Free CIH exam flashcards: biological hazards
These are free flashcards for the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) exam. The deck has 50 scenario cards on the biohazards subject area: what a hygienist should suspect, sample, control or advise in a real workplace, not just definitions.
What the deck covers
- Infectious agents: bacteria, fungi, viruses, prions and parasites
- Mold, allergens and microbial toxins (mycotoxins and endotoxin)
- Air sampling and reading spore-trap results
- Mold remediation and Legionella control
- Biosafety cabinets, biosafety levels and recombinant DNA rules
- Disinfection, sanitation and infection control
- The OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard, waste and shipping
Try five sample cards
Several workers on a sheep farm get fever after lambing season. Nobody was bitten. What should the IH suspect, and by what route?
Answer: Q fever (Coxiella burnetii), inhaled from dust and aerosols of birthing fluids. Contain and dispose of birthing materials; control dust.
A crew will clear bat and pigeon droppings from a bridge. The contractor plans to spray bleach first. Your advice?
Answer: No: no EPA-registered product disinfects for Histoplasma. Wet the material to suppress dust, remove it safely, and use risk-based respiratory protection.
Swine barn workers get fever and chest tightness hours after heavy cleaning. Cultures of the dust grow little. What is it, and how do you sample?
Answer: Endotoxin (organic dust toxic syndrome): it stays active after bacteria die. Sample on a filter and test it with the LAL assay.
An impactor ran at 28.3 L/min for 5 min and grew 85 corrected colonies. What concentration do you report?
Answer: About 600 CFU/m³: 28.3 × 5 = 141.5 L = 0.1415 m³, and 85 ÷ 0.1415 ≈ 600.
After a Legionella problem, a manager wants a one-time thermal shock and no other changes. Your advice?
Answer: Thermal shock often fails and Legionella recolonizes. Run an ongoing water management program: temperature, water age, disinfectant, biofilm.
How to study with them
Tap the card to flip it. Swipe left when you know it, and it leaves the pile. Swipe right when you need it again, and it comes back later at a random point. Use the timer and counts to run short daily rounds, then use “Practice my hard cards” to repeat only the ones you missed.
Frequently asked questions
Are these CIH flashcards free?
Yes. The deck is free, needs no account and works on any phone or computer. Your progress is saved on your own device.
What does the CIH biohazards deck cover?
Fifty workplace scenarios on infectious agents, mold and allergens, toxins, air sampling, mold remediation, Legionella, biosafety cabinets and levels, recombinant DNA, disinfection, sanitation, infection control, the bloodborne pathogens standard and shipping.
Are these official BGC exam questions?
No. They are original practice scenarios written for study. They are not BGC questions and do not predict exam content. SPEP is not affiliated with BGC.
How do the flashcards work?
Tap a card to flip it. Swipe left when you know it and the card leaves the pile. Swipe right when you need it again and it returns at a random later point. A timer and card counts show your progress.
Where do the answers come from?
Every fact comes from the SPEP CIH Biological Hazards Reference, which cites CDC, NIOSH, OSHA, EPA, NIH and WHO sources on the CIH references page.
Keep studying
Original practice scenarios written for study. They are not BGC questions and do not predict exam content. SPEP is not affiliated with BGC.