CALIFORNIA CUSTODIAN CERTIFICATION | EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS - UPDATED VERSION -
COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
California Custodian Certification
Q: What does OSHA stand for? ANSWER Occupational Safety and
Health Administration.
Q: What California agency enforces OSHA standards? ANSWER
Cal/OSHA (Division of Occupational Safety and Health).
Q: What does SDS stand for? ANSWER Safety Data Sheet.
Q: Where should SDSs be kept? ANSWER In a readily accessible
location known to all employees.
Q: What is the GHS? ANSWER Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labelling of Chemicals.
Q: What PPE is required when handling corrosive chemicals? ANSWER
Chemical-resistant gloves, goggles, and apron.
Q: What does PPE stand for? ANSWER Personal Protective Equipment.
Q: What is a "Right-to-Know" law? ANSWER A law giving employees
the right to know about chemical hazards in their workplace.
Q: What are Bloodborne Pathogens? ANSWER Infectious
microorganisms in human blood (like HIV and Hepatitis B).
Q: What should you use to clean a blood spill? ANSWER An EPA-
registered disinfectant or a 1:10 bleach solution.
Q: What is an eyewash station used for? ANSWER To flush chemicals
or debris from the eyes.
Q: How long must you flush your eyes at an eyewash station? ANSWER
At least 15 minutes.
,Q: What is the proper way to lift a heavy object? ANSWER Lift with
your legs, keep your back straight, and hold the object close to your
body.
Q: What type of fire extinguisher is used for electrical fires? ANSWER
Class C.
Q: What does NFPA stand for on a fire diamond? ANSWER National
Fire Protection Association.
Q: What does the red section of an NFPA diamond indicate? ANSWER
Flammability.
Q: What does the blue section of an NFPA diamond indicate? ANSWER
Health hazards.
Q: What does the yellow section of an NFPA diamond indicate?
ANSWER Instability/Reactivity.
Q: What does the white section of an NFPA diamond indicate? ANSWER
Special hazards (e.g., water reactive).
Q: When should you use a ladder instead of a chair? ANSWER Always;
chairs are not meant for climbing.
Q: What is the 4-to-1 rule for ladders? ANSWER For every 4 feet of
height, place the base 1 foot away from the wall.
Q: What is a slip hazard? ANSWER A wet or slick surface that can
cause someone to lose their footing.
Q: What is a trip hazard? ANSWER An object or uneven surface that
catches a shoe.
Q: How do you prevent slip hazards when mopping? ANSWER Use wet
floor signs and mop half the hallway at a time.
Q: What is Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)? ANSWER A procedure to ensure
machines are properly shut off and not started up unexpectedly during
maintenance.
Q: Who can remove a Lockout/Tagout device? ANSWER Only the
person who applied it.
Q: What is ergonomics? ANSWER The science of designing the job to fit
the worker to prevent strain injuries.
, Q: How can you reduce ergonomic strain when pushing a mop?
ANSWER Keep the mop handle at waist height and use short strokes.
Q: What should you do if a chemical splashes in your eye? ANSWER Go
immediately to the eyewash station and flush for 15 minutes.
Q: What is a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)? ANSWER The old
term for Safety Data Sheet (SDS).
Category 2: Chemical Handling & Cleaning Science
Q: What is pH? ANSWER A measure of how acidic or alkaline a
substance is.
Q: What is the pH scale range? ANSWER 0 to 14.
Q: What pH is considered neutral? ANSWER 7.
Q: What pH range indicates an acid? ANSWER 0 to 6.9.
Q: What pH range indicates an alkali (base)? ANSWER 7.1 to 14.
Q: What is an example of an acidic cleaner? ANSWER Toilet bowl
cleaner or vinegar.
Q: What is an example of an alkaline cleaner? ANSWER Degreaser or
oven cleaner.
Q: Why should you never mix bleach and ammonia? ANSWER It creates
a highly toxic, potentially fatal gas.
Q: Why should you never mix bleach and acids? ANSWER It creates
toxic chlorine gas.
Q: What is a surfactant? ANSWER A chemical that reduces surface
tension, allowing water and cleaner to spread and penetrate dirt.
Q: What does "dwell time" mean? ANSWER The time a disinfectant
must remain wet on a surface to kill germs.
Q: What is the difference between cleaning and disinfecting? ANSWER
Cleaning removes dirt; disinfecting kills germs.
Q: What is the difference between sanitizing and disinfecting? ANSWER
Sanitizing reduces germs to a safe level; disinfecting kills nearly all
germs.
WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS - UPDATED VERSION -
COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
California Custodian Certification
Q: What does OSHA stand for? ANSWER Occupational Safety and
Health Administration.
Q: What California agency enforces OSHA standards? ANSWER
Cal/OSHA (Division of Occupational Safety and Health).
Q: What does SDS stand for? ANSWER Safety Data Sheet.
Q: Where should SDSs be kept? ANSWER In a readily accessible
location known to all employees.
Q: What is the GHS? ANSWER Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labelling of Chemicals.
Q: What PPE is required when handling corrosive chemicals? ANSWER
Chemical-resistant gloves, goggles, and apron.
Q: What does PPE stand for? ANSWER Personal Protective Equipment.
Q: What is a "Right-to-Know" law? ANSWER A law giving employees
the right to know about chemical hazards in their workplace.
Q: What are Bloodborne Pathogens? ANSWER Infectious
microorganisms in human blood (like HIV and Hepatitis B).
Q: What should you use to clean a blood spill? ANSWER An EPA-
registered disinfectant or a 1:10 bleach solution.
Q: What is an eyewash station used for? ANSWER To flush chemicals
or debris from the eyes.
Q: How long must you flush your eyes at an eyewash station? ANSWER
At least 15 minutes.
,Q: What is the proper way to lift a heavy object? ANSWER Lift with
your legs, keep your back straight, and hold the object close to your
body.
Q: What type of fire extinguisher is used for electrical fires? ANSWER
Class C.
Q: What does NFPA stand for on a fire diamond? ANSWER National
Fire Protection Association.
Q: What does the red section of an NFPA diamond indicate? ANSWER
Flammability.
Q: What does the blue section of an NFPA diamond indicate? ANSWER
Health hazards.
Q: What does the yellow section of an NFPA diamond indicate?
ANSWER Instability/Reactivity.
Q: What does the white section of an NFPA diamond indicate? ANSWER
Special hazards (e.g., water reactive).
Q: When should you use a ladder instead of a chair? ANSWER Always;
chairs are not meant for climbing.
Q: What is the 4-to-1 rule for ladders? ANSWER For every 4 feet of
height, place the base 1 foot away from the wall.
Q: What is a slip hazard? ANSWER A wet or slick surface that can
cause someone to lose their footing.
Q: What is a trip hazard? ANSWER An object or uneven surface that
catches a shoe.
Q: How do you prevent slip hazards when mopping? ANSWER Use wet
floor signs and mop half the hallway at a time.
Q: What is Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)? ANSWER A procedure to ensure
machines are properly shut off and not started up unexpectedly during
maintenance.
Q: Who can remove a Lockout/Tagout device? ANSWER Only the
person who applied it.
Q: What is ergonomics? ANSWER The science of designing the job to fit
the worker to prevent strain injuries.
, Q: How can you reduce ergonomic strain when pushing a mop?
ANSWER Keep the mop handle at waist height and use short strokes.
Q: What should you do if a chemical splashes in your eye? ANSWER Go
immediately to the eyewash station and flush for 15 minutes.
Q: What is a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)? ANSWER The old
term for Safety Data Sheet (SDS).
Category 2: Chemical Handling & Cleaning Science
Q: What is pH? ANSWER A measure of how acidic or alkaline a
substance is.
Q: What is the pH scale range? ANSWER 0 to 14.
Q: What pH is considered neutral? ANSWER 7.
Q: What pH range indicates an acid? ANSWER 0 to 6.9.
Q: What pH range indicates an alkali (base)? ANSWER 7.1 to 14.
Q: What is an example of an acidic cleaner? ANSWER Toilet bowl
cleaner or vinegar.
Q: What is an example of an alkaline cleaner? ANSWER Degreaser or
oven cleaner.
Q: Why should you never mix bleach and ammonia? ANSWER It creates
a highly toxic, potentially fatal gas.
Q: Why should you never mix bleach and acids? ANSWER It creates
toxic chlorine gas.
Q: What is a surfactant? ANSWER A chemical that reduces surface
tension, allowing water and cleaner to spread and penetrate dirt.
Q: What does "dwell time" mean? ANSWER The time a disinfectant
must remain wet on a surface to kill germs.
Q: What is the difference between cleaning and disinfecting? ANSWER
Cleaning removes dirt; disinfecting kills germs.
Q: What is the difference between sanitizing and disinfecting? ANSWER
Sanitizing reduces germs to a safe level; disinfecting kills nearly all
germs.
