Jobsite Safety and Environmental Compliance
The Focus Four
Falls, struck-by, caught-in/between, and electrocution account for most construction fatalities. Know the construction thresholds that questions love to swap: fall protection is required at 6 feet in general construction, at 10 feet on scaffolds, and an excavation protective system is required at 5 feet. Trenches 4 feet or deeper need a means of egress such as a ladder within 25 feet of lateral travel. Excavations require inspection by a competent person before entry, daily, and after rain.
Programs and paperwork
Hazard communication requires safety data sheets, labeling, and training. PPE, respiratory protection for silica and lead, lockout/tagout, and crane and rigging rules are frequent topics. Recordkeeping: a fatality must be reported within 8 hours; an in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye within 24 hours.
Environmental compliance
Stormwater permits and SWPPPs, silt fence and inlet protection, contained concrete washout, dust and noise control, spill prevention, asbestos and lead handling before demolition, and proper debris disposal. Erosion and sediment controls are inspected and maintained, not installed once and forgotten.
Traps
Importing general-industry numbers (the 4-foot fall rule) into construction; assuming a trench box removes the need for a competent person; applying the 25-foot ladder rule to the whole site instead of the trench; forgetting that environmental controls must be maintained through the project.
Rule of thumb: when a question gives a height, first name the activity - general construction, scaffold, ladder, or excavation - then apply that activity's number.