OSHA Safety and Jobsite Hazard Control
Domain 5 - OSHA Safety and Jobsite Hazard Control
This domain tests 29 CFR 1926 construction standards and the ability to recognize and abate the 'Focus Four' hazards: falls, struck-by, caught-in/between, and electrocution. OSHA's General Duty Clause, § 5(a)(1), also requires a workplace free of recognized hazards not covered by a specific standard.
Core field rules
- Falls - fall protection is required at 6 feet in construction. Guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems are acceptable; a harness alone is not a system - it needs an anchor, connector, and rescue plan.
- Ladders and scaffolds - extension ladders must extend 3 feet above the landing and be set at a 4:1 angle; scaffolds require stable footing, full planking, guardrails, and fall protection at 10 feet.
- Excavations - a protective system is required at 5 feet unless the competent person determines stable rock; inspect daily; provide access every 25 feet; keep spoil and equipment at least 2 feet from the edge.
- Electrical - use GFCI protection or an assured equipment grounding conductor program; maintain lockout/tagout; keep equipment clear of power lines.
- Hazard communication - labels, safety data sheets, and training in a language workers understand.
Worked example
A crew digs a 6-foot trench for a sewer line, stacks spoil 3 feet from the edge, and provides no ladder. Three violations are present: no protective system at 5 feet or deeper, spoil too close to the edge, and no access within 25 feet. The competent person must stop work, install sloping, shoring, or a trench shield, move the spoil, and provide a ladder before re-entry.
Traps
Using the 4-foot general-industry fall threshold instead of 6 feet; treating a harness as complete fall protection; skipping the competent-person inspection; assuming a short entry excuses trench work; and failing to train or document training.