronic illness
D) occupational illness
8) According to OSHA, employers must report occupational injuries that result in any of the
following EXCEPT ________.
A) first aid treatment
B) restriction of motion
C) loss of consciousness
D) transfer to another job
9) Which of the following would most likely NOT be considered a reportable injury according to
OSHA?
A) Tom injures his back during a traffic accident as he delivers lumber in a company truck.
B) Molly breaks her arm while playing in a softball game during a mandatory company picnic.
C) Leah breaks her wrist after slipping in a puddle on a stairwell inside the company building.
D) John sprains his ankle after becoming tangled in his car’s seat belt in the company parking lot.
10) Which of the following would be considered OSHA’s highest priority for inspection?
A) investigating the occurrence of a fatality
B) inspecting a site where there may be imminent danger
C) conducting random inspections and follow-up inspections
D) investigating employee complaints of alleged violations
11) Which of the following would be considered OSHA’s lowest priority for inspection?
A) investigating an employee complaint
B) inspecting a site at which a catastrophe occurred
C) conducting a follow-up inspection
D) performing a high-hazard industry inspection
12) Which of the following terms refers to a summons that informs employers and employees
about regulations that have been violated at the workplace?
A) warrant
B) penalty
C) citation
D) inspection
13) Which of the following is LEAST likely to be considered when OSHA calculates a penalty?
A) size of business
B) compliance history
C) gravity of violation
D) legal representation
14) As a supervisor, which of the following is the LEAST recommended action to take during an
OSHA inspection?
A) establishing the focus and scope of the planned inspection
B) accompanying the inspector and taking detailed notes
C) referring the inspector to your OSHA coordinator
D) volunteering all hazard and safety information
15) According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers are responsible for
________.
A) examining workplace conditions for OSHA compliance
B) scheduling annual consultations with OSHA representatives
C) paying monthly dues to OSHA and the Department of Labor
D) replacing old equipment on an annual basis to comply with OSHA
16) According to the text, why is DuPont’s accident rate significantly lower than the industry
average?
A) employee safety incentive plans
B) organizational commitment to safety
C) selection procedures focused on safety
D) superior safety technology and training
17) What is the primary role of supervisors in improving employee safety?
A) writing organizational safety policies
B) developing online safety manuals
C) conducting regular safety inspections
D) attending safety training workshops
18) Which of the following is a TRUE statement about OSHA’s voluntary consultation program?
A) Firms are charged a one-time fee for consultations.
B) Safety inspections are handled by federal employees.
C) Inspections that uncover citations trigger small penalties.
D) The consultation program is separate from OSHA inspections.
19) All of the following would most likely contribute to a firm’s OSHA liability EXCEPT
________.
A) voluntary consultations
B) irregular safety meetings
C) sporadic workplace inspections
D) lack of a systematic safety approach
20) The Occupational Safety and Health Act does not cover self-employed persons or family
farms.
21) An occupational illness is any abnormal condition or disorder caused by exposure to
environmental factors associated with employment.
22) OSHA enforces its standards through inspections, which are usually announced so that
employers have time to prepare.
23) Despite many managerial warnings, William refuses to wear a hard hat when working as an
electrician for Paulsen Homes. William cuts his head when he falls from scaffolding that has not
been properly secured. Paulsen Homes will most likely not be held liable for William’s injury.
24) What are the three basic causes of workplace accidents? What is the role of OSHA in regard
to workplace accidents?
25) What types of unsafe conditions are the primary focus of OSHA standards? How does
OSHA enforce its standards?
26) You are a supervisor at a carpet manufacturing facility. How can you reduce unsafe
conditions in the workplace? What would you do to ensure a smooth OSHA inspection of your
facility?
27) What are the major sources of occupational respiratory disease? What role does OSHA play
in protecting employees against occupational respiratory diseases?
28) Improperly guarded equipment, defective equipment, hazardous procedures, and improper
ventilation are all examples of ________.
A) chance occurrences
B) unsafe conditions
C) unsafe behavior by employees
D) weather-related accidents
29) Which of the following factors is LEAST likely to contribute to accidents at work?
A) high workplace temperature
B) hostile co-workers
C) day of the week
D) time of day
30) Which of the following personality traits is LEAST likely to be associated with people who
are considered accident prone?
A) impulsive
B) extroverted
C) highly fastidious
D) sensation seeking
31) All of the following personality traits are associated with people who file vehicular insurance
claims EXCEPT ________.
A) clumsiness
B) entitlement
C) impatience
D) distractibility
32) The most serious workplace accidents involve ________.
A) wheelbarrows
B) improper ventilation
C) forklift trucks
D) woodworking machines
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33) A toxic safety climate is best described as a work environment that ________.
A) involves dangerous chemicals
B) hires inexperienced workers
C) promotes unsafe acts
D) encourages overtime
34) Accidents occur more frequently in facilities with ________.
A) bright lighting
B) congested work areas
C) strong union support
D) low seasonal layoff rates
35) What is an unsafe act? What actions can supervisors take to reduce the number of unsafe acts
by subordinates?
Answer: Unsafe acts are behaviors that potentially cause accidents, such as throwing materials,
36) Which of the following is NOT a method of minimizing workplace accidents?
A) reducing unsafe conditions
B) reducing unsafe acts
C) training employees
D) paying high wages
37) Kevin is a supervisor at a manufacturing facility that has experienced a high rate of on-the-
job accidents. Which of the following methods should Kevin use first to reduce the number of
workplace accidents?
A) enforcing job rotation
B) screening job applicants
C) removing physical hazards
D) requiring employees to use PPE
38) Unsafe acts can be reduced through all of the following methods EXCEPT by ________.
A) listening to employee suggestions
B) identifying employee interests and preferences
C) involving workers in planning safety programs
D) providing workers with comfortable protective equipment
39) When managers identify a trait associated with workplace accidents and then use this trait as
part of the selection process for new hires, they are using ________ to reduce unsafe acts.
A) job rotation
B) screening
C) training
D) incentives
40) How do managers reduce unsafe acts through selection?
A) identify traits linked to job accidents and screen candidates for such traits
B) rotate employees through different positions within the organization
C) offer monetary incentives to employee teams with low accident rates
D) respond to employee suggestions to improve possible problem areas
41) Thermo is a plastic supply and custom fabrication company. Thermo serves clients in the
medical, solar, and semiconductor industries by making acrylic and polycarbonate sheets, tubes,
and rods. The company employs approximately 500 workers at its facility in Ohio. Safety is a top
priority at Thermo, and supervisors are required to conduct daily inspections of all equipment.
Recently, three workers were seriously injured by a large press used to mold plastic parts. The
workers spent time in the hospital for hand injuries, and they are currently recuperating at home.
As a result, top management is evaluating all aspects of safety at the facility to determine what
changes need to be made.
Which of the following, if TRUE, best supports the argument that Thermo supervisors need
additional training in OSHA standards?
A) None of the injured Thermo workers was wearing personal protective equipment because the
high temperatures in the facility made the PPE very uncomfortable.
B) The three workers were working overtime during an evening shift at Thermo, and only one of
them had extensive experience using the press.
C) Thermo conducts air sampling on a weekly basis as part of its industrial hygiene program, and
the firm has never been cited for poor air quality.
D) The safety gate had been removed from the press to bypass a safety interlock, and the gate
was not replaced prior to the three workers using the machine during their morning shift at
Thermo.
42) Thermo is a plastic supply and custom fabrication company. Thermo serves clients in the
medical, solar, and semiconductor industries by making acrylic and polycarbonate sheets, tubes,
and rods. The company employs approximately 500 workers at its facility in Ohio. Safety is a top
priority at Thermo, and supervisors are required to conduct daily inspections of all equipment.
Recently, three workers were seriously injured by a large press used to mold plastic parts. The
workers spent time in the hospital for hand injuries, and they are currently recuperating at home.
As a result, top management is evaluating all aspects of safety at the facility to determine what
changes need to be made.
Which of the following, if TRUE, supports the argument that Thermo needs to modify its
screening, placement, and training procedures?
A) Interviews with the on-duty supervisor indicate that signs were clearly posted near the
accident site explaining the importance of using protective guards.
B) Supervisors use a combination of recognition and monetary incentives to encourage
employees to follow safety procedures.
C) Noises emitted from the press and the high temperatures in the Thermo facility are considered
distracting and potentially dangerous.
D) Interviews with the injured workers indicate that the most experienced worker removed the
safety guard and the other two workers did not know how to respond.
43) Thermo is a plastic supply and custom fabrication company. Thermo serves clients in the
medical, solar, and semiconductor industries by making acrylic and polycarbonate sheets, tubes,
and rods. The company employs approximately 500 workers at its facility in Ohio. Safety is a top
priority at Thermo, and supervisors are required to conduct daily inspections of all equipment.
Recently, three workers were seriously injured by a large press used to mold plastic parts. The
workers spent time in the hospital for hand injuries, and they are currently recuperating at home.
As a result, top management is evaluating all aspects of safety at the facility to determine what
changes need to be made.
Which of the following questions is LEAST relevant to Thermo’s decision to minimize unsafe
acts at the facility?
A) Have Thermo managers trained employees in the use of the company’s mechanical security
system?
B) How are employee safety suggestions and complaints currently handled by Thermo
managers?
C) How are Thermo employees rewarded or praised for adhering to safety rules and procedures?
D) What is the current level of employee involvement in designing Thermos’ safety program?
44) Thermo is a plastic supply and custom fabrication company. Thermo serves clients in the
medical, solar, and semiconductor industries by making acrylic and polycarbonate sheets, tubes,
and rods. The company employs approximately 500 workers at its facility in Ohio. Safety is a top
priority at Thermo, and supervisors are required to conduct daily inspections of all equipment.
Recently, three workers were seriously injured by a large press used to mold plastic parts. The
workers spent time in the hospital for hand injuries, and they are currently recuperating at home.
As a result, top management is evaluating all aspects of safety at the facility to determine what
changes need to be made.
Which of the following, if TRUE, best supports the argument that Thermo needs to implement a
positive reinforcement program?
A) The injured workers removed a safety guard while operating the press in order to speed the
process.
B) One of the injured workers was on probation with Thermo for starting a fight with a co-
worker.
C) Each of the injured workers was given a job simulation test prior to selection and placement.
D) The press used by the injured workers was an older model that had recently been repaired.
45) Which term refers to the formal procedure for disabling power equipment in the workplace?
A) job hazard analysis
B) lockout/tagout
C) voltage check
D) ergonomics
46) Which of the following is a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating hazards
before accidents occur?
A) behavior-based safety analysis
B) operational safety review
C) job hazard analysis
D) lockout/tagout
47) Reviews conducted by agencies to determine if units in their jurisdiction are complying with
safety laws and regulations are known as ________ reviews.
A) risk assessment
B) behavioral safety
C) job hazard
D) operational safety