Deck 13: Promoting Workplace Safety and Health

Question 1

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:

A)calls for safety and health inspections of all organizations,no matter how big or small
B)requires all employers to record occupational accidents and illnesses
C)made OSHA responsible for establishing and enforcing occupational safety and health standards
D)does not require employers to record minor employee injuries that require only first aid and don't involve medical treatment
E)is accurately described by all of the above

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The economic costs of poor workplace safety and health include all except:

A)employee distrust
B)insurance
C)hospitalization
D)lost productivity
E)all of the above are economic costs

Answer 2

A

Question 3

According to the text,workplace accidents are most affected by:

A)the average educational level attained by an organization's employees
B)organizational culture
C)the cultural diversity of the employees
D)working conditions
E)employee psychographics

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following statements about the consequences of an unsafe and unhealthy work environment is true?

A)Knee injuries are the most prevalent of all workplace injuries.
B)Agriculture is typically the safest industry to be in nationwide.
C)The rate of workplace death is consistently the same across states.
D)Back injuries are one of the most prevalent workplace injuries.
E)Workplace injuries are a problem mainly for blue-collar workers.

Question 5

Prevalent forms of organizational stressors include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)hierarchical structure of the organization
B)petty work rules and relentless pressure
C)unfair salary distribution
D)job burnout
E)fear of workplace injuries

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of a psychological condition caused by the individual's activities at work?

A)Barb has developed carpal tunnel syndrome because she has to perform the identical movement over 1,000 times a day at her assembly line job.
B)The increased level of stress the research department is experiencing as it tries to determine why the company's new product failed caused the entire group to experience irritability.
C)Pena gets headaches every day from staring at her computer monitor at work.
D)Paul has a backache from having to carry fifty-pounds of fertilizer at work.
E)Roger broke his leg when he fell off paint scaffolding while painting the outside of his employer's warehousE.

Question 7

Workplace safety and health:

A)is only concerned with protecting workers from bodily harm
B)has not proven to offer organizations any financial benefits
C)is concerned with employees' physical and mental health
D)protects employees on and off the job
E)is accurately defined by none of the above

Question 8

What do benzene,arsenic,cotton dust,and vinyl chloride have in common?

A)They are identified disease-causing hazards in the workplace.
B)They are suspected of causing diseases in the workplace,but there is no proof.
C)They are disease-causing elements in the workplace that have been eliminated.
D)The Environmental Protection Agency has decreed these substances to be safe in the workplace.
E)They are non-hazardous elements found in numerous workplaces.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of an occupational physiological-physical condition?

A)Warren developed a terrible headache after being exposed to a barrel of benzene at work.
B)When her alarm clock rang to wake her up for work,Ann fell out of bed and sprained her wrist.
C)Terry experienced such stress at her ad agency that she developed insomnia.
D)Irena was involved in a car wreck as she was driving to work.
E)Ross became depressed after he was unable to master a piece of CAD/CAM softwarE.

Question 10

As Leon was driving past a construction site,he noticed the following sign: "Congratulations to all Miller Construction employees.We have gone 458 days without an accident." Why would the construction company be so proud of this fact?

A)Fewer accidents mean more productivity owing to fewer lost workdays.
B)A reduction in the number of accidents means a reduction in medical and insurance costs.
C)A reduction in the number of accidents leads to lower workers' compensation rates and direct payments because of fewer claims being filed.
D)Fewer accidents have resulted in increased efficiency and quality from a more committed workforce.
E)The decreased accidents would have resulted in all of the above conditions.

Question 11

Vinny works at an assembly job in which he is responsible for operating the machine that installs belts on lawn mowers.He only has three minutes to get three belts installed properly before the next mower appears on the conveyor belt.This is an example of:

A)organizational pacing
B)task repetition
C)machine pacing
D)task rotation
E)employee pacing

Question 12

Which if any,of the following examples does NOT describe a potentially violent employee?

A)An employee holds a grudge against a co-worker.
B)An employee is stalking a co-worker.
C)An employee is extremely frustrated because he can't master a computerized assembly line painting system.
D)An employee is depressed because his mother recently dieD.
E)All of the above examples illustrate a potentially violent employeE.

Question 13

Which of the following statements describes a person who is LEAST likely to be "accident-prone?"

A)Beverly is a very optimistic and trusting person who has a lot of empathy for her co-workers who have problems.
B)Geoffrey is 63 years old and very worried about whether he has enough money for his retirement.
C)Rubina is in the middle of a nasty divorce that has made her quite unhappy.
D)Rashmi does not like to work in close contact with other employees and feels that people in general are not to be trusteD.
E)Jackson is a very happy-go-lucky kind of guy who likes to drink a couple of beers with his lunch and have a six-pack or two after work.

Question 14

Amanda,Jorge and Curtis are all managers at the New Covington City Hall.Over lunch,these three managers discussed the many physical ailments,mostly respiratory problems,they and their associates have been experiencing over the last year.Many people are also reporting feeling tired,"dragged out," and rundown at work.Amanda,Jorge and Curtis decide they should investigate the possibility of:

A)a problem with the physical environment in the building
B)a problem with the pace of work
C)a problem with job burnout
D)a problem of low quality of work life
E)a problem of contagious hypochondria

Question 15

Work pacing may be controlled by:

A)production department policy
B)either machines or people
C)the way the job is designed
D)the type of industry
E)the type of product being produced

Question 16

Which of the following statements does NOT indicate a potentially violent employee?

A)Five times,Garrison has been passed over for a promotion that he believes he is entitled to.
B)Clare tells her co-workers,"I'm going to make you all sorry that you ever were mean to me."
C)Barney keeps a large switchblade in his desk drawer;he shows the knife anytime anyone asks him to do something at work he didn't want to do.
D)Andru feels that the only reason that Kiely won't date him is because a co-worker told her that Andru has a collection of women's shoes.He keeps unsuccessfully asking Kiely for dates.
E)All of the above statements describe potentially violent employees.

Question 17

A company that made a concerted effort to reduce the rate and severity of its occupational accidents,diseases workplace violence,and stress-related illnesses would experience:

A)strong employee resistance to this effort because it means a change
B)increased efficiency and quality from a more committed workforce
C)increased insurance costs
D)decreased flexibility and adaptability in the workforce as a result of the change
E)an increase in employee fear for their jobs as they are forced to learn new tasks

Question 18

Which of the following examples describes how a concern about job security can cause stress?

A)Lavinia thinks she earns less than anyone else in the accounting department does even though she is the only one who is a CPA.
B)Albert is constantly running afoul of the numerous petty rules his supervisor has devised.
C)Cheri is afraid her position will be the first to disappear if the new strategic business objectives are established.
D)As soon as Varina gets close to meeting her sales quota,her sales manager increases it.
E)All of the above examples describe how a concern about security can cause stress.

Question 19

According to OSHA,communication is the key to reducing occupational accidents and illnesses.Effective communication of information that will protect employees from possible danger should include:

A)proper procedures for determining the presence of chemicals
B)protective measures and equipment that should be used
C)the location of written hazard communication programs
D)the location of first aid supplies and emergency equipment
E)all of the above

Question 20

Employee responsibilities in creating safe and healthy workplaces include:

A)not reporting aches and pains to supervisors to save time and money
B)always try to work faster and more productively
C)be willing to change the way in which they work when solutions are found
D)staying on the job even when injured to keep incident rates down
E)all of these are employee responsibilities

Question 21

What are organizations doing to reduce the incidence of occupational diseases?

A)genetic screening
B)measuring,recording,and maintaining all employee exposures to chemical agents or toxins
C)ridding the workplace of toxins and chemical agents
D)limiting the exposure of employees to toxins and chemical agents
E)doing all of the above

Question 22

Of the following occupational injuries,which would NOT have to be recorded for OSHA?

A)An employee is treated for a concussion and loses only a half-day work time.
B)An employee is treated for a concussion during his lunch hour and loses no work time.
C)An employee falls and breaks his leg while working overtime.
D)The supervisor treats an employee's small paper cut by putting an antiseptic on it and a bandage.
E)An employee loses two front teeth because he was inattentive,not because a machine was out of adjustment.

Question 23

Construction,mining,and agriculture are the top three industries for fatal occupation injuries.

Question 24

Whereas OSHA was established to provide protection against accidents and diseases for workers on the job,workers' compensation was established to provide financial aid for those unable to work because of accidents or diseases.

Question 25

Physical conditions include occupational diseases such as back pain,depression,carpal tunnel syndrome,insomnia,and anxiety.

Question 26

_____ considers changes in the job environment in conjunction with the physical and physiological capabilities and limitations of the employees.

A)task synergy
B)ergonomics
C)physical science
D)job redesign
E)job specification

Question 27

In 2007 Hale Industries had 16 work-related injuries and illnesses.It has 120 employees who work 40-hour weeks,with two weeks of vacation each year.The employees work no overtime.The total number of work hours lost during 2007 was 11,264.Two employees were killed in an on-the-job accident.Calculate the incidence rate for 2007.

A)7.5
B)9.38
C)13.33
D)37.5
E)66.67

Question 28

Psychological conditions result from organizational stress and a low quality of working life.

Question 29

In 2007 Hale Industries had 16 work-related injuries and illnesses.It has 120 employees who work 40-hour weeks,with two weeks of vacation each year.The employees work no overtime.Total hours of worked lost during 1997 was 11,264.Two employees were killed in an on-the-job accident.Calculate the frequency rate.

A).677.5
B)9.38
C)13.33
D)37.5
E)66.67

Question 30

Zeke is a high school special education teacher.He wakes up every weekday morning dreading having to go to work and face his students.He feels like he is literally at the end of the rope and he is beginning to resent and dislike his students.Zeke is experiencing:

A)task repetitiveness
B)job anxiety
C)emotional exhaustion
D)stress overload
E)a loss of empathy

Question 31

The only government organization that monitors and protects employees against workplace injuries and diseases is OSHA.

Question 32

White-collar workers are also prone to occupational diseases,not only blue-collar workers.

Question 33

Emily,a secretary at the local weekly newspaper,accidentally slams her index finger in the file drawer.She gasps and passes out.After a minute or two she regains consciousness.She gets some ice from the kitchen for her finger and continues to work the rest of the day on projects that don't require typing.Must this incident be recorded for OSHA?

A)No,this did not require medical treatment other than first aid
B)No,this did not result in a transfer to another job
C)Yes,this resulted in a loss of consciousness
D)No,the loss of consciousness was momentary and due to shock,not injury
E)Yes,Emily suffered psychological stress from this accident

Question 34

Company leadership can be blamed for creating a culture that puts profits ahead of employees' lives.

Question 35

In 2007 Hale Industries had 16 work-related injuries and illnesses.It has 120 employees who work 40-hour weeks with two weeks of vacation each year.No overtime is worked.Total hours of worked lost during 1997 was 11,264.Two employees were killed in an on-the-job accident.Calculate the severity rate.

A)28.6
B)46.9
C)93.9
D)22,528
E)469,333

Question 36

Which of the following types of employees is most likely to experience job burnout or emotional exhaustion?

A)real estate agents
B)bank auditors
C)assembly line workers
D)national park rangers
E)police officers

Question 37

Which of the following statements about job burnout is true?

A)One of the first signs of job burnout is emotional exhaustion.
B)People in the later stages of job burnout have become calloused by their jobs and cynical about their clients.
C)A feeling of low personal accomplishment is one sign of job burnout.
D)People in jobs in human services are most likely to experience job burnout.
E)All of the above statements about job burnout are truE.

Question 38

Creating a safety driven culture does not require top down support from management,because employees are highly motivated regarding safety.

Question 39

In organizations where safety is valued and embedded in the organization's culture,employees benefit by experiencing fewer injuries.

Question 40

Which of the following strategies would be used for reducing job stress and burnout?

A)Establish individual stress management programs.
B)Improve employees' time management skills.
C)Encourage employees to use vacation time
D)Encourage employees to adopt healthy lifestyles.
E)All of the above could be used to reduce job stress and burnout.

Question 41

List three aspects of burnout.

Question 42

Behavior modification techniques have not proven successful in reducing frequency rates.

Question 43

Employers know a small percentage of their workforce is responsible for the majority of their health insurance claims.

Question 44

A fast work pace which an employee sets him- or herself is just as stressful as machine work pacing.

Question 45

Who or what controls work pacing?

Question 46

At this time,there is no indication that employee wellness programs are paying off in terms of performance and absentee rates.

Question 47

An employee of Hale Industries has fallen as a result of a water spill.His only injuries were some bruises and a small cut on his hand.Will Hale Industries have to record this accident for OSHA? Briefly explain your answer.

Question 48

What is the primary function of OSHA?

Question 49

An employee's right to know about workplace hazards is guaranteed by the __________________________________________________.

Question 50

List four workplace stressors that put employees at risk for severe strain.

Question 51

The severity rate recognizes that all injuries and illnesses are equal.

Question 52

One unfortunate consequence of job burnout is a deterioration of one's relationship with co-workers.

Question 53

Many physical conditions may be related to accident proneness-for instance,hostility and emotional immaturity.

Question 54

Genetic screening is the most extreme,and consequently the most controversial,approach to controlling occupational diseases.

Question 55

What is the most controversial approach to controlling occupational disease?

Question 56

The incidence rate reflects the number of injuries and illnesses in a month.

Question 57

Job burnout is a particular type of stress that seems to be experienced by people whose work is repetitive and work paced.

Question 58

A U.S.textile mill is required to measure levels of the carcinogenic cotton dust in its factory and keep records as to amount and exposure.What happens to those records if the textile mill is sold to a foreign investment group?

Question 59

Organizational change is a major contributor to employee stress.

Question 60

Medium-sized organizations have a lower incidence of accidents than small and large organizations.

Question 61

Yolanda is a recently-hired employee in the HR department at a construction company.She believes the company would benefit if it could reduce the rates and severity of accidents and stress-related illnesses among its employees.List the arguments she can use to convince her supervisor to launch a company-wide safety campaign to try to improve the quality of work life for employees.

Question 62

List three methods organizations use to reduce the incidence of diseases as a result of exposure to some chemical agent or toxin.

Question 63

Why are employees of medium-sized organizations more likely to be involved in an accident than employees of either small or large organizations?

Question 64

What are the four components of an effective HIV/AIDS prevention programs?

Question 65

Discuss the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.