Safety, Tools, and Job-Site Practices
What the exam tests
This domain tests job-site safety and tool use: excavation, confined spaces, hot work, electrical safety, ladders, PPE, and utility location.
Core rules
- Call 811 before digging. Hand-dig near marked utilities.
- Trenches 5 ft or deeper need a protective system: sloping, shoring, or a trench box. Provide access and egress within 25 ft.
- Confined spaces require hazard evaluation, atmospheric testing, ventilation, and attendant procedures.
- Hot work needs a permit, fire watch, and clearance from combustibles. Soldering produces lead and flux fumes; use ventilation and PPE.
- Use GFCI protection on temporary power, inspect cords, and keep ladders at a 4:1 angle.
- Do not use a ladder as a work platform; keep three points of contact.
Worked example
A 6-ft-deep trench in Type B soil is 4 ft wide at the bottom. A 1:1 slope means each side moves out 6 ft, so the top width is 4 + 6 + 6 = 16 ft. If the site cannot provide that width, use a trench box or shoring designed for the depth and soil. A vertical wall in Type B soil at 6 ft is not acceptable without protection.
Traps that cost marks
Entering an unprotected trench to 'just check' a line; no gas monitor in a confined space; soldering near insulation without a fire watch; using a damaged extension cord; standing on the top two ladder rungs.