What term describes the measure taken in advance to prevent something dangerous from happening?

• A. Preventive measures
• B. Safety protocols
• C. Precautions
• D. Protective steps

Answer: (C)

Taking precautions means actions you plan and carry out ahead of time to prevent harm from occurring. In everyday CNA practice, precautions are the concrete steps you take before doing a task to reduce risk, such as using proper body mechanics, checking that equipment is working, or getting help when a move is unsafe. Safety protocols are formal rules and procedures that guide how tasks should be done, so they describe the overall process rather than the specific pre-task actions you personally perform. Preventive measures is a broader term for actions taken to prevent danger in general, while protective steps sound similar but is not the standard, widely used term in healthcare. The term precautions directly captures the idea of proactive, ahead-of-time safeguards you apply in the moment.