Safety, Codes, and Regulatory Compliance
Safety programs
Understand the hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE), hazard communication, and the role of the competent person. Know fall protection triggers (6 ft general, 10 ft scaffold, 15 ft steel erection), scaffold rules, and crane exclusion zones. Traps: assuming PPE is the first control, and missing that a competent person is defined by training and authority, not title.
Codes and permits
Study the International Building Code occupancy and construction types, egress requirements, fire-resistance ratings, and the permit and inspection sequence. Know that the authority having jurisdiction interprets the code and that a building permit is distinct from a certificate of occupancy.
Environmental and labor compliance
Understand stormwater permits, erosion control, hazardous waste handling, and OSHA recordkeeping. Know prevailing wage and certified payroll requirements on public work.
Worked example
A worker on a 7 ft platform requires fall protection because the trigger is 6 ft for general industry construction. A 9 ft scaffold also requires it, since the scaffold trigger is 10 ft only for specific guardrail exemptions; the safer reading is to protect above 6 ft unless a specific rule applies.
Rule of thumb
When in doubt, protect at 6 ft; document the competent-person inspection daily.