Hazmat Operations Practice Test

Unofficial practice, not training and no certificate: under the federal rule the employer certifies operations level training.

From where does an operations level responder contain a release?

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with OSHA, the U.S. Department of Transportation or any training provider. Bank checked October 4, 2026.

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All 91 questions

Response levels and training 19

  • An employer uses a statement of competency instead of refresher training. What must the employer keep? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(8)(ii)
  • An on scene incident commander needs at least 24 hours of training equal to which level? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(v)
  • For what purpose do operations level responders respond to a release? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii)
  • From where does an operations level responder contain a release? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii)
  • How much training does the rule set for a hazardous materials technician? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(iii)
  • How often is refresher training or a showing of competency required? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(8)(i)
Show all 91 questions (85 more)

Response levels and training, continued

  • How often must specialist employees who give technical advice show competency in their area? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(5)
  • In what fashion are operations level responders trained to respond? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii)
  • Operations level competencies are in addition to those of which level? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii)
  • Operations level responders perform basic control, containment or confinement within what limits? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii)(D)
  • Skilled support personnel, such as a crane operator needed at short notice, must receive what before taking part? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(4)
  • What does the rule require of people who teach these training subjects? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(7)
  • What is the shortest training the rule accepts for the operations level? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii)
  • What kind of hazard and risk assessment knowledge is listed for the operations level? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii)(A)
  • Which competency does the rule list for the operations level? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii)(E)
  • Which level acts as site liaison with federal, state and local authorities? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(iv)
  • Which level approaches the point of release to plug, patch or stop it? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(iii)
  • Which task is outside the operations level role as the rule describes it? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii)
  • Who certifies that an operations level responder has the training or competency? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii)

Response plan and incident command 18

  • After emergency operations have ended, what must the individual in charge of the ICS implement? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(3)(ix)
  • An employee in the immediate release area absorbs a small incidental spill at once. Is that an emergency response under the rule? 29 CFR 1910.120(a)(3)
  • An employer evacuates all employees and lets none assist in the emergency. What may it provide instead of a response plan? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(1)
  • At first, who is the senior person in charge at an emergency response, according to the note in the rule? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(3)(i), note
  • How does the rule define the buddy system's purpose? 29 CFR 1910.120(a)(3)
  • In what form must the emergency response plan be kept? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(1)
  • Members of an organized and designated HAZMAT team must receive what medical service? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(9)(i)
  • Operations in hazardous areas must be performed using what system? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(3)(v)
  • The safety officer judges an activity to be an IDLH or imminent danger condition. What authority does that officer have? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(3)(viii)
  • What does the rule say about a HAZMAT team and a fire brigade? 29 CFR 1910.120(a)(3)
  • What happens to the position of the person in charge as more senior officers arrive? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(3)(i), note
  • What must the individual in charge of the ICS designate? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(3)(vii)
  • When must an emergency response plan be developed? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(1)
  • Which element of the plan deals with reviewing the response afterward? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(2)(x)
  • Which is a required element of an emergency response plan? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(2)
  • Who becomes the individual in charge of the site-specific Incident Command System? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(3)(i)
  • Who is limited from entering areas of potential or actual exposure at the site? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(3)(v)
  • Who must stand by while responders work in a hazardous area? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(3)(vi)

Protective equipment levels 15

  • An atmosphere holds less than 19.5 percent oxygen. Which level does Appendix B point to? 29 CFR 1910.120, Appendix B
  • Below what oxygen level does the rule define oxygen deficiency? 29 CFR 1910.120(a)(3)
  • Cylinders from another approved breathing apparatus may be used if they match in what? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(3)(x)
  • How does Appendix B describe Level B? 29 CFR 1910.120, Appendix B
  • How does Appendix B describe Level D? 29 CFR 1910.120, Appendix B
  • How does the guidebook's glossary describe Level D? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • In the guidebook's glossary, what does "protective clothing" include? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • Level D protection should be used only when the atmosphere holds what? 29 CFR 1910.120, Appendix B
  • Responders exposed to an inhalation hazard must wear what until air monitoring shows less is safe? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(3)(iv)
  • What kind of respirator belongs to Level C? 29 CFR 1910.120, Appendix B
  • What suit is part of Level A equipment? 29 CFR 1910.120, Appendix B
  • When does Appendix B say Level C applies? 29 CFR 1910.120, Appendix B
  • When is Level A protection selected, according to Appendix B? 29 CFR 1910.120, Appendix B
  • Who decides that respiratory protection can be reduced during a response? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(3)(iv)
  • Work is in a confined, poorly ventilated area and the need for Level A has not yet been ruled out. Which level does Appendix B give? 29 CFR 1910.120, Appendix B

Isolation distances and control zones 14

  • How does the guidebook define daytime for Table 1? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • In the guidebook's example, a small spill with a 150 meter initial isolation distance gives an isolation zone of what diameter? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • In the guidebook, what is the largest spill that still counts as a small spill? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • In which direction from the spill do protective action distances run? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • In which zone is the command post located? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • Table 1 of the green section gives which two kinds of distance? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • Table 3 covers large spills of how many common toxic inhalation hazard gases? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • What does Table 2 of the green section list? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • What does the guidebook call the area immediately surrounding an incident? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • When does the guidebook say sheltering in place is used? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • Where does decontamination of personnel and equipment take place, in the guidebook's terms? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • Which materials does Table 1 list? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • Why does the guidebook give larger protective action distances at night? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • Within the initial isolation distance, what does the guidebook say is required? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents

Terms and exposure limits 16

  • A liquid has a specific gravity less than 1. What does that mean? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • A vapor density greater than 1 tells a responder what? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • How does the guidebook describe an oxidizer? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • How does the guidebook describe polymerization? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • In the guidebook, what does "immiscible" mean? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • In the NIOSH Pocket Guide, a TWA for a recommended exposure limit covers a workday of up to how long? NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Introduction
  • In the Pocket Guide, what does "10%LEL" in the IDLH field mean? NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Introduction
  • OSHA permissible exposure limits as TWA concentrations apply to a workshift of what length? NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Introduction
  • Unless noted otherwise, a NIOSH short-term exposure limit (STEL) is a TWA over how many minutes? NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Introduction
  • What does a lower flash point mean, according to the guidebook? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • What does BLEVE stand for? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • What does the "[skin]" mark beside an exposure limit in the Pocket Guide indicate? NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Introduction
  • What does the notation "Ca" in the Pocket Guide's IDLH field mark? NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Introduction
  • What does the rule's definition of decontamination describe? 29 CFR 1910.120(a)(3)
  • What does TIH stand for in the guidebook? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • What is a pyrophoric material? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary

Transport rules for responders 9

  • Emergency response information must be printed legibly in which language? 49 CFR 172.602(b)
  • For whom, besides the carrier's own people, must emergency response information be immediately available? 49 CFR 172.600(c)
  • In the federal class table, what is Division 2.3? 49 CFR 173.2
  • In the federal class table, what is Division 4.3? 49 CFR 173.2
  • May training done to meet 29 CFR 1910.120 count toward the transport training rule? 49 CFR 172.704(b)
  • Security awareness training for hazmat employees must cover how to do what? 49 CFR 172.704(a)(4)
  • Which is on the federal list of what emergency response information must contain? 49 CFR 172.602(a)
  • Which item about spills must emergency response information give? 49 CFR 172.602(a)
  • Which kinds of safety training does 49 CFR 172.704 list for hazmat employees? 49 CFR 172.704(a)(3)

How this list was compiled: 29 CFR 1910.120(q) and Appendix B, in the text dated September 30, 2026; the 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2024); the introduction to the NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards; and 49 CFR Part 172 Subparts G and H with 49 CFR 173.2, in the text dated October 1, 2026 Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are our own wording. The federal rules, the Emergency Response Guidebook and the NIOSH Pocket Guide are U.S. government works in the public domain.

All 54 questions

The awareness level role 11

  • After notifying the authorities, what further action does the rule expect from an awareness level responder? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i)
  • An awareness level responder sees that more help is needed. Whom does the rule say to notify? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i)(F)
  • The awareness level asks for an understanding of which federal guidebook? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i)(E)
  • How many hours of training does the rule set for the awareness level? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i)
  • How often must employees trained under paragraph (q)(6) get refresher training or show competency? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(8)(i)
Show all 54 questions (49 more)

The awareness level role, continued

  • Under the federal rule, who are first responders at the awareness level? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i)
  • What does the rule say an awareness level responder should be able to do about the substance itself? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i)(D)
  • What is an awareness level responder trained to do on finding a release? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i)
  • When must a new responder be trained under the rule? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)
  • Which is a listed competency for the awareness level? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i)(C)
  • Which part of the employer's emergency response plan must an awareness level responder understand? 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i)(E)

Recognizing and identifying materials 15

  • According to the guidebook, where are shipping papers kept on a road vehicle? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Shipping Papers
  • Besides the placard itself, where may the ID number be shown on a cargo tank? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Shipping Papers
  • The guidebook says the words "poison" and "poisonous" mean the same as which word? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Hazard Classification System
  • How many digits does a UN or NA identification number have? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Shipping Papers
  • In the guidebook's hazard class list, what is Class 2? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Hazard Classification System
  • In the guidebook's hazard class list, what is Class 7? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Hazard Classification System
  • In the guidebook's hazard class list, what is Class 8? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Hazard Classification System
  • No smell is noticed near a leaking container. What does the guidebook warn? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Safety Precautions
  • On a vessel, where does the guidebook say shipping papers are kept? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Shipping Papers
  • What do Packing Groups I, II and III show, according to the guidebook? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Glossary
  • What does the guidebook say about empty containers? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Safety Precautions
  • Where does the guidebook say rail shipping papers are kept? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Shipping Papers
  • Where on a placard is the hazard class or division number displayed? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Hazard Classification System
  • Which class does the guidebook give for oxidizing substances and organic peroxides? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Hazard Classification System
  • Which of these does the guidebook list as a way to identify the hazards at a scene? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Safety Precautions

Using the Emergency Response Guidebook 17

  • A material is highlighted in green in the yellow or blue section. Where does the guidebook send you? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • Each orange guide is divided into how many main sections? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • The flowchart warns against using it in which case? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, How to Use This Guidebook
  • For which kind of incident is the guidebook designed? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, User's Guide
  • How many individual guides make up the orange section of the 2024 guidebook? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • How many tables does the green section hold? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • What does the letter P after a guide number mean? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, User's Guide
  • Where in the guidebook are the safety recommendations found? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • Which guide does the flowchart give for Division 1.4 or 1.6 explosives? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, How to Use This Guidebook
  • Which of these does the guidebook say it does NOT do? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, User's Guide
  • Which part of an orange guide should be consulted first? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • Which section of the guidebook lists materials alphabetically by name? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • Which section of the guidebook lists materials in order of ID number? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Guidebook Contents
  • Which three countries' transport agencies developed the 2024 guidebook together? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, User's Guide
  • Who is the guidebook written for? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, cover
  • You cannot identify the material and see only a DANGER or DANGEROUS placard. Which guide does the guidebook give? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Table of Placards
  • You see an explosive placard for Division 1.1. Which guide does the flowchart give? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, How to Use This Guidebook

First actions and notification 11

  • After notifying your agency, which number does the guidebook say to call next? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Notification and Request for Technical Information
  • From which direction does the guidebook say to approach an incident? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Safety Precautions
  • In the guidebook's notification order, whom do you notify first? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Notification and Request for Technical Information
  • The shipping paper is not available. Where does the guidebook list agencies to call? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Notification and Request for Technical Information
  • What are the first words of the guidebook's safety precautions? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Safety Precautions
  • What does "secure the scene" mean in the guidebook's safety precautions? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Safety Precautions
  • What does the guidebook say rescue attempts must be weighed against? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Safety Precautions
  • When does the guidebook say to become familiar with it? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, How to Use This Guidebook
  • Where should a responder's own vehicle be kept, according to the guidebook? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Safety Precautions
  • Which piece of information does the guidebook ask a caller to give? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Notification and Request for Technical Information
  • Whose safety does the guidebook say to consider first? 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Safety Precautions

How this list was compiled: 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i) and (q)(8), in the text dated September 30, 2026, and the 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2024) of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Transport Canada and Mexico's transport secretariat Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are our own wording. The federal rules, the Emergency Response Guidebook and the NIOSH Pocket Guide are U.S. government works in the public domain.

How it works

This unofficial hazmat operations practice test holds 91 questions written from 29 CFR 1910.120(q), its Appendix B and the 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, read October 4, 2026, with a second bank of 54 questions for the awareness level.

Read the full guide

Two levels, two question sets

Operations level opens first: response levels and training hours, the response plan and incident command, protective equipment Levels A to D, isolation distances and control zones, terms and exposure limits from the NIOSH Pocket Guide, and a few transport rules from 49 CFR Part 172. Choose Awareness level for the hazmat awareness practice test: the awareness role, recognizing materials, using the guidebook, and first actions.

Practice only, with no pass mark

The rule asks an employer to certify operations level training or competency and prints no pass mark, so Exam mode draws 25 questions, which is this site's choice, and shows a score with no pass or fail.

  • Keep the two levels apart: awareness notifies the authorities and does nothing more; operations responds defensively from a safe distance.
  • Learn the guidebook's colored sections: yellow for ID numbers, blue for names, orange for guides, green for distances.

Questions and answers

Is this the hazmat operations test my employer or academy gives?

No. It is unofficial practice written from the federal rule and the 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook. Any test you sit belongs to your employer or training provider, and this page uses none of their questions.

What does this hazmat ops practice test cover?

Six topics: response levels and training, the response plan and incident command, protective equipment levels, isolation distances and control zones, terms and exposure limits, and transport rules. Every explanation names its rule paragraph or guidebook section.

Is there a hazardous materials awareness practice test here?

Yes. Choose Awareness level above the questions for 54 questions on the awareness role in 29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(i), recognizing and identifying materials, using the Emergency Response Guidebook, and first actions and notification.

How many hours of training does the operations level need?

29 CFR 1910.120(q)(6)(ii) says at least eight hours of training, or enough experience to objectively demonstrate competency in the listed areas, and the employer certifies it. This page is not that training and gives no certificate.

Which Emergency Response Guidebook do the questions use?

The 2024 edition, ERG2024, developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation with Transport Canada and Mexico's transport secretariat. Questions on guide numbers, colored sections and distances follow that edition.

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