Construction Safety and Occupational Health
Construction Safety and Occupational Health tests OSHA 1926 construction standards and the New Jersey overlay that applies to public employees and regulated hazards on site.
Core hazards
Falls are the leading cause of death. OSHA requires fall protection at 6 ft on construction sites, with guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems. Ladders must be used at the proper angle and secured; scaffolds require stable footing, planking, and guardrails. Excavations 5 ft or deeper need a protective system such as sloping, shoring, or a trench box unless a competent person determines stable rock. Access and egress are required at 4 ft, and daily competent-person inspections are required.
Health and NJ overlay
Silica dust from cutting concrete and masonry requires wet methods or vacuum collection and respiratory protection. Lead-safe renovation practices apply to pre-1978 housing. New Jersey PEOSH covers public-sector employees through the Department of Health, while private employers fall under federal OSHA. Lockout/tagout, GFCI protection, crane exclusion zones, and hazard communication are routine inspection targets.
Worked example
A 6 ft trench is open with a spoil pile at the edge and no ladder. The depth exceeds 5 ft, so a protective system is required; the spoil pile adds surcharge load and must be set back; the crew lacks a safe access point. The competent person should stop work, install a trench box or slope the walls, move the spoil, and provide a ladder within 25 ft of travel.
Traps
Confusing the 6 ft fall threshold with the 5 ft excavation threshold; skipping daily trench inspections; using damaged ladders; dry-cutting silica without controls.