Safety, OSHA, and Environmental Compliance
What is tested
Safety, OSHA, and environmental compliance tests hazard recognition, standards, and control methods. The OSHA Focus Four are falls, struck-by, caught-in or between, and electrical.
Core rules
- Fall protection is required at 6 ft in general construction, using guardrails, nets, or personal fall arrest. Ladders, scaffolds, and openings have specific rules.
- Excavations: a protective system is required at 5 ft or deeper unless stable rock is determined; a competent person inspects daily; keep spoils 2 ft back; provide access at 4 ft.
- Scaffolds: competent person, proper base, guardrails, and no work from incomplete platforms.
- Hazard communication, silica dust controls, PPE, and lockout/tagout are common. Environmental controls include SWPPP, erosion controls, concrete washout, spill response, and waste segregation.
- Recordkeeping: OSHA 300 log for recordable cases; report fatalities within 8 hours.
Worked example
A 6 ft deep trench in Type B soil has a 4 ft wide bottom. Type B allows 1:1 sloping (45°). Each side needs 6 ft horizontal for 6 ft vertical. Top width = 4 + 6 + 6 = 16 ft. Reasoning: the slope ratio is horizontal to vertical; add both sides plus bottom width.
Traps
Using the 10 ft fall threshold for general construction; calling anyone a competent person; ignoring the 5 ft trench trigger; assuming Type C soil can be sloped 1:1; forgetting stormwater inspections.