NEWEST SAFETY MANAGEMENT
PROFESSIONAL (SMP) EXAM OFFERED BY
BOARD OF CERTIFIED SAFETY
PROFESSIONALS | COMPLETE EXAM Q&A
WITH RATIONALES
1. A safety manager is implementing a new safety
management system based on ANSI/ASSP Z10.
Which element is considered the foundation of the
Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle in this standard?
A) Hazard identification and risk assessment
B) Management leadership and employee
participation
C) Auditing and corrective action
D) Training and communication
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Management leadership and employee
participation is the foundation of ANSI Z10 (and
similar systems like ISO 45001). It sets the policy,
resources, and commitment from top management.
2. A safety professional is calculating the total
recordable incident rate (TRIR) for a facility with 200
employees who worked a total of 400,000 hours.
,There were 12 recordable injuries (8 with days away
from work, 4 without). What is the TRIR?
A) 4.0
B) 6.0
C) 8.0
D) 10.0
Correct answer: B
Rationale: TRIR = (Number of recordable injuries x
200,000) / total hours worked = (12 x 200,000) /
400,000 = 12/2 = 6.0.
3. A safety manager is conducting a risk assessment
using a 5x5 matrix (Likelihood 1-5, Severity 1-5). A
hazard has a likelihood of 3 (possible) and severity of
4 (major injury). What is the risk level, and what
action is typically required?
A) 7 (Low) – monitor
B) 10 (Medium) – assign responsibility
C) 12 (High) – implement controls within a defined
timeline
D) 20 (Extreme) – stop work immediately
Correct answer: C
,Rationale: Risk = 3 x 4 = 12. Typically, 12 is
considered high risk, requiring mitigation with a
defined timeline.
4. A safety professional is investigating an incident
where a worker was injured when a forklift struck a
pedestrian. The investigation reveals that the
pedestrian was not wearing a high-visibility vest and
the forklift operator did not sound the horn at an
intersection. Which factor is considered a root
cause?
A) Pedestrian not wearing high-visibility vest
B) Forklift operator did not sound horn
C) Lack of training on pedestrian safety and traffic
management
D) Both A and B
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Root causes are underlying system
failures, not immediate actions. Lack of training on
safety procedures, lack of enforcement, or absence
of a traffic management plan are root causes.
5. A safety manager is evaluating the effectiveness of
a safety training program. Which metric is a leading
indicator of training effectiveness?
, A) Number of training hours completed
B) Post-training test scores (knowledge retention)
C) Reduction in incident rates after training
D) Employee satisfaction surveys
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Leading indicators are proactive
measures. Post-training test scores measure
knowledge gained. Reduction in incident rates (C) is
a lagging indicator (reactive).
6. A chemical plant is required to have a Process
Safety Management (PSM) program. Which of the
following is a key component of the PSM standard (29
CFR 1910.119)?
A) Process hazard analysis (PHA)
B) Mechanical integrity
C) Management of change (MOC)
D) All of the above
Correct answer: D
Rationale: PSM has 14 elements including PHA,
Mechanical Integrity, MOC, Operating Procedures,
Training, Employee Participation, etc.
PROFESSIONAL (SMP) EXAM OFFERED BY
BOARD OF CERTIFIED SAFETY
PROFESSIONALS | COMPLETE EXAM Q&A
WITH RATIONALES
1. A safety manager is implementing a new safety
management system based on ANSI/ASSP Z10.
Which element is considered the foundation of the
Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle in this standard?
A) Hazard identification and risk assessment
B) Management leadership and employee
participation
C) Auditing and corrective action
D) Training and communication
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Management leadership and employee
participation is the foundation of ANSI Z10 (and
similar systems like ISO 45001). It sets the policy,
resources, and commitment from top management.
2. A safety professional is calculating the total
recordable incident rate (TRIR) for a facility with 200
employees who worked a total of 400,000 hours.
,There were 12 recordable injuries (8 with days away
from work, 4 without). What is the TRIR?
A) 4.0
B) 6.0
C) 8.0
D) 10.0
Correct answer: B
Rationale: TRIR = (Number of recordable injuries x
200,000) / total hours worked = (12 x 200,000) /
400,000 = 12/2 = 6.0.
3. A safety manager is conducting a risk assessment
using a 5x5 matrix (Likelihood 1-5, Severity 1-5). A
hazard has a likelihood of 3 (possible) and severity of
4 (major injury). What is the risk level, and what
action is typically required?
A) 7 (Low) – monitor
B) 10 (Medium) – assign responsibility
C) 12 (High) – implement controls within a defined
timeline
D) 20 (Extreme) – stop work immediately
Correct answer: C
,Rationale: Risk = 3 x 4 = 12. Typically, 12 is
considered high risk, requiring mitigation with a
defined timeline.
4. A safety professional is investigating an incident
where a worker was injured when a forklift struck a
pedestrian. The investigation reveals that the
pedestrian was not wearing a high-visibility vest and
the forklift operator did not sound the horn at an
intersection. Which factor is considered a root
cause?
A) Pedestrian not wearing high-visibility vest
B) Forklift operator did not sound horn
C) Lack of training on pedestrian safety and traffic
management
D) Both A and B
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Root causes are underlying system
failures, not immediate actions. Lack of training on
safety procedures, lack of enforcement, or absence
of a traffic management plan are root causes.
5. A safety manager is evaluating the effectiveness of
a safety training program. Which metric is a leading
indicator of training effectiveness?
, A) Number of training hours completed
B) Post-training test scores (knowledge retention)
C) Reduction in incident rates after training
D) Employee satisfaction surveys
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Leading indicators are proactive
measures. Post-training test scores measure
knowledge gained. Reduction in incident rates (C) is
a lagging indicator (reactive).
6. A chemical plant is required to have a Process
Safety Management (PSM) program. Which of the
following is a key component of the PSM standard (29
CFR 1910.119)?
A) Process hazard analysis (PHA)
B) Mechanical integrity
C) Management of change (MOC)
D) All of the above
Correct answer: D
Rationale: PSM has 14 elements including PHA,
Mechanical Integrity, MOC, Operating Procedures,
Training, Employee Participation, etc.
