BOSH SO2 Exam Flashcards

Q: What is the passing score for the BOSH SO2 assessment?

There's no single national board exam — each DOLE-accredited Safety Training Organization (STO) administers and grades its own post-training assessment. Most set the passing threshold at 70%, though some require 80% depending on the provider's academic policy.

Q: Is there a waiting period to retake the assessment if I fail?

DOLE does not mandate a fixed national waiting period. Because assessments are set by individual accredited training providers, most STOs allow immediate re-assessment or a same-day review session, though policies vary — confirm the retake process with your specific training provider before enrolling.

Q: Do I need sponsorship or prior experience to take BOSH SO2 training?

No. BOSH SO2 is open to anyone — high school graduates, college students, or current workers — with no prior OSH experience or employer sponsorship required. The only requirement is completing the full 40-hour course and passing the provider's post-test.

Q: How long does the BOSH SO2 certificate remain valid?

The Certificate of Completion has lifetime validity and never expires. To advance to Safety Officer 3 (SO3), you'll need an additional 48 hours of advanced training plus 2 years of active OSH experience on top of your SO2 certificate.

Q: What's the difference between BOSH and COSH training?

BOSH (Basic Occupational Safety and Health) is the standard 40-hour course for general industries like manufacturing, offices, and services. COSH (Construction Occupational Safety and Health) is a separate 40-hour course required specifically for safety officers working on construction sites, covering construction-specific hazards.

Question 1

What is RA 11058?

Accepted Answer

The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Law, enacted August 2018. It mandates strict compliance with OSH standards across all workplaces and authorizes DOLE to fine violating employers up to ₱100,000 per day until the violation is corrected.

Question 2

DO 198-18 vs. DO 252-25 — which is the current IRR of RA 11058?

Accepted Answer

DO 198-18 was the ORIGINAL 2018 Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). DO 252-25 is the REVISED IRR, effective May 16, 2025, and is the current governing rule — DO 198-18 has been superseded.

Question 3

What does RA 9514 regulate?

Accepted Answer

The Fire Code of the Philippines, which sets fire prevention and suppression standards for buildings and establishments. It is distinct from RA 11058, which covers general occupational safety and health compliance.

Question 4

OSHC vs. BWC — what is the functional difference?

Accepted Answer

OSHC (Occupational Safety and Health Center) is DOLE's training and research arm that accredits Safety Training Organizations and develops OSH programs. BWC (Bureau of Working Conditions) is DOLE's labor standards bureau that monitors and enforces OSH compliance.

Question 5

What is an ATO/STO?

Accepted Answer

A DOLE-Accredited (Safety) Training Organization. ATOs/STOs deliver the mandatory BOSH and COSH courses and administer and grade their own post-training assessments — there is no centralized national testing body.

Question 6

What is required for Safety Officer 1 (SO1) designation?

Accepted Answer

An 8-hour OSH orientation course plus a 2-hour Training of Trainers (ToT). SO1 is the entry-level designation, limited to conducting basic safety briefings and orientation.

Question 7

What is required for Safety Officer 2 (SO2) designation?

Accepted Answer

A 40-hour BOSH course (general industry) or COSH course (construction). No prior OSH experience is required — SO2 is the entry point for a full safety officer role.

Question 8

What distinguishes Safety Officer 3 (SO3) from SO2?

Accepted Answer

SO3 requires the SO2 base (40-hour BOSH/COSH) PLUS 48 hours of advanced training and at least 2 years of active OSH experience — qualifying the holder for higher-risk establishments.

Question 9

What distinguishes Safety Officer 4 (SO4) from SO3?

Accepted Answer

SO4 requires the SO3 base PLUS 80 hours of advanced training and at least 4 years of active OSH experience — the highest safety officer tier, typically leading OSH programs at large or high-risk firms.

Question 10

BOSH vs. COSH — how do they differ?

Accepted Answer

BOSH (Basic Occupational Safety and Health) covers general industries — manufacturing, offices, services. COSH (Construction Occupational Safety and Health) is a separate track specifically for the construction sector. Both are 40-hour courses but cover different hazard sets.

Question 11

What does HIRAC stand for?

Accepted Answer

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Control — the core 3-step process safety officers use to systematically manage workplace hazards before they cause harm.

Question 12

Unsafe act vs. unsafe condition — what is the difference?

Accepted Answer

An unsafe act is risky worker BEHAVIOR (e.g., bypassing a machine guard). An unsafe condition is a physical HAZARD in the environment (e.g., damaged equipment, a missing guard). The distinction determines whether the fix targets behavior or the workplace itself.

Question 13

How is risk rating typically calculated in HIRAC?

Accepted Answer

Risk rating = Likelihood × Severity, usually scored on a risk matrix. This semi-quantitative score is used to prioritize which hazards need controls applied first.

Question 14

When should a HIRAC assessment be reviewed?

Accepted Answer

Whenever there is a change in process, equipment, or materials, or after an incident occurs. HIRAC is a living document that must be reassessed, not a one-time exercise.

Question 15

What is the correct order of the Hierarchy of Controls?

Accepted Answer

Elimination → Substitution → Engineering → Administrative → PPE, from most to least effective. Controls must always be considered top-down; PPE is the last line of defense, never the first choice.

Question 16

Elimination vs. substitution — what is the difference?

Accepted Answer

Elimination physically removes the hazard entirely (e.g., discontinuing use of a hazardous chemical). Substitution replaces it with a safer alternative (e.g., switching to a less toxic solvent) — the hazard still exists in a reduced form.

Question 17

Engineering vs. administrative controls — what is the difference?

Accepted Answer

Engineering controls physically isolate or modify the hazard (machine guards, local exhaust ventilation). Administrative controls change how people work (job rotation, signage, training) without altering the hazard itself.

Question 18

What is LOTO and when is it used?

Accepted Answer

Lockout/Tagout — isolating and de-energizing equipment before maintenance or repair to prevent accidental start-up. It is applied specifically whenever machinery is being serviced.

Question 19

What fuels are involved in a Class A fire?

Accepted Answer

Ordinary combustibles — wood, paper, textiles, and similar materials. Class A fires are extinguished with water or foam-based agents.

Question 20

What distinguishes a Class C fire, and why does it matter for suppression?

Accepted Answer

Class C involves energized electrical equipment. Water must never be used (it conducts electricity) — CO2 or dry chemical extinguishers are required instead.

Question 21

Class D vs. Class K fires — what is the difference?

Accepted Answer

Class D involves combustible metals (e.g., magnesium, titanium) and requires specialized dry powder agents. Class K involves cooking oils and fats and requires wet chemical extinguishers designed for kitchen fires.

Question 22

What does the PASS technique stand for in fire extinguisher use?

Accepted Answer

Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, Sweep side to side — the standard technique for operating a portable fire extinguisher.

Question 23

Who pays for PPE under RA 11058, and how much?

Accepted Answer

The employer, at no cost to the worker whatsoever. Charging employees for PPE through payroll deductions or any other means violates the OSH Law.

Question 24

What are the 5 steps of 5S housekeeping, in order?

Accepted Answer

Seiri (Sort — discard unneeded items), Seiton (Set in order), Seiso (Shine/clean), Seiketsu (Standardize procedures), Shitsuke (Sustain discipline).

Question 25

What safety function does a GFCI serve?

Accepted Answer

A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter trips the circuit when it detects a ground fault (current leakage), protecting workers from electric shock — especially important in wet or outdoor work areas.

Question 26

What are the 5 categories of workplace hazards?

Accepted Answer

Physical (noise, heat, vibration), Chemical (dusts, vapors, gases), Biological (viruses, bacteria, molds), Ergonomic (posture, repetition, force), and Psychosocial (stress, bullying, harassment).

Question 27

Give an example of a physical hazard.

Accepted Answer

Excessive noise, extreme heat or cold, vibration, or radiation — hazards that arise from energy sources rather than substances or behaviors.

Question 28

What is an ergonomic hazard?

Accepted Answer

A hazard from poor posture, repetitive motion, or excessive force. It causes musculoskeletal disorders that develop over time rather than causing acute, immediate injury.

Question 29

What is a psychosocial hazard?

Accepted Answer

A hazard from workplace stress, bullying, or harassment that affects mental health and wellbeing — increasingly recognized as a formal hazard category alongside physical, chemical, biological, and ergonomic hazards.

Question 30

Biological vs. chemical hazard — what is the difference?

Accepted Answer

Biological hazards are living organisms (viruses, bacteria, molds). Chemical hazards are non-living substances (dusts, vapors, gases, solvents) that cause harm through exposure or reaction.

Question 31

What does AREC stand for in industrial hygiene?

Accepted Answer

Anticipate, Recognize, Evaluate, Control — the systematic 4-step approach industrial hygienists use to manage health hazards before and after they appear.

Question 32

What is TLV-TWA?

Accepted Answer

Threshold Limit Value – Time-Weighted Average: the maximum average airborne concentration of a substance a worker can be exposed to over an 8-hour workday without adverse health effects.

Question 33

What is the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for noise over an 8-hour shift?

Accepted Answer

90 dBA — the standard permissible exposure limit for continuous noise across a full 8-hour workday.

Question 34

What does the 5-dB exchange rate mean for noise exposure?

Accepted Answer

For every 5-dB increase in noise level, the permissible exposure time is cut in half — for example, 95 dBA is only considered safe for 4 hours instead of 8.

Question 35

What is an SDS, and how many sections does it have?

Accepted Answer

A Safety Data Sheet — a standardized 16-section document detailing a chemical's hazards, safe handling, storage, and emergency response information.

Question 36

What is a near miss?

Accepted Answer

An incident where no injury occurred, but the circumstances had the potential to cause harm. A near miss must still be logged and investigated — it is a warning sign, not something to ignore just because no one was hurt.

Question 37

Root cause vs. immediate cause — what is the difference?

Accepted Answer

The immediate cause is the direct trigger of an accident (e.g., a slippery floor). The root cause is the underlying systemic failure that allowed the hazard to exist in the first place (e.g., no housekeeping schedule).

Question 38

What is the 5 Whys technique used for?

Accepted Answer

Repeatedly asking "why" (typically five times) after an incident to drill down from the immediate cause to the true root cause, rather than stopping at the first surface-level explanation.

Question 39

What is a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram used for?

Accepted Answer

Categorizing potential causes of an incident into groups (commonly the 6 Ms: Man, Machine, Method, Material, Milieu/Environment, Management) to visualize and analyze all contributing factors.

Question 40

What should be done with an accident scene before investigation?

Accepted Answer

Preserve it intact. Nothing should be moved or altered except what is necessary to rescue or treat injured persons, protecting the integrity of the later investigation.

Question 41

Periodic vs. intermittent inspection — what is the difference?

Accepted Answer

Periodic inspections are scheduled at regular intervals (e.g., monthly). Intermittent inspections are unannounced spot checks, catching unsafe conditions that a scheduled inspection might miss.

Question 42

Why should inspection checklists be customized per department?

Accepted Answer

Because hazards differ by work area — a generic checklist may miss department-specific risks, such as chemical hazards in a lab versus fall hazards on a rooftop.

Question 43

What is the primary purpose of a workplace safety inspection?

Accepted Answer

To prevent future incidents by proactively identifying hazards and ranking them by risk — not to assign blame for past incidents.

Question 44

Who typically chairs the company OSH Committee?

Accepted Answer

The employer or the top company official. The OSH Committee is chaired at the highest organizational level to ensure management authority stands behind safety decisions.

Question 45

How often must the OSH Committee meet, and under what rule?

Accepted Answer

At least once a month, as governed by Rule 1040 of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards. Regular meetings review incidents, inspection findings, and program updates.

Question 46

What is the WAIR, and when is it due?

Accepted Answer

The Work Accident/Illness Report — filed monthly, by the 30th of each month, documenting workplace injuries and illnesses to DOLE.

Question 47

AEDR vs. AMR — what is the difference and when is each due?

Accepted Answer

The AEDR (Annual Exposure Data Report) covers exposure data such as man-hours and injuries, due January 30. The AMR (Annual Medical Report) covers medical services, illnesses, and treatments, due March 31.

Question 48

Within what time frame must a fatal workplace accident be reported to DOLE?

Accepted Answer

Within 24 hours of occurrence. Fatal or disabling injuries require immediate notification, unlike the routine monthly WAIR filing.

Question 49

How is the frequency rate calculated for workplace injuries?

Accepted Answer

(Number of disabling injuries × 1,000,000) ÷ total man-hours worked. This standardized formula lets companies of different sizes compare injury rates on the same scale.

Question 50

Shelter-in-place vs. evacuation — when is each used?

Accepted Answer

Shelter-in-place means staying inside and sealing the room, used when the danger is OUTSIDE (e.g., a toxic release nearby). Evacuation means leaving the building via exit routes, used when the danger is INSIDE (e.g., a fire).

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