CHSP: CERTIFIED HEALTHCARE SAFETY PROFESSIONAL
EXAM READY - VERIFIED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS -
COMPREHENSIVE LATEST VERSION 2026/2027
Q1 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the primary purpose of a Healthcare Safety Management Program?
ANSWER To systematically identify, evaluate, and control hazards to protect
patients, staff, and visitors from harm while maintaining regulatory compliance
and creating a culture of safety.
Q2 [Safety Management]
Q: What does the acronym CHSP stand for?
ANSWER Certified Healthcare Safety Professional — a credential awarded
by the Board of Certified Healthcare Safety Management (BCHSM) to
individuals demonstrating competency in healthcare safety.
Q3 [Safety Management]
Q: What is a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)?
ANSWER A systematic process that identifies workplace hazards associated
with each step of a job, then develops controls to eliminate or reduce those
hazards before work begins.
Q4 [Safety Management]
Q: Define 'root cause analysis' (RCA) in healthcare safety.
ANSWER A structured investigation method that identifies the underlying
systemic causes of an adverse event or near-miss, rather than focusing only on
surface-level or human-error factors, to prevent recurrence.
Q5 [Safety Management]
Page 1 | Certified Healthcare Safety Professional Study Guide
,Q: What is the hierarchy of controls and its correct order?
ANSWER From most to least effective: Elimination, Substitution,
Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls, and Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE). The hierarchy guides control selection for identified hazards.
Q6 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the difference between a sentinel event and a near-miss?
ANSWER A sentinel event is an unexpected occurrence resulting in serious
injury or death. A near-miss is an unplanned event that did not cause harm but
had the potential to — both require investigation.
Q7 [Safety Management]
Q: What does OSHA stand for and what is its mission?
ANSWER Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Its mission is to
ensure safe and healthful working conditions by setting and enforcing standards
and providing training, outreach, education, and assistance.
Q8 [Safety Management]
Q: What is a Safety Data Sheet (SDS)?
ANSWER A document that provides detailed information about a chemical
substance including hazards, composition, safe handling/storage procedures,
emergency measures, and disposal — formerly called Material Safety Data
Sheet (MSDS).
Q9 [Safety Management]
Q: What are the four phases of emergency management?
ANSWER Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery — collectively
known as the emergency management cycle, each phase builds on the others to
reduce the impact of disasters.
Q10 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the purpose of a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)?
Page 2 | Certified Healthcare Safety Professional Study Guide
, ANSWER A proactive risk assessment tool that identifies potential failure
modes in a process, evaluates their effects and likelihood, and prioritizes
corrective actions before an adverse event occurs.
Q11 [Safety Management]
Q: What is an Interim Life Safety Measure (ILSM)?
ANSWER A compensatory action taken to temporarily maintain an acceptable
level of life safety when construction, renovation, or other activities impair
existing fire protection features in a healthcare facility.
Q12 [Safety Management]
Q: Define 'culture of safety' in healthcare.
ANSWER An organizational culture where individuals are encouraged to
speak up about safety concerns without fear of punishment, leadership
prioritizes safety, and errors are treated as learning opportunities rather than
blame events.
Q13 [Safety Management]
Q: What is a 'near-miss reporting system' and why is it important?
ANSWER A voluntary reporting mechanism that captures events or
conditions that could have caused harm but did not. It is important because near-
miss data identifies system weaknesses before they cause actual harm.
Q14 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the purpose of safety rounds (Leadership Safety Rounds)?
ANSWER To enable senior leaders to regularly visit care areas, observe
conditions, listen to frontline staff safety concerns, demonstrate visible
commitment to safety, and identify hazards that may not reach formal reporting
systems.
Q15 [Safety Management]
Q: What is a Safety Risk Assessment (SRA)?
Page 3 | Certified Healthcare Safety Professional Study Guide
, ANSWER A systematic process to identify hazards, analyze the likelihood
and severity of potential harm, evaluate existing controls, and recommend
additional controls — forming the basis for prioritizing safety interventions.
Q16 [Safety Management]
Q: What does 'Swiss Cheese Model' of accident causation describe?
ANSWER James Reason's model depicting that accidents occur when multiple
layers of defense (each with holes representing weaknesses) align, allowing a
hazard to cause harm. It emphasizes systemic rather than individual failures.
Q17 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the purpose of a Healthcare Safety Committee?
ANSWER To provide oversight, coordination, and strategic direction for the
safety program; review incident data; approve safety policies; ensure
accountability; and integrate safety across departments.
Q18 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the difference between a lagging indicator and a leading indicator in
safety?
ANSWER Lagging indicators measure past events (e.g., injury rates, incident
counts). Leading indicators measure proactive safety activities (e.g., safety
audits completed, training rates) that predict future safety performance.
Q19 [Safety Management]
Q: What is Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA)?
ANSWER A systematic tool used by healthcare facilities to identify potential
emergencies, assess the likelihood and impact of each, and prioritize planning
efforts — commonly using the Kaiser model or similar matrix.
Q20 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the role of the Safety Officer in a healthcare organization?
Page 4 | Certified Healthcare Safety Professional Study Guide
EXAM READY - VERIFIED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS -
COMPREHENSIVE LATEST VERSION 2026/2027
Q1 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the primary purpose of a Healthcare Safety Management Program?
ANSWER To systematically identify, evaluate, and control hazards to protect
patients, staff, and visitors from harm while maintaining regulatory compliance
and creating a culture of safety.
Q2 [Safety Management]
Q: What does the acronym CHSP stand for?
ANSWER Certified Healthcare Safety Professional — a credential awarded
by the Board of Certified Healthcare Safety Management (BCHSM) to
individuals demonstrating competency in healthcare safety.
Q3 [Safety Management]
Q: What is a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)?
ANSWER A systematic process that identifies workplace hazards associated
with each step of a job, then develops controls to eliminate or reduce those
hazards before work begins.
Q4 [Safety Management]
Q: Define 'root cause analysis' (RCA) in healthcare safety.
ANSWER A structured investigation method that identifies the underlying
systemic causes of an adverse event or near-miss, rather than focusing only on
surface-level or human-error factors, to prevent recurrence.
Q5 [Safety Management]
Page 1 | Certified Healthcare Safety Professional Study Guide
,Q: What is the hierarchy of controls and its correct order?
ANSWER From most to least effective: Elimination, Substitution,
Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls, and Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE). The hierarchy guides control selection for identified hazards.
Q6 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the difference between a sentinel event and a near-miss?
ANSWER A sentinel event is an unexpected occurrence resulting in serious
injury or death. A near-miss is an unplanned event that did not cause harm but
had the potential to — both require investigation.
Q7 [Safety Management]
Q: What does OSHA stand for and what is its mission?
ANSWER Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Its mission is to
ensure safe and healthful working conditions by setting and enforcing standards
and providing training, outreach, education, and assistance.
Q8 [Safety Management]
Q: What is a Safety Data Sheet (SDS)?
ANSWER A document that provides detailed information about a chemical
substance including hazards, composition, safe handling/storage procedures,
emergency measures, and disposal — formerly called Material Safety Data
Sheet (MSDS).
Q9 [Safety Management]
Q: What are the four phases of emergency management?
ANSWER Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery — collectively
known as the emergency management cycle, each phase builds on the others to
reduce the impact of disasters.
Q10 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the purpose of a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)?
Page 2 | Certified Healthcare Safety Professional Study Guide
, ANSWER A proactive risk assessment tool that identifies potential failure
modes in a process, evaluates their effects and likelihood, and prioritizes
corrective actions before an adverse event occurs.
Q11 [Safety Management]
Q: What is an Interim Life Safety Measure (ILSM)?
ANSWER A compensatory action taken to temporarily maintain an acceptable
level of life safety when construction, renovation, or other activities impair
existing fire protection features in a healthcare facility.
Q12 [Safety Management]
Q: Define 'culture of safety' in healthcare.
ANSWER An organizational culture where individuals are encouraged to
speak up about safety concerns without fear of punishment, leadership
prioritizes safety, and errors are treated as learning opportunities rather than
blame events.
Q13 [Safety Management]
Q: What is a 'near-miss reporting system' and why is it important?
ANSWER A voluntary reporting mechanism that captures events or
conditions that could have caused harm but did not. It is important because near-
miss data identifies system weaknesses before they cause actual harm.
Q14 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the purpose of safety rounds (Leadership Safety Rounds)?
ANSWER To enable senior leaders to regularly visit care areas, observe
conditions, listen to frontline staff safety concerns, demonstrate visible
commitment to safety, and identify hazards that may not reach formal reporting
systems.
Q15 [Safety Management]
Q: What is a Safety Risk Assessment (SRA)?
Page 3 | Certified Healthcare Safety Professional Study Guide
, ANSWER A systematic process to identify hazards, analyze the likelihood
and severity of potential harm, evaluate existing controls, and recommend
additional controls — forming the basis for prioritizing safety interventions.
Q16 [Safety Management]
Q: What does 'Swiss Cheese Model' of accident causation describe?
ANSWER James Reason's model depicting that accidents occur when multiple
layers of defense (each with holes representing weaknesses) align, allowing a
hazard to cause harm. It emphasizes systemic rather than individual failures.
Q17 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the purpose of a Healthcare Safety Committee?
ANSWER To provide oversight, coordination, and strategic direction for the
safety program; review incident data; approve safety policies; ensure
accountability; and integrate safety across departments.
Q18 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the difference between a lagging indicator and a leading indicator in
safety?
ANSWER Lagging indicators measure past events (e.g., injury rates, incident
counts). Leading indicators measure proactive safety activities (e.g., safety
audits completed, training rates) that predict future safety performance.
Q19 [Safety Management]
Q: What is Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA)?
ANSWER A systematic tool used by healthcare facilities to identify potential
emergencies, assess the likelihood and impact of each, and prioritize planning
efforts — commonly using the Kaiser model or similar matrix.
Q20 [Safety Management]
Q: What is the role of the Safety Officer in a healthcare organization?
Page 4 | Certified Healthcare Safety Professional Study Guide
