Safety, Environmental, and Occupational Requirements
Safety is heavily tested and non-negotiable. Know the Focus Four hazards: falls, struck-by, caught-in/between, and electrical. Understand fall protection triggers (commonly 6 ft in general construction, 10 ft in some scopes) and systems: guardrails, safety nets, personal fall arrest. Know ladder rules (4:1 angle, 3-ft extension above landing) and scaffold rules (fully planked, guardrails, competent person).
Master hazard communication (HazCom): safety data sheets (SDS), labeling, and training. Understand PPE requirements, excavation safety (already covered), and confined space basics (permit-required spaces, atmospheric testing, attendant). Know lockout/tagout for energy isolation and competent person designations for scaffolding, excavations, and fall protection.
On the environmental side, understand erosion and sediment control (silt fence, storm drain protection, stabilization), hazardous waste handling, asbestos and lead rules in renovation, and spill prevention. Know that stormwater discharges are regulated (SWPPP) and that disturbed soil must be stabilized.
Worked rule of thumb: A ladder should be set at a 4:1 ratio - 1 ft out for every 4 ft up. A 20-ft reach needs the base about 5 ft from the wall, and the ladder should extend 3 ft above the landing.
Traps: wrong fall-protection height; ladder angle too steep; no competent person; missing SDS; letting sediment leave the site; ignoring confined-space permits.