Could you pass my Foreign Object Elimination test?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Well, I’ve survived 2009, and in a final burst of productivity, I took my Foreign Object Elimination (FOE) on-line exam at work so that I can look confidently into my colleagues’ eyes and declare truthfully that I am in fact certified to be able to responsibly prevent Foreign Objects from damaging our products (until 365 days from this past Monday).

Can you pass this test? I’ve paraphrased several of the questions below:

Q: Which of the following is a Foreign Object?
A) [a place]
B) [a person]
C) [an action]
D) [a thing]

Q: What two things are most important in preventing Foreign Objects from contaminating our products?
A) [a list of three things]
B) [a list of two things, one of which is a sprinkler system]
C) Training and processes
D) [OSHA]

Q: What is a Foreign Object Elimination plan?
A) [a pair of needlenose pliers]
B) [a place]
C) “A written set of procedures that …”
D) [a job title]

Since this is Very Serious Business, I cannot divulge the correct answers to these questions, which is why this is in MPSIMS. I take many (okay, perhaps a dozen) of these tests every year, but this particular test this particular year seemed to reach a new low. By the end of the test, I was half expecting to see the question, “What color is an orange?”

2

Okay; that last wasn’t on the test, so I’ll give you that one: Orange.

3

My CLAD (Cross-cultural Language and Academic Development) test was like this. Needed for a teaching credential in California, I challenge you to find the correct answer. To make it harder, I will not even give you the question.

a) Hit them
b) Call them stupid
c) Yell at them
d) Let them answer in their native language and utilize a peer translator

This may be a slight exaggeration - but I stress SLIGHT

4

Since you’re an expert on Foreign Object Elimination, can you tell me what would happen if I swallowed Swiss watch? Would everything come out all right in the end?

5

Time will tell.

6

Yes, I was expecting a post on how the quarter you swallowed came out all right in the end…

7

B and D. If a person fell into a vat of beer then he would certainly be a foreign object in that vat! In fact, if that person was from Timbucto he would be a foreign foreign object. :smiley:

8

And he was an accountant, so he had to work it out with a pencil…

9

This is ex-laxly the kind of response I’d expect from the teeming millions.

10

It came out tails.

11

Nope. Not an exaggeration at all. The only tests I’ve taken that were easier were for my FEMA classes. I didn’t even bother reading the handbooks for those. Took the tests cold. Passed every one.

12

I can’t decide between a, b, and c. Is there an “all of the above”?

13

Some of the brewery workers tried to rescue him, but he was able to fight them off.

14

Oh man. One of my least favorite things to hear at work is, “You’re scheduled for an E-learning today.”

It always makes me wonder if it is too late to call in sick when you are already at your desk…

15

We’ve played Foreign Object Elimination at work on occasion.

“It’s a vibrator.”
“No, that’s not quite the right shape. See the flat end?”
“Um, it’s not a cell phone or a TV remote.”
“Well, I guess that just leaves one thing: a flash light.”

Fun with x-rays.

16

I build airplanes for a living, FOD is a huge concern. Anything and everything has it’s place and if something is missing at the end of the shift, the crew stays over till the missing part or tool is found. We have had folks get a day off without pay for something as simple as leaving a flashlight in the airplane.

17

Yes, we’ve had people get burned when components literally exploded. If the tests were more difficult to pass, maybe they’d be useful for something other than reducing the company’s liability insurance premiums.