Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET)

Correct: Implementing a mandatory tagging system and a centralized registry is a proactive administrative control that directly addresses the failure in the inspection cycle. By verifying competent person certifications and inspection dates before work begins, the organization ensures that the equipment meets the safety requirements of CSA Z259 and the bank’s OHSMS, effectively managing the risk of equipment failure.

Incorrect: Increasing spot checks by security personnel focuses on behavioral compliance rather than the technical integrity of the equipment. Requiring liability waivers is a risk transfer strategy that does not mitigate the actual physical hazard or fulfill the employer’s duty of care under OHS regulations. Replacing contractor equipment with bank-owned gear is often impractical, shifts the maintenance liability entirely to the bank without necessarily improving the inspection process, and does not address the underlying management system failure.

Takeaway: A robust OHSMS requires systematic verification and documentation of equipment inspections to ensure that fall protection systems remain reliable and compliant with safety standards.

Correct: Under WHMIS 2015 (GHS) and standard OHSMS protocols, any hazardous product decanted into a secondary container that is not used immediately by the person who decanted it must have a workplace label. This label must include the product identifier (name), information for safe handling (precautionary measures), and a statement that an SDS is available. This is a mandatory administrative control that cannot be bypassed by worker experience or restricted access.

Incorrect: Updating the risk matrix to ignore a regulatory requirement based on seniority is a failure of the HIRAC process as it does not mitigate the hazard for new employees or emergency responders. Posting a master index is a helpful supplement but does not meet the legal requirement for individual container labeling. Labeling with only the name and date is insufficient under GHS standards, which require specific safety information and SDS references on workplace labels.

Takeaway: Workplace labels on secondary containers are a mandatory administrative control in an OHSMS and must provide specific safety information regardless of worker familiarity or restricted access.

Correct: In a Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS), regulatory compliance and worker safety depend on two critical pillars: equipment integrity and emergency response. Safety standards (such as CSA Z259 in Canada) require that PFAS equipment be inspected by a competent person at least annually and that a written rescue plan be in place. A rescue plan is vital because a worker suspended in a harness is at immediate risk of suspension trauma, which can lead to orthostatic intolerance and death if not addressed rapidly.

Incorrect: While revising procurement policies addresses the administrative root cause of how the equipment was misclassified, it does not resolve the immediate life-safety risks of uninspected gear or the lack of rescue protocols. Transitioning to fall restraint is a valid application of the hierarchy of controls, but it is not always technically feasible for all tasks and does not rectify the non-compliance of the existing PFAS. Increasing audit frequency is a monitoring control that identifies problems but does not implement the specific safety measures required by occupational health and safety regulations.

Takeaway: A valid PFAS program must include documented inspections by a competent person and a site-specific rescue plan to mitigate the risk of suspension trauma.

Correct: In accordance with CSA W117.2 (Safety in welding, cutting, and allied processes) and standard hot work practices, a fire watch is essential for a duration (typically 30 to 60 minutes) after work ends to detect smoldering fires. Additionally, protecting the building’s indoor air quality by isolating or filtering HVAC intakes is a critical engineering control to prevent the distribution of hazardous welding fumes, such as manganese or hexavalent chromium, to the bank’s occupants.

Incorrect: Using a Shade 5 lens for arc welding is insufficient and would lead to ocular damage; arc welding typically requires Shade 10 to 14. While Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are necessary, ‘generic’ versions are insufficient for specific alloy risks, and fire extinguishers should generally be within 35 feet (10.7 meters) of hot work, not 50 feet. A combustible gas indicator (CGI) is primarily used to detect explosive atmospheres (LEL), not oxygen levels, and is less critical in an open-air environment compared to fire surveillance and fume mitigation.

Takeaway: Effective hot work management requires a combination of post-task fire surveillance and proactive engineering controls to protect building occupants from both fire and toxic fume exposure.

Correct: A participatory Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) involves the workers who are most familiar with the tasks, ensuring that subtle hazards are identified. By following this with engineering controls, the organization adheres to the Hierarchy of Controls, which prioritizes physical changes to the environment or equipment over less effective methods like administrative rules or PPE. This approach directly addresses the root causes of ergonomic strains and slips, fulfilling the OHSMS requirement for continuous improvement and proactive risk management.

Incorrect: Focusing solely on PPE and audits is less effective because PPE is the lowest level of the hierarchy of controls and does not eliminate the hazard. Increasing disciplinary measures for reporting failures often leads to under-reporting and a poor safety culture rather than addressing the underlying risks. While insurance mitigates financial loss, it is a risk transfer strategy that does not improve the safety of the work environment or reduce the actual occurrence of injuries, which is the primary goal of an OHSMS.

Takeaway: Effective OHSMS improvement relies on engaging workers in hazard identification and prioritizing engineering controls over administrative or protective measures.

Correct: In the hierarchy of controls, engineering controls such as local exhaust ventilation (LEV) are prioritized because they remove the hazard at the source. By capturing VOCs before they reach the worker’s breathing zone, the risk of inhalation is significantly reduced at a systemic level, which is more effective and reliable than relying on administrative measures or personal protective equipment.

Incorrect: Monitoring strategies like area sampling and dosimetry are essential for performance measurement and verification of compliance, but they are reactive and do not actively prevent exposure. Mandating respirators is a lower-tier control in the hierarchy and should only be used when engineering controls are not feasible or as a temporary measure, as it relies on individual compliance and proper fit. General dilution ventilation is less effective than source capture because it allows the contaminant to disperse throughout the workspace, potentially exposing a larger number of employees to lower concentrations rather than eliminating the exposure at the point of origin.

Takeaway: Engineering controls that capture air contaminants at the source are the most effective preventive measure in the hierarchy of controls for managing air quality.

Correct: In the context of OHSMS auditing, the most reliable evidence for operational control is obtained through a combination of observation and interviews. Observing the lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures provides direct evidence of the control’s application, while interviews verify that the personnel are competent and understand the specific requirements of the 2023 safety manual updates, ensuring the ‘Check’ phase of the PDCA cycle is robust.

Incorrect: Reviewing digital logs is a form of document review that confirms task completion but does not verify if safety protocols were followed during those tasks. Requesting a signed attestation is a weak form of testimonial evidence that does not prove actual compliance or understanding. Comparing previous audit findings is a retrospective administrative exercise that fails to validate the current operational effectiveness of new controls in the high-voltage environment.

Takeaway: Effective OHSMS audit execution requires the triangulation of evidence through document review, physical observation, and personnel interviews to confirm that controls are both implemented and understood.

Correct: In the high-risk environment of underground mining, mine rescue teams must maintain a high level of physical and technical proficiency. Monthly hands-on training is a standard industry expectation to ensure skills remain sharp for low-frequency, high-consequence events. Furthermore, conducting a full-scale simulation at least annually is critical for testing the integration of communication, logistics, and technical rescue skills within the actual environment where they will be deployed, as required by most Canadian mining jurisdictions.

Incorrect: Quarterly theoretical training is insufficient because mine rescue requires physical mastery of complex equipment and maneuvers that cannot be sustained through classroom work alone. Relying solely on mutual aid is a significant risk and often a regulatory violation, as internal teams must be the first line of defense. Bi-annual equipment inspections, while necessary, do not address the critical deficiency in personnel competency and response coordination identified in the scenario.

Takeaway: Effective mine rescue readiness requires a combination of frequent hands-on training and regular full-scale simulations to validate both personnel competency and the overall emergency response framework.

Correct: In the context of a Canadian OHSMS, the SDS is a foundational element of the Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Control (HIRAC) process. Under WHMIS 2015 (GHS alignment), the CRSP must ensure that SDSs are not only present but are the most current versions available from the supplier. They provide the technical basis for developing safe work procedures and selecting appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Incorrect: The suggestion that filing documents in a registry fulfills the duty to inform is incorrect because WHMIS regulations require SDSs to be readily accessible to workers in their work areas. The claim that an SDS replaces a site-specific JHA is incorrect because an SDS provides product-specific data, whereas a JHA evaluates the interaction between the product, the specific task, the environment, and the worker. The statement regarding the 16-section format being optional is false; the 16-section GHS format is a mandatory requirement under WHMIS 2015 for all suppliers and manufacturers.

Takeaway: Safety Data Sheets are dynamic technical tools essential for risk assessment and must be kept current and readily accessible to all workers to maintain a compliant OHSMS.

Correct: According to the hierarchy of controls, the most effective way to manage risk is to eliminate the hazard or isolate the worker from it. Relocating the welding task to a designated, controlled environment (a permanent welding shop) effectively removes the ignition source from the hazardous area containing flammable byproducts. This is a higher-level control than administrative procedures or personal protective equipment.

Incorrect: Implementing a hot work permit and fire watch are administrative controls which, while necessary for in situ work, rely on human behavior and are lower on the hierarchy of controls. Using flame-resistant blankets is an engineering/isolation control, but it is less effective than moving the work to a safe zone entirely. Selecting respiratory protection is the least effective control as it is PPE and only protects the individual wearer without addressing the fire or explosion risk to the facility.

Takeaway: The highest priority in welding safety is to apply the hierarchy of controls by attempting to move the work to a designated safe area before relying on administrative permits or PPE.