22 Safety & Infection Control Practice Questions & Answers
Every Safety & Infection Control practice question from the Phlebotomy Technician Practice Test, with the correct answer and a short explanation.
Start practice test →1. Under the principle of Standard Precautions, how should a phlebotomist treat a patient's blood and body fluids?
- A.Take extra precautions only for patients who appear ill
- B.Only treat blood as infectious if the patient has a known diagnosis
- C.Treat ALL blood and body fluids as potentially infectious✓ Answer
- D.Treat body fluids as infectious only if visibly bloody
Standard Precautions assume that every patient may carry a bloodborne pathogen, because infection status is often unknown or undisclosed; treating all blood and body fluids as infectious protects the worker regardless of diagnosis.
Source: CDC Standard Precautions; OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030 (Universal/Standard Precautions)Report a problem with this question
2. What is considered the single most important measure to prevent the transmission of infection?
- A.Wearing a face shield
- B.Wearing a gown
- C.Autoclaving equipment
- D.Hand hygiene✓ Answer
Hand hygiene (handwashing or alcohol-based hand rub) removes or kills transient microorganisms on the hands, which are the most common vehicle for transmitting pathogens between patients; CDC identifies it as the single most effective infection-control practice.
Source: CDC Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Healthcare SettingsReport a problem with this question
3. When should a phlebotomist perform hand hygiene in relation to glove use during a blood draw?
- A.Only before donning gloves
- B.Only if the gloves visibly tore
- C.Both before donning gloves and after removing them✓ Answer
- D.Only after removing gloves
Gloves are not a substitute for hand hygiene: hands can be contaminated by unseen glove defects or during removal, so hand hygiene is required both before donning and after doffing gloves and between patients.
Source: CDC Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings; WHO 5 MomentsReport a problem with this question
4. For which venipuncture procedures must a phlebotomist wear gloves?
- A.For every blood draw, on every patient✓ Answer
- B.Only when the patient is known to be infectious
- C.Only for capillary (fingerstick) draws
- D.Only when the phlebotomist has a cut on the hand
OSHA requires gloves as PPE whenever hand contact with blood is anticipated; because every venipuncture involves potential blood exposure and infection status is often unknown, gloves must be worn for every draw on every patient.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(3) — Personal Protective EquipmentReport a problem with this question
5. What is the correct sequence for putting ON (donning) personal protective equipment?
- A.Gown, mask/respirator, goggles/face shield, gloves✓ Answer
- B.Gloves, gown, mask, goggles
- C.Goggles, gloves, gown, mask
- D.Mask, gloves, gown, goggles
CDC specifies donning in the order gown, then mask/respirator, then goggles/face shield, then gloves last, so that the gloves cover the gown cuffs and the clean sequence builds outward from the body.
Source: CDC Sequence for Donning PPEReport a problem with this question
6. What is the correct sequence for taking OFF (doffing) contaminated personal protective equipment?
- A.Gown first, then gloves, mask, goggles
- B.Goggles, mask, gown, gloves
- C.Gloves, then goggles/face shield, gown, and mask/respirator last✓ Answer
- D.Mask first, then gown, gloves, goggles
CDC directs removing the most contaminated items first — gloves, then goggles/face shield, then gown — leaving the mask/respirator for last (removed outside the patient area) to minimize contact with contaminated surfaces and protect the face.
Source: CDC Sequence for Removing PPEReport a problem with this question
7. After a successful venipuncture, what should the phlebotomist do with the used needle?
- A.Recap the needle with two hands to protect others
- B.Bend or break the needle before disposal
- C.Activate the safety device and dispose of it immediately in a sharps container✓ Answer
- D.Recap the needle using a one-handed scoop technique
OSHA prohibits recapping, bending, or breaking contaminated needles because those actions cause needlesticks; the safety-engineered device must be activated and the sharp disposed of immediately in a puncture-resistant sharps container.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(vii) — no recapping/bending/removingReport a problem with this question
8. Why should a used needle NEVER be recapped by hand?
- A.It wastes the plastic cap
- B.Recapping makes the needle harder to see in the trash
- C.Recapping is the leading cause of accidental needlestick injuries✓ Answer
- D.It dulls the needle for the next patient
Manually recapping requires moving the exposed needle toward the hand holding the cap, which is a leading mechanism of accidental needlesticks; OSHA therefore requires that contaminated sharps not be recapped except by a mechanical device or one-handed technique when unavoidable.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(vii)–(viii)Report a problem with this question
9. A sharps container is nearly full. What should the phlebotomist do?
- A.Replace it when it reaches the fill line; never overfill past that line✓ Answer
- B.Fill it completely to the top before replacing
- C.Press the sharps down to make more room
- D.Empty it into a regular trash bag
Sharps containers must be replaced when they reach the fill line and never overfilled, because an overfilled container lets sharps protrude and pressing them down causes needlestick injuries; the container must be closable and puncture-resistant.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(4)(iii)(A) — sharps containersReport a problem with this question
10. Which OSHA standard specifically governs occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials?
- A.The Respiratory Protection Standard, 29 CFR 1910.134
- B.The Ionizing Radiation Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1096
- C.The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030✓ Answer
- D.The Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200
OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, is the specific regulation that mandates protections such as an exposure control plan, engineering controls, PPE, and Hepatitis B vaccination for workers exposed to blood.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030Report a problem with this question
11. The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act primarily requires employers to do what?
- A.Recap all needles before disposal
- B.Use safer engineering controls such as safety-engineered (self-sheathing) sharps devices✓ Answer
- C.Test every patient for HIV before a draw
- D.Provide unlimited paid sick leave
The 2000 Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act revised the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard to require employers to identify and use safer sharps devices with engineered sharps-injury protections and to involve frontline workers in selecting them.
Source: Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (2000); OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv)Report a problem with this question
12. What is the purpose of an employer's written Exposure Control Plan under the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard?
- A.To schedule staff vacations
- B.To list employee salaries
- C.To advertise the laboratory's services
- D.To identify exposure risks and detail the methods used to eliminate or minimize employee exposure✓ Answer
OSHA requires a written Exposure Control Plan that identifies at-risk job tasks and documents engineering controls, work practices, PPE, and procedures, so exposures are systematically prevented and the plan is reviewed and updated at least annually.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030(c)(1) — Exposure Control PlanReport a problem with this question
13. Immediately after a needlestick injury, what is the first thing the phlebotomist should do to the wound site?
- A.Wash the site thoroughly with soap and running water✓ Answer
- B.Squeeze the wound hard to force out blood, then bandage without washing
- C.Apply a chemical disinfectant like bleach to the skin wound
- D.Ignore it if it does not bleed
The first step after a percutaneous exposure is to wash the wound with soap and running water, which mechanically removes contaminating blood; caustic agents like bleach are not applied to skin wounds and squeezing is not recommended.
Source: CDC Guidance for Managing Occupational Blood ExposuresReport a problem with this question
14. If blood splashes into a phlebotomist's eyes or mouth, what is the correct immediate response?
- A.Wait to see if symptoms develop before acting
- B.Flush the mucous membranes with water or saline and report the exposure✓ Answer
- C.Apply undiluted bleach to the eye
- D.Rub the eyes with a gloved hand
Mucous membrane exposures should be flushed immediately with copious water or saline to dilute and remove infectious material, and the exposure must be reported promptly so medical evaluation can begin.
Source: CDC Guidance for Managing Occupational Blood ExposuresReport a problem with this question
15. After washing a needlestick wound and reporting it, what is the next critical step for the exposed worker?
- A.Simply document it and take no further action
- B.Wait 30 days before seeing anyone
- C.Seek prompt medical evaluation for post-exposure follow-up and possible post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)✓ Answer
- D.Self-medicate with over-the-counter drugs
Prompt confidential medical evaluation is required so that, when indicated, post-exposure prophylaxis (which is time-sensitive, especially for HIV) can be started quickly and appropriate testing and follow-up arranged at no cost to the worker.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030(f)(3) — post-exposure evaluation and follow-upReport a problem with this question
16. Under the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, how is the Hepatitis B vaccination provided to at-risk workers?
- A.It is only available after a worker is infected
- B.It is offered free of charge to workers with occupational exposure✓ Answer
- C.The worker must pay for it out of pocket
- D.It is mandatory and workers cannot decline
OSHA requires employers to offer the Hepatitis B vaccine series at no cost to all employees with occupational exposure, within 10 days of assignment; a worker may decline by signing a declination form but can accept later at no cost.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030(f)(1)–(2) — Hepatitis B vaccinationReport a problem with this question
17. Which three pathogens are the primary bloodborne pathogens of concern in phlebotomy?
- A.Influenza, tuberculosis, and measles
- B.MRSA, C. difficile, and strep
- C.E. coli, Salmonella, and norovirus
- D.Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and HIV✓ Answer
HBV, HCV, and HIV are the primary bloodborne pathogens because they are transmitted through blood and can cause serious chronic infection; the other listed organisms spread mainly by respiratory, fecal-oral, or contact routes rather than blood.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030; CDC Bloodborne PathogensReport a problem with this question
18. Among the main bloodborne pathogens, which is generally the most infectious and can survive on dried surfaces the longest?
- A.They are all equally infectious and equally stable
- B.HIV
- C.Hepatitis B virus (HBV)✓ Answer
- D.Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
HBV has the highest transmission risk from a single needlestick and is environmentally stable, remaining infectious in dried blood on surfaces for at least 7 days, which is why disinfection and vaccination are especially critical for HBV.
Source: CDC — HBV environmental stability and transmission riskReport a problem with this question
19. The 'chain of infection' describes how disease spreads. What is an effective way for a phlebotomist to break that chain?
- A.Sharing equipment between patients without cleaning
- B.Reusing single-use needles
- C.Leaving spills uncleaned
- D.Performing hand hygiene and using PPE to interrupt the mode of transmission✓ Answer
The chain of infection has links (pathogen, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host); breaking any link stops spread, and hand hygiene plus PPE interrupt the mode of transmission link most directly.
Source: CDC — Chain of Infection / principles of infection controlReport a problem with this question
20. What must appear on containers, bags, and refrigerators used to store or transport blood specimens?
- A.A biohazard label or symbol (fluorescent orange/orange-red)✓ Answer
- B.A green recycling symbol
- C.No labeling is required
- D.A blue 'handle with care' sticker
OSHA requires the biohazard symbol on a fluorescent orange or orange-red background on containers of regulated waste, refrigerators, and bags holding blood or OPIM, so anyone handling them is warned of the infectious hazard.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030(g)(1) — labels and signsReport a problem with this question
21. What is an appropriate disinfectant and dilution for cleaning up a blood spill on a surface?
- A.Rubbing the spill with a dry paper towel
- B.Plain water only
- C.A freshly prepared 1:10 dilution of household bleach (or an EPA-registered tuberculocidal disinfectant)✓ Answer
- D.Undiluted dish soap
A fresh 1:10 dilution of household bleach (or an EPA-registered tuberculocidal/HBV-HIV effective disinfectant) is required to decontaminate blood spills, because it reliably inactivates bloodborne pathogens including the environmentally stable HBV.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(4)(ii) — decontamination; CDC spill guidanceReport a problem with this question
22. What is the correct technique for removing contaminated gloves?
- A.Pull both gloves off by the fingertips and toss them
- B.Blow into the gloves to loosen them, then set them on the counter
- C.Grasp the outside of one glove and peel it off inside-out, then slide a bare finger under the second glove and peel it over the first so contaminated surfaces stay inside✓ Answer
- D.Rinse the gloves under water and reuse them
Gloves must be removed so that the contaminated outer surface never touches bare skin: peel the first glove off inside-out, hold it in the gloved hand, then use a clean bare finger inside the cuff of the second glove to turn it inside-out over the first, then perform hand hygiene.
Source: CDC — How to Safely Remove Gloves (glove removal technique)Report a problem with this question
Concept-focused practice questions based on CLSI GP41 (venous blood collection), the CLSI order of draw, and the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030). Not affiliated with the NHA, ASCP, or CLSI, and not medical advice. Facility protocols and current CLSI standards take precedence — always follow your employer's procedures. About the CPT exam →