FOD Awareness Quiz and Competency Assessment

Try the FOD Quiz

These five quick-check questions come from the competency verification section of the FOD Prevention Program Guide. They are meant for training reinforcement: use them at the end of a toolbox talk, at the start of a shift briefing or as a self-check. Answer in your own words, then compare with your site procedure and training material.

1. What does FOD stand for? Give both meanings.
2. List four of the ten FOD categories and give one example of each.
3. When should you call STOP during a walk? Give three specific triggers.
4. If you find the same type of debris in the same location three times in a month, what does that indicate?
5. What information must be recorded for every FOD finding?

If you get stuck, our FOD glossary, the article on the FOD classification system and the FOD acronyms and abbreviations list are good places to review.

Why Competency Is More Than Attendance

The guide is direct on this point: attendance is not competency. Verification requires observing performance. It describes three layers.

• Participant competency. The walk leader observes each new participant during their first two walks and confirms they can perform the core sequence: see, pick up if safe, report, log and prevent. A checklist documents the observation.
• Walk leader competency. The program owner, or a qualified peer, observes each new walk leader during their first two walks as leader. The briefing is judged against the standard briefing card, the walk against pace, coverage and stop-trigger handling, and the log for completeness and classification accuracy.
• Ongoing competency. The program owner observes experienced walk leaders at least once per quarter to check that standards are holding. Leaders who have drifted receive coaching, and those who consistently demonstrate high standards are recognized.

The Two Instruments in the Full Assessment

The complete competency package has two parts.

• Knowledge assessment. A 16-question scored quiz covering FOD fundamentals, walk procedures, classification and severity, incident response and program understanding. The total is 50 points, with 40 points (80 percent) needed to pass. It is delivered at initial training and annually thereafter.
• Practical assessment. A hands-on evaluation completed by the walk leader or program owner during a supervised walk. It looks at scanning technique, FOD identification, pick-up-or-stop decision-making, safe debris handling, log completion accuracy, classification accuracy and communication clarity. Results are recorded as Competent or Needs Additional Practice.

Practical observation points in the quick-check section include correct scanning technique (overhead to surface, overlapping sweeps and flashlight use), correct decision-making (pick up, stop or escalate) and accurate log completion covering location, description, category and quantity.

Keep Records So Competency Can Be Proven

Training records should show each person initial training date and content, supervised walk dates and the observing leader, competency verification date and verifier, recurrent training dates and just-in-time briefing topics. They should be retrievable by person and by date, so you can confirm that everyone active is current. The FOD training toolkit includes the participation and competency record forms, and the FOD supervisor briefing card is the standard against which walk leader briefings are judged.

Reinforce It in the Workplace

A quiz works best when the environment repeats the same messages. Visible FOD signs and FOD stickers on containers and tool boards keep classification and behavior prompts in front of people between training sessions.

Get the Complete Scored Quiz

The full 16-question scored quiz and the formal practical assessment form are part of the free toolkit and the complete guide. They are provided as editable documents so you can adapt them to your procedures and file the results in personnel training records. Download the free 216-page FOD guide to get them.