Deck 6: Chemical and Biological Agents

Question 1

Bruce Hsieh has a job servicing office printers and copiers in downtown Vancouver. According to recent research, what occupational disease may he be at higher risk of acquiring than his brother who is a zookeeper?

A) chlamydiae
B) salmonella
C) streptococcus
D) MCS

Answer 1

MCS

Question 2

In the lab, HIV (I and II) requires the same level of control as what other biohazard?

A) rabies
B) hepatitis
C) legionella
D) tick-borne encephalitis

Answer 2

rabies

Question 3

Through what physiological system would poison ivy have an effect on gardeners and agricultural workers?

A) nervous system
B) immune system
C) respiratory system
D) metabolic system

Answer 3

immune system

Question 4

Evan is the OH&S manager for a research lab that has Biosafety Level 1 (BSL 1) organisms. What does he need to do to protect himself from these type of organisms?

A) wash his hands before he eats lunch at work
B) put in a separate lunchroom/restroom for lab workers
C) make sure his office is on a different ventilation system
D) make sure the lab has a negative pressure environment

Question 5

The carbon monoxide detector suddenly goes off in the car dealership's administration offices due to leaking fumes from the automotive service area. What type of toxicity should the dealership manager be concerned about for his office workers?

A) acute toxicity
B) local toxicity
C) chronic toxicity
D) systemic toxicity

Question 6

What toxic substance is most likely to produce dermatitis?

A) sensitizer
B) mutagen
C) teratogen
D) contact irritant

Question 7

If Julia has developed a work-related occupational disease involving the central nervous system, what organic compound is mostly likely to be the cause?

A) glycols
B) esters
C) ketones
D) hydrocarbons

Question 8

What is the recommended remedy for occupational asthma (e.g. crab asthma experienced by the snow crab workers in Newfoundland)?

A) transferring to a different job in the same plant
B) changing to employment in another industry
C) taking asthma medication via a bronchial inhalator "puffer"
D) taking antihistamine medication (e.g. Benadryl, Claritin)

Question 9

By which four routes can chemicals enter the body?

A) respiration, inhalation, skin absorption, and skin penetration
B) ingestion, skin penetration, inhalation, and lungs
C) respiration, skin absorption, skin penetration, and ingestion
D) lungs, nose, skin absorption, and ingestion

Question 10

What characteristic of a solvent is related to its speed of evaporation?

A) surface tension
B) flammability
C) volatility
D) vaporization

Question 11

Which of the following is most likely to create a synergistic effect with airborne chemicals in a manufacturing plant?

A) the other chemicals used in the plant
B) inadequate safety training
C) inconsistent use of respirators
D) the plant being located in a valley

Question 12

Rafael has worked in a metal processing facility for six months and believes he has suffered toxic exposure to chromic acid. What symptom would help his doctor assess this claim?

A) irritated eyes
B) changes to his skin
C) difficulty breathing
D) loss of feeling in fingertips

Question 13

What is the difference between a fume and a vapour?

A) vapours are lighter in colour
B) fumes come from the evaporation of solids
C) vapours come from the evaporation of liquids
D) the material in a fume condenses with air contact

Question 14

The Globally Harmonized System is a system that would establish consistency around in world in terms of what?

A) the purchase and control of biological agents
B) specifying the toxicity levels of chemical agents
C) dealing with epidemics due to biological agents
D) classification and labelling of chemical products

Question 15

Employees with diabetes and other conditions often need to inject themselves at work to keep their condition under control. What is an administrative control that the human resource management department can implement to protect everyone from needlestick injuries?

A) install "sharps" disposal bins in restrooms
B) provide education and training to all employees
C) ask these employees to inject themselves in an off-site location
D) change work schedules, so they can inject at home before and after work

Question 16

Sanjay is looking forward to his new job as a Conservation Officer working at Point Pelee National Park. What disease is he at higher risk for when working at Point Pelee and how can he protect himself?

A) rabies; report wild animals acting strangely
B) tick-borne encephalitis; wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts
C) Lyme disease; use insect repellant containing DEET
D) brucellosis; make sure cuts on hands/arms are covered

Question 17

Besides record keeping, what control measure ensures that baseline tests will be available when needed?

A) medical surveillance
B) engineering controls
C) work practices
D) good housekeeping

Question 18

What type of biological agents, which if inhaled, can cause occupational diseases in farmworkers?

A) bacterial
B) viruses
C) chlamydiae
D) fungal

Question 19

What size is the typical airborne particle found in fumes and smoke?

A) 1000 microns
B) 100 microns
C) 10 microns
D) less than 1 micron

Question 20

Rob's doctor has told him that his alveoli are seriously damaged. In what shape are his cilia likely to be?

A) undamaged
B) slightly damaged
C) severely damaged
D) completely destroyed

Question 21

Read the following scenario and answer questions.
Custodial staff (also known as janitors or cleaners) are the unsung heroes of the workplace. Going about their work while many of us are in bed, they deal with a whole host of situations that bring them into contact with a wide range of chemical and biological agents. They are exposed to residues left in the air and on surfaces from manufacturing processes, from service operations, and from human excretions (sweat, body oils, from sneezing, and so on). While employees of the firms that they service receive training about specific chemical and biological hazards, the custodial staff is often unaware of some of the hazards that they may encounter.
Custodial staff are exposed to aerosols through the cleaning products they use and as a by-product of mechanical and human activity at each workplace where they clean. What is the part of the respiratory system that is spiral shaped and could be protected from aerosols by wearing a face mask?

A) cilia
B) alveoli
C) turbinates
D) macrophages

Question 22

Hearing loss can be caused by exposure to chemicals in the workplace.

Question 23

The main route of entry for biological agents is through ingestion or penetration.

Question 24

Read the following scenario and answer questions.
Custodial staff (also known as janitors or cleaners) are the unsung heroes of the workplace. Going about their work while many of us are in bed, they deal with a whole host of situations that bring them into contact with a wide range of chemical and biological agents. They are exposed to residues left in the air and on surfaces from manufacturing processes, from service operations, and from human excretions (sweat, body oils, from sneezing, and so on). While employees of the firms that they service receive training about specific chemical and biological hazards, the custodial staff is often unaware of some of the hazards that they may encounter.
Custodial staff may be at more risk of acquiring an illness/injury from acute, rather than ambient, exposure to a chemical or biological agent. How would the cleaning manager know if it was an acute exposure?

A) The cleaner had not worked at that location before.
B) The cleaner could not continue working that day.
C) The cleaner had to go to the hospital right away.
D) The cleaner could not return to work for a week.

Question 25

Organic solvents fall into two classes-acids and bases.

Question 26

Most of the negative effects of chemical exposure are derived from airborne respiratory contaminants known as aerosols.

Question 27

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is also known as twenty-first century disease.

Question 28

Read the following scenario and answer questions.
Custodial staff (also known as janitors or cleaners) are the unsung heroes of the workplace. Going about their work while many of us are in bed, they deal with a whole host of situations that bring them into contact with a wide range of chemical and biological agents. They are exposed to residues left in the air and on surfaces from manufacturing processes, from service operations, and from human excretions (sweat, body oils, from sneezing, and so on). While employees of the firms that they service receive training about specific chemical and biological hazards, the custodial staff is often unaware of some of the hazards that they may encounter.
What two food-related biohazards could cause custodial staff to fall victim to food poisoning if they do not have a way to properly store the food they brought from home for their meal break at 3 a.m.

A) ricksettia and brucellosis
B) brucellosis and salmonellosis
C) staphylococcus and ricksettia
D) salmonellosis and staphylococcus

Question 29

Exposure to toxic gases can produce acute and systemic toxicity.

Question 30

Requiring workers to work overtime on a regular basis could produce a synergistic effect.

Question 31

Read the following scenario and answer questions.
Custodial staff (also known as janitors or cleaners) are the unsung heroes of the workplace. Going about their work while many of us are in bed, they deal with a whole host of situations that bring them into contact with a wide range of chemical and biological agents. They are exposed to residues left in the air and on surfaces from manufacturing processes, from service operations, and from human excretions (sweat, body oils, from sneezing, and so on). While employees of the firms that they service receive training about specific chemical and biological hazards, the custodial staff is often unaware of some of the hazards that they may encounter.
What characteristic of chlorinated solvents could ultimately result in liver problems from cleaners?

A) acidity
B) alkalinity
C) fat-solubility
D) low surface tension

Question 32

No toxicity data is available for about 80% of the chemicals that are used commercially.

Question 33

People most at risk of exposure to biohazards are employed in unique or specialized jobs, such as medicine, research, and farming.

Question 34

Toxicity is the main determinant of assessing the potential degree of seriousness of a chemical hazard.