Confined Space: Isolation, lockout and engulfment

All 13 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

1. What is blanking?

   1. Painting a pipe white so it is easy to see from the hatch
   2. Inserting a solid metal plate between two pipe flanges
   3. Turning a valve handle a quarter turn closed
   4. Wrapping a pipe in tape to stop small leaks

2. Why is simply closing a valve not enough to isolate a pipe into a confined space?

   1. Valves only work on water pipes
   2. A valve can leak or be opened by mistake
   3. Closing valves is illegal in Canada
   4. Valves are always made of soft plastic

3. Before entering a grain bin or a tank of liquid, what should be done about the contents?

   1. Add water so the contents become heavier and do not shift
   2. Leave them, since they help keep the space stable underfoot
   3. Remove them, or put a barrier in place to stop them flowing in
   4. Walk on top of the grain to pack it down firmly before working

4. In B.C., what is a blind?

   1. A solid plate on the end of a pipe that has been disconnected
   2. A warning sign placed at the entrance to the space
   3. A valve that cannot be seen from outside the space
   4. A curtain hung across the entrance to keep the light out of it

5. Does every guarded piece of equipment inside a confined space have to be de-energized?

   1. Yes, but only on weekends and holidays
   2. Not always; only if it could endanger a worker
   3. Yes, every piece, even a guarded light inside
   4. No, nothing inside ever needs de-energizing

6. Which hazard does section 14(d) of Ontario's regulation address with free-flowing materials?

   1. Drowning, engulfment, entrapment and suffocation
   2. Slips on wet floors near the entrance only
   3. Noise, vibration and poor lighting inside the space
   4. Sunburn while working at the open hatch

7. An unguarded mixer is inside a tank to be entered. What does Ontario require?

   1. Tell the entrants to stay at least one metre away from the mixer's blades
   2. Run it at its slowest speed so entrants can see it moving
   3. Lock out and tag it, or block it if lockout is not practical
   4. Nothing, as mixers are not considered dangerous equipment

8. Why should work outside a confined space be checked before entry?

   1. Outside work is always noisier than inside work
   2. Outside work can affect safety or air quality inside
   3. Outside workers need to sign the inside entry permit
   4. Outside work must stop for the whole day

9. How must electrical energy that could endanger an entrant be controlled in Ontario?

   1. Covered with a tarp so no one touches it
   2. Left on, but with a warning sign posted on the switch
   3. Disconnected, de-energized, locked out and tagged
   4. Switched off by the operator, with no lock

10. Which forms of hazardous energy must be isolated and locked out before entry?

    1. Only electrical energy, as other forms cannot hurt anyone inside
    2. Electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical and thermal
    3. Only energy from equipment that is newer than five years old or so
    4. Only energy sources located inside the space, never outside it

11. What is a double block and bleed system?

    1. Two pipes joined with a hose so any leak bleeds into a drum
    2. A blank plate fitted with two drain holes drilled through it
    3. Two closed, locked-out valves with a vent locked open between them
    4. One valve closed twice over to be sure it stays shut during the work

12. How does Ontario's regulation first require workers to be protected from hazardous substances entering through piping?

    1. By putting a warning sign on the pipe outside
    2. By asking the plant not to run that line today
    3. By blanking or disconnecting the piping
    4. By closing one valve and hoping it holds tight

13. A single isolating valve is the only barrier against a poisonous gas line. What does the guideline say?

    1. It is adequate, if the valve was tested last year by the maker
    2. It is adequate, as long as the attendant watches the valve
    3. It is not adequate; something like a double block and bleed may be
    4. It is adequate, as long as the valve is painted bright red and tagged