Question 1

In pursuit of its mission, OSHA promotes and ensures ________.
A) corporate wellness programs
B) employee assistance programs
C) workplace safety and health
D) global healthcare

Accepted Answer

C) The mission of OSHA is to promote and ensure workplace safety and health and to reduce workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. OSHA is committed to ensuring-so far as possible-that every working person in the nation has a safe and healthful working environment.

Question 2

Approximately, how many inspectors does OSHA have?
A) 500
B) 2,000
C) 1,000
D) 3,500

Accepted Answer

B) OSHA employs approximately 2,000 inspectors.

Question 3

What agency enforces the Occupational Safety and Health Act?
A) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
B) National Safety Administration
C) Occupational Safety and Health Administration
D) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Accepted Answer

C) The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA aims to ensure worker safety and health in the United States by working with employers and employees to create better working environments.

Question 4

Which of the following firms recently received the largest fine in OSHA's history?
A) BP
B) GM
C) Exxon
D) Toyota

Accepted Answer

A) BP Products North America Inc. received the largest fine in OSHA's history for its failure to correct hazards faced by employees at its Texas City refinery. However, this record will likely be broken due to the death and destruction caused by the oil well explosion and the resulting damage to the Gulf Coast in 2010.

Question 5

What is the top leading cause of workplaces injuries and their associated costs?
A) overexertion
B) truck accidents
C) repetitive motion
D) struck against object

Accepted Answer

A) The top leading cause of workplace injuries and their associated costs was overexertion (i.e., lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, etc.), which accounted for 25.7 percent of direct workers' compensation costs to U.S. businesses.

Question 6

OSHA has authorized stricter enforcement measures for employers that ________.
A) employ illegal immigrants
B) fail to provide bilingual safety information
C) frequently request voluntary safety checks
D) repeatedly violate health and safety standards

Accepted Answer

D) OSHA has authorized stricter enforcement measures for manufacturers and other employers that repeatedly violate health and safety standards. In 2009, managers at more than 13,500 workplaces received letters notifying them that their rates of days away from work, restricted work, or job transfer injury and illness were higher than average based on a survey of 80,000 worksites' 2007 safety data.

Question 7

Since its inception, OSHA has helped to cut workplace fatalities by how much?
A) 10 percent
B) 30 percent
C) 60 percent
D) 90 percent

Accepted Answer

C) Since its inception, OSHA has helped to cut workplace fatalities by more than 60 percent and occupational injury and illness by 40 percent. At the same time, U.S. employment has more than doubled from 56 million workers at 3.5 million worksites to 147 million workers at 7.2 million sites.

Question 8

What involves protecting employees from injuries caused by work-related accidents?
A) safety
B) health
C) wellness
D) morale

Accepted Answer

A) Safety involves protecting employees from injuries caused by work-related accidents. Included within the umbrella definition of safety are factors related to repetitive stress injuries and workplace and domestic violence. Health refers to employees' freedom from physical or emotional illness.

Question 9

ABC Manufacturing received one citation for a serious hazard. What is the maximum penalty for this violation?
A) $13,000
B) $11,000
C) $9,000
D) $7,000

Accepted Answer

D) A serious hazard citation has a maximum penalty of $7,000. A willful citation might have a maximum amount of $70,000 per violation.

Question 10

Which of the following was created to ensure worker safety and health?
A) ADEA
B) FLSA
C) OSHA
D) EEOC

Accepted Answer

C) The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA aims to ensure worker safety and health in the United States by working with employers and employees to create better working environments.

Question 11

Since its inception, OSHA has helped to cut occupational injury and illness rates by how much?
A) 10%
B) 40%
C) 80%
D) 100%

Accepted Answer

B) Since its inception, OSHA has helped to cut workplace fatalities by more than 60 percent and occupational injury and illness by 40 percent. At the same time, U.S. employment has more than doubled from 56 million workers at 3.5 million worksites to 147 million workers at 7.2 million sites.

Question 12

A portion the Sarbanes-Oxley Act makes it illegal to fire or otherwise discriminate against a corporate officer for trying to report possible accounting irregularities to higher corporate officials or enforcement agencies. The ________ administers that portion of Sarbanes-Oxley.
A) Department of Homeland Security
B) Internal Revenue Service
C) U.S. Department of Labor
D) Securities and Exchange Commission

Accepted Answer

C) The U.S. Department of Labor administers the portion of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that makes it illegal to fire or otherwise discriminate against a corporate officer for trying to report possible accounting irregularities to higher corporate officials or enforcement agencies.

Question 13

Thompson Manufacturing has been designated a recalcitrant employer by OSHA. As a result, Thompson will most likely ________.
A) receive a stern warning
B) close its facilities immediately
C) experience numerous inspections
D) downsize its staff and hire contractors

Accepted Answer

C) OSHA implemented the Severe Violator Enforcement Program that will increase inspections at worksites where "recalcitrant employers" have repeatedly violated safety regulations and endangered workers. The firm would likely already have received citations, but closing the facility and downsizing are less likely to occur.

Question 14

Within the Department of Labor, OSHA enforces ________ for workplace safety, the environment, consumer products, the financial system, and other areas.
A) pension benefit guaranties
B) equal employment opportunity statutes
C) whistleblower protection provisions
D) financial disclosure requirements

Accepted Answer

C) OSHA is charged with more than just enforcing health and safety matters. Within the Department of Labor, OSHA enforces the whistleblower protection provisions of 21 statutes, covering not just workplace safety but also the environment, consumer products, the financial system, and other areas.

Question 15

Resilience training is intended to ________.
A) help workers reduce stress
B) strengthen workers after they have experienced stress
C) help workers deal with the symptoms of stress
D) help workers ignore stressful situations

Accepted Answer

B) Resilience is not something a person is born with; rather, it is something one can learn and develop. Resilience training is not intended to help workers reduce stress, rather it is meant to strengthen them after experiencing stress. Many firms use resilience training to prevent stress as opposed to dealing with the symptoms of stress.

Question 16

The owner of Hanson Manufacturing is considering the idea of establishing a smoke-free workplace and instigating an incentive plan to encourage employees to quit smoking. According to CDC research, Hanson Manufacturing will gain approximately ________ in productivity from each smoker who quits the habit.
A) $200
B) $500
C) $2,000
D) $5,000

Accepted Answer

C) The CDC concluded that each employee who smokes costs employers $1,897 in lost productivity each year. Businesses pay an average of $2,189 in workers' compensation costs for smokers, compared with $176 for nonsmokers.

Question 17

According to your textbook, all of the following EXCEPT ________ are included within the umbrella definition of safety.
A) musculoskeletal disorders
B) stress injuries
C) natural disasters
D) workplace and domestic violence

Accepted Answer

C) Safety involves protecting employees from injuries caused by work-related accidents. Included within the umbrella definition of safety are factors related to musculoskeletal disorders, stress injuries, and workplace and domestic violence.

Question 18

What term refers to employees' freedom from physical or emotional illness?
A) safety
B) health
C) prevention
D) morale

Accepted Answer

B) Health refers to employees' freedom from physical or emotional illness. Safety involves protecting employees from injuries caused by work-related accidents.

Question 19

If 10 employees were exposed to one hazard that the employer intentionally did not eliminate, what would be the maximum penalty?
A) $400,000
B) $500,000
C) $600,000
D) $700,000

Accepted Answer

D) A willful citation might have a maximum amount of $70,000 per violation. Calculated instance by instance, if 10 employees were exposed to one hazard the employer intentionally did not eliminate, the penalty amount would immediately jump to $700,000.

Question 20

In order to prove that an employer has violated the general duty clause, OSHA must prove all of the following exist EXCEPT that ________.
A) the hazard was likely to cause minor injuries
B) a condition in the workplace presented a hazard
C) a feasible means existed to reduce the hazard
D) the employer or its industry recognized the hazard

Accepted Answer

A) In order to prove a violation of the general duty clause, OSHA has to demonstrate: 1) That a condition or activity in the workplace presented a hazard; 2) That the employer or its industry recognized this hazard; 3) That the hazard was likely to cause death or serious physical harm; and 4) That a feasible and effective means existed to eliminate or materially reduce the hazard. Minor hazards would not necessarily warrant a general duty clause violation.

Quiz 11: A Safe and Healthy Work Environment

In pursuit of its mission, OSHA promotes and ensures ________.

Approximately, how many inspectors does OSHA have?

What agency enforces the Occupational Safety and Health Act?

Which of the following firms recently received the largest fine in OSHA's history?

What is the top leading cause of workplaces injuries and their associated costs?

OSHA has authorized stricter enforcement measures for employers that ________.

Since its inception, OSHA has helped to cut workplace fatalities by how much?

What involves protecting employees from injuries caused by work-related accidents?

ABC Manufacturing received one citation for a serious hazard. What is the maximum penalty for this violation?

Which of the following was created to ensure worker safety and health?

Since its inception, OSHA has helped to cut occupational injury and illness rates by how much?

A portion the Sarbanes-Oxley Act makes it illegal to fire or otherwise discriminate against a corporate officer for trying to report possible accounting irregularities to higher corporate officials or enforcement agencies. The ________ administers that portion of Sarbanes-Oxley.

Thompson Manufacturing has been designated a recalcitrant employer by OSHA. As a result, Thompson will most likely ________.

Within the Department of Labor, OSHA enforces ________ for workplace safety, the environment, consumer products, the financial system, and other areas.

Resilience training is intended to ________.

According to your textbook, all of the following EXCEPT ________ are included within the umbrella definition of safety.

What term refers to employees' freedom from physical or emotional illness?

If 10 employees were exposed to one hazard that the employer intentionally did not eliminate, what would be the maximum penalty?

In order to prove that an employer has violated the general duty clause, OSHA must prove all of the following exist EXCEPT that ________.