Barber Infection Control & Safety Practice Questions
Infection Control & Safety makes up 8 of every 50 questions on a Tigertest Barber practice test. Here are 10 of the 32 questions on it, each with the answer and the reason.
Updated by the Tigertest team. Based on the NIC National Barber Theory Examination outline (bulletin effective June 1, 2025: 60 items, 50 scored, 90 minutes). Original questions. Some states use their own exam; check your board.
1. Which level of decontamination kills all microbes, including bacterial spores?
- A.Pasteurization
- B.Sterilization
- C.Disinfection
- D.Sanitization
Answer: B. Sterilization destroys every microbe, spores included, and is done with an autoclave. Disinfection kills most pathogens on nonporous surfaces but not necessarily spores.
2. What must be done to a comb before it goes into a disinfectant?
- A.Dry it with a towel
- B.Soak it in alcohol
- C.Rinse it in hot water only
- D.Remove hair and debris
Answer: D. Disinfectant cannot reach a surface covered in hair, oil or product, so implements are cleaned with soap and water first, then fully immersed.
3. Who registers the disinfectants used in barbershops?
- A.The EPA
- B.The CDC
- C.OSHA
- D.The FDA
Answer: A. The Environmental Protection Agency registers disinfectants and approves their label claims. OSHA regulates workplace safety, and the FDA regulates cosmetics.
4. A boil on a client's neck is most often caused by which bacteria?
- A.Diplococci
- B.Spirochetes
- C.Staphylococci
- D.Streptococci
Answer: C. Staphylococci, round bacteria that grow in grapelike clusters, cause abscesses and boils. Streptococci grow in chains and cause strep throat; diplococci grow in pairs.
5. Rod-shaped bacteria are called:
- A.Spirilla
- B.Fungi
- C.Bacilli
- D.Cocci
Answer: C. Bacilli are rod-shaped and are the most common bacteria; tetanus and tuberculosis are caused by bacilli. Cocci are round and spirilla are spiral.
6. A disinfectant label gives a 10-minute contact time. A comb is removed after 5 minutes. The comb is:
- A.Not yet disinfected
- B.Sterilized
- C.Safe if rinsed
- D.Fully disinfected
Answer: A. Disinfectants work only when the surface stays wet for the full contact time on the label. At 5 minutes the comb must go back in for the full time.
7. Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, a barbershop must keep:
- A.Equipment receipts
- B.Client record cards
- C.Daily sales logs
- D.Safety Data Sheets
Answer: D. OSHA requires a Safety Data Sheet for every hazardous product, kept where workers can reach it. It lists hazards, safe handling and first aid.
8. A client cut during a service is bleeding. What should the barber do first?
- A.Wipe it with a towel
- B.Stop the service
- C.Finish the haircut
- D.Apply aftershave
Answer: B. Blood exposure procedure starts with stopping the service, then putting on gloves, cleaning the injury, applying antiseptic and a bandage, and disinfecting everything that touched blood.
9. A razor blade that has touched blood should be:
- A.Stored in a closed drawer
- B.Discarded in a sharps box
- C.Rinsed and reused next time
- D.Wiped with alcohol and kept
Answer: B. Contaminated blades go into a puncture-resistant sharps container. Rinsing or wiping does not make a blade safe to reuse.
10. Standard precautions mean treating every client's blood and body fluids as:
- A.Infectious only if visible
- B.Harmless after drying
- C.Safe unless labeled
- D.Potentially infectious
Answer: D. Standard precautions assume any blood or body fluid may carry a bloodborne pathogen, because many carriers show no symptoms.
Practice all 32 infection control & safety questions, and the rest of the 200-question bank, in the free Barber training sets. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
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