Question 1

If the construction company management should have known that some of its Somali employees did not understand English well enough to comprehend the instructions for safe use of scaffolding,and if an employee is injured on the scaffolding because of improper use by one of the Somali employees,the company will be probably be guilty of violating OSHAs general duty clause.

Accepted Answer

According to OSHA's general duty clause, an employer has a duty to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards. If the management knew that some of its employees did not understand English well enough to comprehend the instructions for safe use of scaffolding and still failed to provide appropriate training or instructions in their language, then the employer may be found guilty of violating OSHA's general duty clause.

Question 2

Which of the following is FALSE about "company doctors?

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Companies who provide doctors on staff at the workplace are still required to provide health insurance for employees under the Affordable Care Act.

Question 3

The New Madrid fault runs through Memphis and St.Louis.If the fault ruptured causing regional devastation in an area not prepared for major earthquakes,the most urgent HR function for the affected companies would be to

Accepted Answer

In the aftermath of a major earthquake, establishing communication with employees is the most urgent HR function. This ensures that the employees are safe and accounted for, and that the company can provide support and assistance as needed. Securing physical plant and equipment, re-establishing the organizational chain of command, and calculating losses for insurance purposes are important tasks, but they can wait until communication with employees has been established.

Question 4

Current concerns about pandemic diseases have caused OSHA to issue special guidelines for

Accepted Answer

OSHA has issued special guidelines for the poultry production industry due to concerns about pandemic diseases such as avian influenza. The guidelines include recommendations for the use of personal protective equipment and hygiene practices to prevent the spread of disease among workers in the industry.

Question 5

A high-level executive with a U.S.firm and her family is being transferred to Sweden.Kidnap and ransom insurance would probably be a justifiable expense in this case.

Accepted Answer

Sweden has a very low rate of violent crime, including kidnapping, making kidnap and ransom insurance an unlikely necessity for expatriates.

Question 6

Self-employed persons have a lower accident rate than employees because self-employed persons work at their own speed and can rest if they become fatigued.

Accepted Answer

Self-employed persons are more likely to be aware of the risks involved in their work and take steps to avoid accidents. They are also more likely to have the flexibility to take breaks when they need to, which can help to prevent fatigue-related accidents.

Question 7

As the new HR director for a company with a history of OSHA violations and haphazard records of workplace hazards and accident records,your best option to reducing the company's exposure to lawsuits is to purchase Employment Practices Liability Insurance for the company.

Accepted Answer

While purchasing Employment Practices Liability Insurance may provide some protection for the company against lawsuits related to discriminatory employment practices, it does not address the underlying issue of workplace safety and compliance with OSHA regulations. As the new HR director, a better option would be to prioritize workplace safety and work to improve the company's safety record and OSHA compliance to prevent accidents and avoid potential legal issues.

Question 8

When a disgruntled,tax-protesting engineer flew his airplane in to the IRS building in Austin,Texas,one of the reasons for low loss of life was employees' calm and rapid evacuation of the burning building.This showed the effectiveness of the IRS regional administration's

Accepted Answer

The calm and rapid evacuation of the burning building suggests that the employees of the IRS building in Austin were well-trained for potential disasters. Therefore, the best choice among the given options is disaster training. The other options, such as violence education or security audit, may have been helpful in preventing the attack or minimizing damage, but they would not have been as crucial in ensuring the safety of employees during the event of an attack.

Question 9

If an employee has been injured at work and must stay home to recuperate,the employer may not require the employee to use up his/her FMLA leave at the same time.

Accepted Answer

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), if an employee is eligible and the condition qualifies, an employer can require the employee to use FMLA leave concurrently with other paid leave options for the same condition, such as workers' compensation or short-term disability, depending on the specific circumstances and employer policies.

Question 10

Workplace accident rates have been decreasing for years.This has also reduced the amount of accident costs for employers.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Workplace accident rates have been decreasing for...

Question 11

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

According to the statement, "Fewer than half of companies with disaster plans have tested them." So, statement D is true. Statement A may not be true for all organizations, statement B may not be the most urgent task, and statement C is not mentioned in the given information.

Question 12

Julie works for a law firm and telecommutes from an office in her home three days a week.One day,Julie is lifting a box of trial documents onto her desk and injures her back.Julie's injury is probably covered by her employer's workers' compensation plan.

Accepted Answer

Julie's injury occurred while she was performing work-related duties, even though she was working from home. As such, it is likely covered under her employer's workers' compensation plan.

Question 13

In an attempt to increase employment for disabled persons,the ADA requires employers to make accommodations for injured employees by providing them light-duty work.

Accepted Answer

The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, but it does not specifically mandate light-duty work. Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis.

Question 14

The CEO of a medium-sized insurance company in a medium-sized city in Tennessee is reluctant to authorize the expenditure for a security audit.The CEO maintains that since Tennessee is not subject to hurricanes or earthquakes and there are no obvious terrorist targets nearby,a security audit would be a waste time and money.As the director of HR,you should

Accepted Answer

The best choice would be to argue that the company deals with sensitive data subject to unauthorized access. Even if the city doesn't face natural disasters or terrorist threats, there is always a risk of cyber attacks or internal security breaches. A security audit would help identify vulnerabilities and protect the company's sensitive data.

Question 15

HR is required to maintain central files of material safety data sheets so that the MSDSs can be rapidly accessed by supervisors in case of employee injury.

Accepted Answer

The responsibility to maintain and provide access to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) or Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) typically falls under the purview of an organization's environmental health and safety department or a similar entity, rather than Human Resources (HR). These documents are essential for ensuring workplace safety and providing information on the handling of hazardous substances.

Question 16

Older workers have lower frequencies of disabilities but when they are out from work due to a disability,they are out longer than younger employees.

Accepted Answer

This is supported by research which shows that older workers are less likely to experience disabilities, but when they do, they tend to require longer recovery times, leading to longer absences from work.

Question 17

During a fire at nursing home,Brendan inhaled smoke while trying to rescue the patients,resulting in permanent lung damage and post-traumatic stress disorder.This would need to be reported as an OSHA incident and Brendan would be covered by workers' compensation for both the lung damage and the PTSD.

Accepted Answer

This scenario qualifies as a workplace injury and therefore should be reported as an OSHA incident. Brendan should also be covered by workers' compensation for both the lung damage and the PTSD.

Question 18

Federal child labor laws forbid employers to allow anyone under the age of 21 from working in a hazardous occupation.

Accepted Answer

Federal child labor laws forbid employers to allow anyone under the age of 18 from working in a hazardous occupation.

Question 19

In the U.S.the prevailing approach to major industrial disasters such as the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion which killed 11 workers is that they are "acts of God" and unavoidable.

Accepted Answer

The prevailing approach in the U.S. is not that major industrial disasters are "acts of God" and unavoidable. Rather, there is a recognition that many of these disasters are preventable and result from human error, neglect, or inadequate safety measures. There are often investigations and efforts to hold responsible parties accountable and improve safety regulations.

Question 20

A security audit team would make use of all the following individuals EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

While police officers, security consultants, and computer security experts have knowledge and experience in areas relevant to security auditing, industrial psychologists would not typically be involved in this process.

Quiz 14: Risk Management and Worker Protection