Safety, Lead and Asbestos, and Jobsite Regulation
What this domain tests
This domain covers MIOSHA construction safety standards, excavation and fall protection, the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule for lead paint, asbestos NESHAP notification in Michigan, and site rules such as utility locating. Items reward knowing the trigger thresholds exactly.
Core rules
- Fall protection: MIOSHA construction standards require protection at 6 ft and above - guardrails, personal fall arrest, or covers for holes. Ladders extend 3 ft above the landing and are set at about a 4:1 angle.
- Excavations (MIOSHA Part 9): a protective system - sloping, benching, or shoring - is required at 5 ft depth; a means of access within 25 ft of lateral travel; spoil and equipment kept at least 2 ft back from the edge; a competent person inspects daily.
- Lead (RRP, 40 CFR 745): applies to pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities where painted surfaces are disturbed. Triggers are 6 sq ft of interior painted surface per room or 20 sq ft of exterior. Certified firm, certified renovator on site, containment, HEPA vacuuming, cleaning verification, and 3-year recordkeeping. Michigan does not run its own RRP program - EPA administers it here.
- Asbestos: NESHAP requires notification to EGLE before renovation or demolition of regulated asbestos-containing material, and abatement by licensed contractors under MIOSHA asbestos rules.
- Utilities: call MISS DIG (811) at least three working days before digging.
Worked example
A 6 ft deep trench in Type B soil beside a footing. Because depth exceeds 5 ft, the crew must slope at 1:1 (or bench or shore), set a ladder within 25 ft of travel, and keep spoils 2 ft back. Saying "it's only 6 ft" is the trap: the protective-system trigger is 5 ft, not 6 ft.
Traps that cost marks
Confusing the 6 ft fall trigger with the 5 ft excavation trigger; assuming RRP only applies when lead is already known; skipping the 10-working-day asbestos notice; letting a competent person's daily inspection slip.