Safety and Occupational Health
Safety and Occupational Health is tested through hazard recognition, OSHA construction rules, electrical safe work practices, and documentation. Expect questions on PPE, lockout/tagout, temporary power, ladders, fall protection, and arc-flash boundaries.
Core rules
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926 governs construction; 1910 covers general industry. A hazard assessment selects PPE; eye, head, hand, foot, and hearing protection must match the task.
- NFPA 70E frames electrical safe work: establish an electrically safe work condition by identifying all sources, opening disconnects, locking and tagging, testing for absence of voltage with a properly rated meter, and grounding as needed.
- Temporary receptacles require GFCI protection; extension cords cannot substitute for permanent wiring, be daisy-chained, or run through doorways.
- Ladders require three points of contact, secure footing, and clearance from energized lines. Fall protection is required at 6 ft in construction.
- Confined spaces require entry permits, atmospheric testing, attendants, and rescue plans. SDS access and housekeeping control chemical and slip hazards.
Worked example
A technician must replace a 480 V feed to a rooftop disconnect. The correct sequence is to notify affected occupants, shut down upstream, apply lock and tag, verify the meter CAT rating, test the meter on a known live source, test all conductors phase-to-phase and phase-to-ground, then apply temporary protective grounds if required. PPE is selected from the incident-energy analysis, not from habit. Work proceeds only after zero-voltage verification is documented.
Traps
Assuming a tester is proving voltage when its battery is low; wearing arc-rated PPE only for hot work while skipping shock protection; using a convenience outlet for construction tools without GFCI; and treating 24 V control circuits as automatically harmless when they may interlock 480 V equipment.