Departmental Considerations is 15% of the scored CRCST exam. Answer 10 exam style questions on workplace safety and SDS and see exactly which concepts would cost you points on test day.
Start the 10 questions →A newly hired technician will work in decontamination with occupational exposure to blood. Under the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, how must the hepatitis B vaccine be offered?
These questions cover hepatitis B vaccination, post-exposure steps, exposure control plan, sharps containers and SDS accessibility. Each one shows the correct answer and why every other option is wrong, so a miss tells you exactly what to review before the CRCST.
Prefer to read first? Every question from the practice set above, with the correct answer and why each wrong option is wrong.
Answer: B. The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires the employer to make the hepatitis B vaccination series available free of charge to every employee with occupational exposure, after training and within 10 working days of initial assignment. An employee who declines signs a declination form and can still request the vaccine later at no cost.
Why not A: The employer must make the vaccine available at no cost to the employee. Cost sharing is not allowed.
Why not C: The vaccine must be offered before exposure, within 10 working days of initial assignment, not only after an incident.
Why not D: The employer offers the vaccine to all employees with occupational exposure, with limited exceptions such as prior vaccination or proven immunity.
Exam tactic: Hep B vaccine: free, early, and you can change your mind.
Answer: D. After a sharps injury, the wound is washed with soap and water and the exposure is reported right away so the employer can provide a confidential medical evaluation, source testing when possible and prophylaxis when indicated. Some prophylaxis works best when started within hours.
Why not A: Squeezing has no proven benefit, and caustic agents such as bleach are not recommended on wounds. Wash with soap and water.
Why not B: Post-exposure evaluation and possible prophylaxis are time sensitive, so the exposure must be reported immediately.
Why not C: Bloodborne infections do not show symptoms early. Waiting for symptoms delays evaluation and treatment.
Exam tactic: Wash, report, get evaluated. Do not wait.
Answer: A. The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires a written exposure control plan that identifies job classifications with occupational exposure and the methods used to reduce it. It must be accessible to employees and reviewed and updated at least annually and whenever new tasks or procedures affect exposure.
Why not B: The plan must be reviewed and updated at least annually and whenever tasks or procedures change.
Why not C: Employees must have access to the exposure control plan.
Why not D: The plan covers every job classification with occupational exposure, which includes decontamination staff.
Exam tactic: Exposure control plan: written, shared, updated every year.
Answer: C. Sharps containers must be closable, puncture resistant, leakproof on the sides and bottom, and labeled or color coded. They are replaced routinely and never allowed to overfill. Staff must not reach into, shake or compress the contents.
Why not A: Gloves do not protect against punctures. Reaching into or compressing a sharps container is a leading cause of needlesticks.
Why not B: Cardboard boxes are not puncture resistant, leakproof or labeled, so they cannot be used for sharps.
Why not D: Sharps containers are never opened, emptied or reused by hand. Red bags are not puncture resistant.
Exam tactic: Fill line reached? Close it, swap it.
Answer: B. The Hazard Communication Standard requires employers to keep a safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical and to make SDS readily accessible to employees in their work areas during each work shift. Electronic access is acceptable if there are no barriers.
Why not A: OSHA requires that SDS be readily accessible during each work shift, not only during the day.
Why not C: An outside phone number does not satisfy the employer's duty to keep SDS accessible at the workplace.
Why not D: SDS must be accessible to the workers who use the chemicals. Storing them in another department adds barriers.
Exam tactic: SDS: any shift, any time, no locked doors.
Answer: C. Chemical splashes to the eye are flushed with the eyelids held open for at least 15 minutes, the flushing period set by the ANSI emergency eyewash standard. The worker then reports the injury and follows up for medical evaluation as directed by the SDS and facility policy.
Why not A: One minute is far too short, and rubbing can worsen the injury. Flushing must last at least 15 minutes.
Why not B: Neutralizing agents can cause additional injury. Eyes are flushed with the eyewash fluid only.
Why not D: Both affected eyes need flushing. Saving one eye leaves chemical in contact with it.
Exam tactic: Eyes: 15 minutes, lids open, then report.
Answer: A. OSHA requires suitable facilities for quick flushing of the eyes where corrosive chemicals are used, and the ANSI emergency eyewash standard it references places the unit so an injured worker can reach it within about 10 seconds along an unobstructed path. A blocked eyewash delays flushing and increases eye damage.
Why not B: The eyewash must be close to the hazard, reachable within about 10 seconds, not anywhere on the floor.
Why not C: A worker with chemical in the eyes cannot wait for boxes to be moved. The path must be clear at all times.
Why not D: An eyewash is needed wherever workers handle corrosive chemicals, which includes decontamination.
Exam tactic: 10 seconds to reach, 15 minutes to flush.
Answer: A. Under the Hazard Communication Standard, chemical labels use one of two signal words. Danger marks the more severe hazards and Warning marks the less severe ones. Only one signal word appears on a label.
Why not B: Warning is used for less severe hazards than Danger.
Why not C: Caution is not one of the two signal words allowed under the Hazard Communication Standard, which uses only Danger and Warning.
Why not D: Notice is not a hazard signal word on chemical labels.
Exam tactic: Danger beats Warning.
Answer: C. Safe lifting means a wide base, bent knees, a straight back, the load held close and the legs doing the work. The worker turns by moving the feet rather than twisting the spine and asks for help or uses equipment for loads that are too heavy.
Why not A: Bending at the waist with straight legs puts the load on the lower back and increases injury risk.
Why not B: Holding a load away from the body multiplies the strain on the back and shoulders.
Why not D: Jerking and twisting while lifting are major causes of back injury. Turn with the feet after lifting.
Exam tactic: Knees bent, load close, no twist.
Answer: B. Pushing a cart lets the worker use body weight, keeps the spine in a more neutral position and gives better control than pulling. Pulling is linked to more shoulder and back strain.
Why not A: Pulling twists the body and strains the shoulders and back. Carts should be pushed.
Why not C: Riding a cart is unsafe and can cause falls and collisions.
Why not D: Dragging from one corner gives poor control and puts uneven strain on the body.
Exam tactic: Carts: push, don't pull.
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