Hotel Housekeeping Course (Room Attendant) (US): Safe work: body mechanics, slips, sharps and panic buttons

1. Question 1 of 16

   Under OSHA, what must your employer keep the workplace free from?

   • AUnion information
   • BKnown safety and health hazards
   • CAny overtime
   • DAll guest complaints
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   Answer: B. Known safety and health hazards

   OSHA says employers must keep the workplace free from known safety and health hazards.

2. Question 2 of 16

   In what language do you have the right to receive safety training?

   • AThe language your manager prefers
   • BThe language of the hotel's owner
   • CA language you understand
   • DEnglish only
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   Answer: C. A language you understand

   OSHA says workers have the right to training in a language they understand.

3. Question 3 of 16

   How long do you have to file an OSHA retaliation complaint?

   • AOne year
   • BSeven days
   • CThere is no time limit
   • D30 days from the retaliation
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   Answer: D. 30 days from the retaliation

   OSHA says a retaliation complaint must be filed within 30 days.

4. Question 4 of 16

   Which is a risk factor for strain injuries named by OSHA?

   • AAwkward postures and repetitive tasks
   • BWorking in a quiet hallway
   • CUsing color-coded cloths
   • DWearing a name badge
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   Answer: A. Awkward postures and repetitive tasks

   OSHA lists lifting, bending, reaching overhead, pushing and pulling, awkward postures and repetition as risk factors.

5. Question 5 of 16

   Which NIOSH-listed activities cause musculoskeletal disorders in hotel cleaners?

   • ABending, pushing carts and making beds
   • BAnswering phones and typing
   • CDriving shuttle buses
   • DCooking breakfast
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   Answer: A. Bending, pushing carts and making beds

   NIOSH names bending, pushing carts and making beds as causes of musculoskeletal disorders in hotel cleaners.

6. Question 6 of 16

   What is a better way to scrub a bathtub than kneeling and leaning in?

   • AScrubbing faster with one hand
   • BUsing more bleach
   • CUsing a long-handled scrub brush
   • DStanding on the tub rim
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   Answer: C. Using a long-handled scrub brush

   Long-handled tools reduce bending, kneeling and reaching.

7. Question 7 of 16

   Why does OSHA encourage reporting strain symptoms early?

   • AEarly reports lower your pay
   • BProblems can be fixed before they become serious injuries
   • CSupervisors need reports to schedule breaks
   • DIt is only needed when you plan to file a workers' comp claim
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   Answer: B. Problems can be fixed before they become serious injuries

   OSHA says early reporting speeds up job improvements and can prevent serious injuries.

8. Question 8 of 16

   A cart is very hard to push because of a bad wheel. What should you do?

   • APull it behind you instead
   • BReport it and ask for a working cart
   • CLoad it more to make it steady
   • DKeep using it until it breaks
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Report it and ask for a working cart

   Carts that are hard to move add strain; report them.

9. Question 9 of 16

   What does Cal/OSHA's hotel housekeeping rule (Title 8, section 3345) require lodging employers to have?

   • AA rule limiting each housekeeper to five rooms per shift and one floor
   • BA ban on all chemical cleaners
   • CA written musculoskeletal injury prevention program for housekeepers
   • DA nurse on every floor
   Show answer

   Answer: C. A written musculoskeletal injury prevention program for housekeepers

   Section 3345 requires a written musculoskeletal injury prevention program for housekeepers, with task evaluations and training.

10. Question 10 of 16

    What does OSHA's walking-working surfaces rule require for workroom floors?

    • AKept clean and, where possible, dry
    • BCarpeted in every area
    • CWaxed weekly
    • DInspected only once a year
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    Answer: A. Kept clean and, where possible, dry

    29 CFR 1910.22 requires floors to be kept clean and, to the extent feasible, dry, and free of hazards such as spills.

11. Question 11 of 16

    You need to reach the top of a tall mirror. What should you do?

    • AClimb on a desk chair
    • BStand on the toilet lid
    • CUse an extension tool or proper step stool
    • DStand on the tub rim
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    Answer: C. Use an extension tool or proper step stool

    Never stand on fixtures or furniture; use the right tool.

12. Question 12 of 16

    You find a used syringe in the bed sheets. What do you do?

    • AWrap it tightly in the sheet and send it to the laundry so they can dispose of it safely
    • BPick it up carefully with gloved fingers
    • CRecap it, then throw it in the trash
    • DPick it up with tongs, place it in a sharps container without recapping, and report it
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    Answer: D. Pick it up with tongs, place it in a sharps container without recapping, and report it

    Use tongs, never fingers, do not recap, use a puncture-resistant container and report the find.

13. Question 13 of 16

    A needle sticks you while emptying trash. What should you do?

    • APut a bandage on it and tell no one
    • BWait a week to see if you feel sick
    • CFinish your section, wash your hands, and report it to your supervisor at the end of your shift
    • DFlood the area with water, clean the wound, report it and get medical attention right away
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    Answer: D. Flood the area with water, clean the wound, report it and get medical attention right away

    OSHA advises flooding the area with water, cleaning the wound, reporting to the employer and seeking immediate medical attention.

14. Question 14 of 16

    In Washington State, what must hotels and motels give housekeepers who work alone most of the time?

    • AA panic button
    • BA personal security guard
    • CA master key to every floor
    • DA company car
    Show answer

    Answer: A. A panic button

    Washington's law requires hotels and motels to provide a panic button to each housekeeper or room service attendant who works alone most of the time.

15. Question 15 of 16

    Under Seattle's hotel employee safety ordinance, what may a worker who was harassed by a guest ask for?

    • AA copy of the guest's credit card details
    • BTo keep the guest's belongings
    • CAn unpaid day off as a penalty for reporting
    • DTo be reassigned away from that guest
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    Answer: D. To be reassigned away from that guest

    Seattle's ordinance lets a worker who suffered violent or harassing guest conduct be reassigned away from that guest if they wish.

16. Question 16 of 16

    Which statement about panic button rules in the US is correct?

    • AOnly hotels with pools must provide them
    • BThere is no single federal law; some states and cities, such as Washington State and Seattle, require them
    • CThey are banned in guest rooms
    • DA federal OSHA standard requires them in every hotel
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    Answer: B. There is no single federal law; some states and cities, such as Washington State and Seattle, require them

    Panic button requirements come from state and local laws, so rules vary by location.

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