Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) Practice Test 2025 – All-in-One Study Guide for Exam Success!

Personnel who work in or near cooling towers may be reasonably exposed to Legionnaire's Disease due to the nature of how cooling towers operate and their environment. Cooling towers are systems that use water to cool equipment or buildings, and they can create aerosolized water droplets. If the water in these towers is contaminated with the bacterium Legionella pneumophila, which thrives in warm, stagnant water, these droplets can carry the bacteria into the air. Workers in proximity to these cooling towers can inhale the aerosolized particles, increasing their risk of developing Legionnaire's Disease, a severe form of pneumonia.

The other diseases mentioned are not directly related to cooling towers. Asbestosis involves lung damage from asbestos exposure, which is unrelated to the cooling tower environment. Sweet's Syndrome is a condition characterized by skin lesions and inflammation, not associated with cooling towers or their specific microenvironment. Silicosis is a lung disease caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica dust, often associated with activities such as mining or construction, and again is not linked to cooling towers. Understanding the connections between workplace environments and specific health risks is critical in construction health and safety.