ASP Associate Safety Professional practice questions with answers

Answer: A) 25 mR/h

• ACorrect. Doubling distance cuts dose rate to one-quarter.
• BIncorrect. That's inverse, not inverse square.
• CIncorrect. Dose rate drops with distance.
• DIncorrect. That's at about 2.8 meters.

Answer: D) Keep a living list of identified hazards with their ratings, owners, controls and status

A risk register is an ongoing management tool. It lists identified hazards with their risk rankings, responsible owners, planned controls and status, so the worst risks are handled first and tracked to completion.

• AIncorrect. That is the job of the OSHA 300 injury and illness log, which records outcomes after they happen. It is not a forward-looking list of hazards and controls.
• BIncorrect. That describes a job hazard analysis, which looks at one task. A register brings hazards from across the organization together for ongoing management.
• CIncorrect. That is an incident investigation report. Its findings may feed into a register, but the report covers one event.
• DCorrect. A risk register ranks hazards by severity and likelihood, assigns a responsible person to each control and tracks progress until the control is in place. This matches OSHA's guidance on prioritizing hazards and tracking hazard control plans.

Answer: B) An administrative control (work practice), because protection depends on monitoring and on people acting on the alerts

Wearable heat-strain sensors measure each worker's response to heat but do not reduce the heat itself. They protect workers only when someone acts on their readings, so OSHA treats physiological monitoring as a work practice (administrative control).

• AIncorrect. Engineering controls reduce heat exposure at the source or along its path, for example with ventilation, shading, reflective shielding or cooling fans. A sensor that only measures the worker's response does not reduce the heat load.
• BCorrect. OSHA lists physiological monitoring with other heat work practices such as acclimatization and rest breaks. The sensor only provides information. Workers are protected only when a supervisor or worker responds by changing how the work is done, for example with rest, cooling or rotation.
• CIncorrect. Being worn on the body does not make a device PPE. PPE puts a barrier between the worker and the hazard, as cooling vests or reflective clothing do. A monitoring sensor does not shield the worker from heat.
• DIncorrect. Substitution swaps a hazardous material or process for a less hazardous one. Monitoring an individual's physiological strain complements environmental heat assessment such as WBGT; it does not replace the hazard.

Answer: A) They must require concurrent use of both hands to trip the press and must include an antirepeat feature

Two-hand controls on a power press must require concurrent use of both hands and include an antirepeat feature. They must also be mounted at the required safety distance, and each operator needs their own set.

• ACorrect. 1910.217(b)(6)(i) and (b)(7)(v) require concurrent use of both hands to trip the press, plus an antirepeat feature. This keeps the hands on the controls and out of the point of operation.
• BIncorrect. 1910.217(c)(3)(vii)(c) requires the controls to be at least the safety distance Ds = 63 in/s × Ts from the point of operation, so the slide stops before a hand can reach the die.
• CIncorrect. When a press has more than one operator, each operator must have their own two-hand controls.
• DIncorrect. The antirepeat requirement means the operator must release the controls before another stroke can start. Holding them down must not trigger a successive stroke.

Answer: B) Fully lower the forks, neutralize the controls, shut off the power and set the brakes

A forklift is unattended once the operator is 25 ft or more away, or out of sight. An unattended truck must have its forks fully lowered, controls neutralized, power off and brakes set, plus wheel blocks if it is on an incline (1910.178(m)(5)).

• AIncorrect. Leaving the power on is allowed only when the operator is within 25 ft and has the truck in view (m)(5)(iii). At 25 ft or more, the truck counts as unattended and the power must be shut off.
• BCorrect. Under (m)(5)(ii), a truck is unattended when the operator is 25 ft or more away, even if it stays in view. (m)(5)(i) then requires the load engaging means to be fully lowered, the controls neutralized, the power shut off and the brakes set.
• CIncorrect. The standard requires the load engaging means to be fully lowered whether or not the forks are carrying a load. The controls must also be neutralized.
• DIncorrect. The standard sets no time threshold. Wheel blocking is needed only on an incline, and lowering the forks, neutralizing the controls and shutting off the power are all still required.

Answer: A) An assembler rests her forearms on the sharp edge of a workbench while joining small parts

Contact stress is prolonged or repeated contact between a hard or sharp object or surface and sensitive body tissue, such as forearms resting on a sharp bench edge. Vibration, awkward posture and force are separate ergonomic risk factors.

• ACorrect. OSHA describes contact stress as prolonged or repeated contact between hard or sharp objects or surfaces and sensitive body tissue. A sharp bench edge pressing into the forearm is a classic example.
• BIncorrect. This is the vibration risk factor. Vibration restricts blood supply to the hands and fingers, which is a different mechanism from local pressure on tissue.
• CIncorrect. This is an awkward posture (and repetition) risk factor: working with body parts extended or flexed away from a neutral position.
• DIncorrect. This mainly shows the forceful exertion risk factor of manual lifting, not localized pressure from a hard or sharp edge.

Answer: C) Alert occupants

• AIncorrect. That's detection.
• BIncorrect. That's suppression.
• CCorrect. Through sound and light.
• DIncorrect. Exits must stay usable.

Answer: B) PFAS that persist in people and in water supplies

AFFF is under scrutiny because it contains persistent PFAS that build up in the body, are associated with adverse health effects, and contaminate water. This has led to a shift to fluorine-free foams.

• AIncorrect. Halons are gaseous clean agents that were phased out because they deplete ozone. They are not a component of AFFF.
• BCorrect. AFFF contains fluorinated surfactants (PFAS) such as PFOS and PFOA. These can stay in the human body for long periods, have been linked to raised cholesterol and cancer, and have contaminated groundwater and drinking water near sites where the foam was used. This is driving the move to fluorine-free foams.
• CIncorrect. AFFF forms its film with fluorinated surfactants, not asbestos fibers. Asbestos is not why these foams are under scrutiny.
• DIncorrect. Phosphate-based long-term retardants are used in wildland firefighting. The concern with Class B AFFF is its fluorinated (PFAS) content.

Answer: B) Identifying critical functions, their dependencies, and the consequences and time sensitivity of their disruption

A BIA identifies an organization's critical functions, their dependencies, and how badly and how quickly a disruption would affect them. The results set recovery priorities and recovery objectives such as RTO and RPO.

• AIncorrect. Ranking hazards by likelihood is the job of a hazard or risk assessment. A BIA focuses on which functions matter most and what happens to the organization when they are disrupted.
• BCorrect. The IRS describes a BIA as a structured process to identify critical functions. It looks at their dependencies, time sensitivities and outage impacts, and sets recovery priorities.
• CIncorrect. Step-by-step restoration procedures belong in the contingency or disaster recovery plan. That plan is built from the BIA's results; it is not the BIA itself.
• DIncorrect. Drill schedules and scenarios belong to the exercise and testing program. They come after planning and do not analyze how disruptions affect the business.

Answer: D) A single sheet of ordinary paper

Alpha particles penetrate very little, so paper, the outer skin layer or a few inches of air stops them. Beta calls for plastic or aluminum, gamma for lead or concrete, and neutrons for hydrogen-rich materials.

• AIncorrect. OSHA cites plastics, aluminum or wood as the shielding for beta particles. It would stop alpha too, but much thinner material is enough.
• BIncorrect. OSHA cites lead or concrete for reducing the intensity of gamma rays and X-rays. That is far more than alpha particles need.
• CIncorrect. OSHA says hydrogen-containing materials such as water or concrete are best for shielding neutrons, not alpha particles.
• DCorrect. OSHA says a piece of paper, the dead outer layers of skin, or a few inches of air are enough to stop alpha particles. Alpha emitters are mainly a hazard when they are inhaled or ingested.

Answer: B) 5 dB over the better protector

• AIncorrect. They don't add directly.
• BCorrect. The NRRs aren't simply added.
• CIncorrect. It helps somewhat.
• DIncorrect. That's far too high.

Answer: A) Small construction activity, which needs stormwater permit coverage unless a waiver applies

Under 40 CFR 122.26, construction that disturbs five acres or more counts as industrial activity, and disturbance of 1 to under 5 acres is small construction activity. A 3-acre project is small construction activity.

• ACorrect. Section 122.26(b)(15)(i) defines small construction activity as land disturbance of at least one acre but less than five acres.
• BIncorrect. Under 122.26(b)(14)(x), construction counts as industrial activity only when it disturbs five acres or more.
• CIncorrect. Disturbance under five acres is not exempt. Sites of 1 to under 5 acres are regulated as small construction activity.
• DIncorrect. The classification depends on how much land is disturbed, not on whether the receiving water is a drinking water supply.

Answer: C) The financial return on training compared with its cost

• AIncorrect. That's Level 2.
• BIncorrect. That's Level 1.
• CCorrect. It's often called Level 5.
• DIncorrect. That's Level 3.

Answer: A) Performs the required operating tasks to a defined performance standard while an evaluator observes

Competency-based training judges completion by whether the learner can demonstrate the task to a set standard, not by hours attended, a written test alone, or paperwork.

• ACorrect. Competency-based training measures completion by demonstrated performance against stated criteria. OSHA's training curriculum guidance likewise calls for proficiency to be documented through a skill demonstration with defined means of rating successful completion.
• BIncorrect. Contact hours measure time spent in training (an input), not whether the trainee can actually do the task.
• CIncorrect. A written test shows knowledge but not the ability to perform the task. OSHA guidance pairs written assessment with a skill demonstration to establish proficiency.
• DIncorrect. A signed acknowledgment documents attendance or receipt, not demonstrated competence.

Answer: C) It may be cited as a controlling employer if it fails to use reasonable care to prevent and detect violations

OSHA's multi-employer citation policy allows citation of a controlling employer that has general supervisory authority over a worksite. This applies when it fails to use reasonable care, such as periodic inspections and enforcement, to prevent and detect a contractor's violations.

• AIncorrect. Under the policy, creating and controlling employers can be cited even when only another employer's workers are exposed.
• BIncorrect. A controlling employer's duty of reasonable care is lower than an employer's duty to protect its own workers. It is not normally required to inspect as often or to have the same level of knowledge.
• CCorrect. A controlling employer must use reasonable care. This includes periodic inspections of appropriate frequency and a graduated system of enforcement of the contractor's compliance.
• DIncorrect. A contract can create control, but it does not remove OSHA duties. The host may still be a controlling, creating, exposing or correcting employer.