Free Occupational Hygiene and Safety Technician® (OHST®) exam Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the Occupational Hygiene and Safety Technician® (OHST®) exam practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1A site had 6 recordable cases and 300,000 employee hours worked in one year. What is its incidence rate per 100 full-time workers?

   1. A. 2.0 cases
   2. B. 4.0 cases
   3. C. 6.0 cases
   4. D. 9.0 cases

   Answer: B

   Explanation: OSHA gives the formula "(Number of injuries and illnesses X 200,000) / Employee hours worked = Incidence rate." Thus 6 × 200,000 ÷ 300,000 = 4.0.

   Reference: OSHA Clarification on Incidence Rate Calculations — Response, paragraphs 2–6

2. 2After a safety and health program is established, what should its initial evaluation verify?

   1. A. That it is being implemented as intended
   2. B. That no future incidents can occur
   3. C. That every worker has the same job duties
   4. D. That annual injury rates are zero

   Answer: A

   Explanation: The initial evaluation checks implementation, as OSHA says: "Once a safety and health program is established, it should be evaluated initially to verify that it is being implemented as intended."

   Reference: OSHA Safety Management: Program Evaluation and Improvement — Program Evaluation and Improvement, opening paragraph

3. 3Which control removes a workplace hazard at its source?

   1. A. Elimination
   2. B. Substitution
   3. C. Engineering control
   4. D. Personal protective equipment

   Answer: A

   Explanation: NIOSH states "Elimination removes the hazard at the source." The other control levels alter materials, isolate workers, or change practices.

   Reference: NIOSH Hierarchy of Controls — Elimination

4. 4For a worker with varying noise levels through a shift, which instrument best assesses personal noise exposure over time?

   1. A. Personal noise dosimeter
   2. B. Area sound level meter
   3. C. Light meter
   4. D. Airflow meter

   Answer: A

   Explanation: NIOSH says "Use personal noise dosimeters to best assess a worker's personal noise exposure." They integrate changing sound levels over time.

   Reference: NIOSH Understand Noise Exposure — Understand exposure, instruments

5. 5Which reporting instruction belongs in an OSHA emergency action plan for a fire discovered by an employee?

   1. A. Use the plan's procedure to report the fire or emergency
   2. B. Wait to report until the evacuation headcount is finished
   3. C. Report the event only when an outside responder asks
   4. D. Treat the fire alarm as a substitute for any reporting procedure

   Answer: A

   Explanation: OSHA requires "Procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency;" The plan must describe the reporting method, rather than leave reporting to an improvised later step.

   Reference: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38 Emergency Action Plans — 29 CFR 1910.38(c)(1)

6. 6Before designing safety instruction for workers with varied experience, what should a needs assessment identify?

   1. A. Only existing job titles and shift assignments
   2. B. Participants' knowledge, experience, and learning needs
   3. C. Only the instructor's knowledge of the topic
   4. D. Only the prior course's attendance count

   Answer: B

   Explanation: OSHA says needs assessments can reveal the population's "knowledge, experience, learning styles, reading and writing skills, and interests." The learner profile informs suitable training.

   Reference: OSHA Resource for Development and Delivery of Training to Workers — Overview of Best Practices for Training Adults, page 4

7. 7When professional duties create pressure to prioritize a client's schedule over an unaddressed serious hazard, what does BCSP's Code place paramount?

   1. A. The client's schedule
   2. B. The safety and health of people
   3. C. The project's publicity
   4. D. The lowest immediate cost

   Answer: B

   Explanation: BCSP directs status holders to hold paramount "the safety and health of people, the protection of the environment and of property" in professional duties. A schedule cannot displace that priority.

   Reference: BCSP Code of Ethics — BCSP Code of Ethics, Standard 1

8. 8In OSHA's annual injury and illness incidence-rate formula, what does the 200,000-hour constant represent?

   1. A. The hours worked by 100 employees at 40 hours weekly for 50 weeks
   2. B. The hours worked by 50 employees at 40 hours weekly for 50 weeks
   3. C. The minimum annual hours before an employer may compute a rate
   4. D. The hours worked by one employee over a 100-year career

   Answer: A

   Explanation: OSHA states, "The 200,000 figure in the formula represents the number of hours 100 employees working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year would work." It standardizes the rate to 100 full-time workers.

   Reference: OSHA Clarification on Incidence Rate Calculations — Response, paragraphs 2–6

9. 9A program evaluation finds a recurring weakness. What does OSHA's improvement cycle call for after making an adjustment?

   1. A. Freeze the original indicator
   2. B. Monitor how the adjusted program performs
   3. C. Postpone all further worker input
   4. D. Measure only the next injury count

   Answer: B

   Explanation: OSHA says employers and workers "should make adjustments and monitor how well the program performs as a result." The adjustment needs a follow-up performance check.

   Reference: OSHA Safety Management: Program Evaluation and Improvement — Program Evaluation and Improvement, opening paragraph

10. 10Replacing a hazardous solvent with a safer product is which level of the hierarchy of controls?

    1. A. Engineering control
    2. B. Substitution
    3. C. Administrative control
    4. D. Personal protective equipment

    Answer: B

    Explanation: NIOSH defines substitution as "using a safer alternative to the source of the hazard." The original material is replaced rather than merely contained.

    Reference: NIOSH Hierarchy of Controls — Substitution