Self-Test A-1.2: Describe Short-term Hazards in the Trades

Complete Self-Test A-1.2 and check your answers.

1. Pointing an air hose at another person should be considered (select the best response):
   1. Safe in most cases
   2. Extremely dangerous
   3. Okay if the other person agrees
   4. Common practice in some shops
2. What is the maximum trench depth that a worker can work in before shoring or sloping is required?
   1. 3 ft (0.914 m)
   2. 4 ft (1.2 m)
   3. 5 ft (1.52 m)
   4. 20 ft (6.10 m)
3. What is an alternative to shoring to ensure a trench wall will not cave in?
   1. Install guardrails to WCB specifications
   2. Cover the trench when it is not occupied
   3. Keep a pump running to remove groundwater
   4. Slope the sides of the trench
4. Which of the following is a danger associated with confined-space work areas?
   1. Has no means of entry
   2. Too small to work in
   3. Limited amount of ventilation
   4. May be entered by untrained employees
5. Which of the following is the best and simplest way to avoid slips, trips, and falls?
   1. Avoid winter work
   2. Proper housekeeping
   3. Always work sitting down
   4. Tie off to an engineered anchor point
6. What is your best course of action if you notice a trip hazard?
   1. Remove it
   2. Walk around it
   3. Report it to your supervisor
   4. Watch to see if someone else notices it
7. How would you best describe a short-term hazard?
   1. Hazard for young workers
   2. Hazard for part-time workers
   3. Hazard that is immediate and can be remedied quickly
   4. Hazard that will soon be assessed for safety by a co-worker
8. Which of the following best defines the term excavation?
   1. Larger than normal trench
   2. Diesel powered mobile equipment
   3. Removal of ground materials for an installation or repair
   4. Collapse of naturally occurring caverns or spaces in the ground
9. Your task is to install and bed a 300-m run of a 200-mm water main, 2 m underground in loose, sandy soil. What is your best option for protection from a cave-in?
   1. Quick shovel
   2. Hydro shoring
   3. Hydraulic shoring
   4. Single trench box
10. Which of the following best defines the term angle of repose?
    1. Watchful eye of the site superintendent
    2. Slope with a rise of three units and a run of four units
    3. Natural slope formed when excavated material is piled
    4. Distance from the edge of a trench box to the edge of the trench
11. A trench is too wide for prefabricated shoring. What is the best solution?
    1. Angle of repose
    2. Hydraulic shoring
    3. Excavation netting
    4. Timber and plank shoring
12. An unshored trench must be sloped flatter than which of the following?
    1. 90 degrees
    2. Excavator
    3. Angle of repose
    4. Hydraulic shoring used
13. Which of the following would not be considered a confined space?
    1. Bilge hold
    2. Wheat silo
    3. Peanut butter vat
    4. Mechanical room
14. A confined space is considered safe for human occupation.
    1. True
    2. False
15. Always assume if your workspace was deemed safe yesterday, it is safe today.
    1. True
    2. False
16. Which of the following represents the lowest amperage at which electric shock can be fatal?
    1. 50 mA
    2. 5 A
    3. 50 A
    4. 500 A
17. What device is intended to protect the user from shock hazard?
    1. Multimeter
    2. Circuit breaker
    3. Ground fault circuit interrupter
    4. Trouble light
18. Your co-worker has become a part of an electric circuit and is being shocked. What is the best first option for helping him?
    1. Call 911.
    2. De-energize the circuit.
    3. Separate him from the circuit with your hands.
    4. Separate him from the circuit with a broom handle.
19. Low-pressure compressed air is excellent for removing sawdust from hands and boots.
    1. True
    2. False
20. The majority of body heat loss can occur from the head.
    1. True
    2. False
21. What happens to heat loss when your body is immersed in water?
    1. Very similar to wind chill
    2. Greatest in the hands and feet
    3. Radiated away at a slower rate than wind chill
    4. Conducted away around 25 times faster than in cold air

Answer Key: Self-Test A-1.2 is on the other page.