Safety Quiz

Take Our Safety Quiz

1. What work does the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights conduct in the legislative branch?
   • A. Fixes building code violations
   • B. Administers and ensures the integrity of the Congressional Accountability Act through its programs of education, dispute resolution, safety and health, public accessibility, and labor-management relations
   • C. Writes laws about electrical and fire code
   • D. All of the above
2. What is a “staging area” or “area of refuge”?
   • A. A predetermined space located by elevator lobbies for use by disabled individuals where they can wait for firefighters or police officers to safely escort them out of the building
   • B. An enclosed space protected from heat and smoke
   • C. A place inside, usually the lobby, where emergency officials gather to make plans
3. “Not An Exit” signs are important.
   • A. True
   • B. False
4. How long is it okay to use an extension cord, according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations?
   • A. Indefinitely
   • B. Six months
   • C. For up to a maximum of 90 days and may not be used to permanently energize equipment
5. What is a common violation identified during OCWR health and safety inspections?
   • A. Electrical panels being blocked by stored objects, furniture, etc.
   • B. Annunciators (emergency communication systems) not being reset after use or not being maintained
   • C. Multiple kitchen appliances utilizing and overloading one power strip/surge protector
   • D. Missing covers and exposed wires on electrical equipment
   • E. All of the above
6. Why is it a bad idea to store boxes in a hallway during a move or a renovation?
   • A. Important safety devices such as fire extinguishers, automated external defibrillator (AED) wall-mounted units, some escape masks, and fire alarm pull stations could be blocked
   • B. Emergency exits could be obstructed
   • C. The boxes may prevent people in wheelchairs from passing safely during evacuation or other emergency. A wheelchair needs at least 36-inch clearance.
   • D. All of the above
7. For an ergonomically correct desk setup, your keyboard should be at a slightly downward angle so that your elbows can fall relaxed at each side and your wrists should not be bent to either side or up and down when typing.
   • A. True
   • B. False
8. Mold can grow on
   • A. Food
   • B. Wood
   • C. Paper
   • D. Water
   • E. All of the above
9. You don’t need to wear safety gloves when cleaning up a broken compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulb.
   • A. True
   • B. False
10. The minimum vertical clearance between sprinklers and stored material should be
    • A. 28 inches
    • B. 18 inches
    • C. 12 inches
    • D. 8 inches

Answer Key

1. B. The OCWR is an independent, nonpartisan office, serving over 30,000 employees of the legislative branch. The mission of the OCWR is to advance workplace rights, safety and health, and accessibility in the legislative branch.
2. A. If you need assistance from the staging area (also known as an area of refuge), use the phone or emergency call button located in the area of refuge to contact the United States Capitol Police or inform your floor warden.
3. True. Doors that may be mistaken for an exit should be marked to avoid confusion.
4. C. Any extension cord used to permanently energize equipment is considered a hazard by OSHA. To solve the problem, you might simply replace the extension cord with a power strip that is plugged directly into an outlet. Desks and equipment could be moved so they are closer to existing outlets, or additional outlets may need to be installed by a qualified electrician.
5. E. All of the above. To eliminate commonly identified hazards, read the OCWR’s Common Office Safety Hazards document.
6. D. All of the above. For more information, see the OSH Fast Fact on Housekeeping: Maintaining a Safe, Clean Workplace.
7. True. For more information, see the OCWR Ergonomic Outreach Program.
8. E. All of the above. The key to controlling mold growth is to control the excess moisture it needs to live. In your office, if moisture is visible on walls or windowsills, or brown spots appear on walls or ceilings, report your observations to your building representative. For more information, see the OSH Fast Fact on Indoor Air Quality: Mold.
9. False. When a CFL is broken, wear chemical and cut-resistant gloves to protect your skin from absorbing mercury and from getting cut by the glass. The remains can be disposed of as normal waste, because the amount of mercury is small.
10. B. Boxes, storage, etc. within 18 inches of a sprinkler head can affect the ability of the sprinkler to extinguish a fire.