OSHA Laws and Worker Rights
This U.S. President signed the Occupational Safety and Health Act into law in 1970.
Who is Richard Nixon?
This is the science of identifying, evaluating, and controlling workplace conditions that can cause illness or injury.
What is Industrial Hygiene?
This is the specific area on a machine where the work—such as cutting, shaping, or boring—is actually performed.
Answer: What is the Point of Operation?
Unlike a guard, which is a physical barrier, this is a control that stops a machine when someone enters a danger zone.
Answer: What is a Safety Device?
This is the most effective way to control a hazard—getting rid of the danger entirely.
Answer: What is Elimination?
If a workplace accident results in a worker's death, the employer must report it to OSHA within this many hours.
What is 8 hours? (Note: It is 24 hours for hospitalizations/amputations).
These are the four main types of hazards identified in Industrial Hygiene.
Answer: What are Chemical, Biological, Physical, and Ergonomic hazards?
This type of guard is preferred because it is a permanent part of the machine and cannot be easily removed.
Answer: What is a Fixed Guard?
This specific device uses a "light curtain" to sense when a worker's hand is in a dangerous area and stops the machine.
Answer: What is a Presence-Sensing Device?
This is the least effective control method, as it relies entirely on the worker wearing the correct gear.
Answer: What is PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)?
This "catch-all" rule requires employers to keep a workplace free of recognized hazards even if there is no specific standard for the danger.
Answer: What is the General Duty Clause?
These are the four "Routes of Entry" that chemicals use to get into the human body.
Answer: What are Inhalation, Absorption, Ingestion, and Injection?
This type of guard shuts the machine off automatically if the barrier is opened or removed.
Answer: What is an Interlocked Guard?
These devices use cables attached to the operator's hands to physically tug them away from the danger zone during a machine cycle.
Answer: What are Pull-backs?
Adding a ventilation system to suck up chemical fumes is an example of this level of the hierarchy.
Answer: What are Engineering Controls?
If an employer fires or punishes a worker for reporting a safety concern, the worker has this many days to file a "whistleblower" complaint.
Answer: What is 30 days?
This is the practice of treating all human blood and bodily fluids as if they are known to be infectious.
Answer: What are Universal Precautions?
This mechanical area contains the belts, pulleys, and gears that move energy through the machine.
Answer: What is Power Transmission?
This device prevents the machine from starting unless the operator has both hands on the control buttons simultaneously.
Answer: What is a Two-Hand Control?
Changing a work schedule to limit the amount of time a worker is exposed to noise is an example of this control.
Answer: What are Administrative Controls?
What does OSHA stand for?
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Ergonomic hazards like repetitive motion or awkward postures can lead to these types of injuries to muscles, nerves, and joints.
Answer: What are Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)?
This dangerous motion occurs where two parts move toward each other, such as a belt moving over a pulley.
Answer: What is a Nip Point?
This device is a moveable barrier that must be closed before the machine can function.
Answer: What is a Gate?
Replacing a highly toxic chemical with a less dangerous one is known as this.
Answer: What is Substitution?