Safety, Orientation, and Worksite Practices
Start with energy, not with the task
Every job on this exam begins with hazard recognition: list the energy sources present - electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal, chemical, and gravitational - before touching equipment. Lockout/tagout is a sequence, not an act: notify affected workers, shut down, isolate, apply lock and tag, release stored energy (bleed accumulators, block suspended loads, drain lines, discharge capacitors), then verify zero energy by trying the start or testing with a meter.
Traps the exams love
- A tag alone does not isolate energy; lockout and tagout are not interchangeable.
- Only the person who applied a lock removes it; group lockout uses a lockbox with individual locks.
- Fall protection triggers at 6 ft in construction and 4 ft in general industry; ladders use the 4-to-1 rule.
- Permit-required confined spaces require atmospheric testing in order - oxygen first, then flammables, then toxics - with an attendant who stays outside.
- A GFCI protects people, not equipment, and never replaces grounding.
- Housekeeping, hot-work permits, and SDS review are all part of the pre-job checklist, not paperwork after the fact.
Rule of thumb
Ladder base is set one-quarter of the working length from the wall (4:1). For any energized work the sequence is de-energize, lock, verify, then work.
Worked example
A hydraulic press with an accumulator is locked out and the gauge reads zero. The accumulator still stores pressurized oil. Correct step: open the dump valve, watch the gauge fall, and mechanically block the ram before reaching under it. A gauge reading is not proof of zero energy - verification is.