OSHA 500 flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

General Duty Clause

OSH Act Section 5(a)(1) requires each employer to furnish a workplace free of recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.

OSHA inspection priority categories

In order: imminent danger, fatality or catastrophe, valid employee complaint or referral, programmed inspection, and follow-up inspection. Higher-priority categories may preempt lower-priority ones.

Notice of contest deadline

An employer who disagrees with a citation, penalty, or abatement date must file a written notice of contest with the OSHA area director within 15 working days of receiving it.

29 CFR 1926

The part of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations containing OSHA's construction standards, covering construction, alteration, painting, and repair work, including demolition.

State Plan effectiveness requirement

A state safety and health plan approved by OSHA must be at least as effective as the federal program and cover the same hazards; OSHA may fund up to 50 percent of its cost.

Fall protection trigger height

In construction, 29 CFR 1926.501(b) requires conventional fall protection for employees exposed to falls of 6 feet or more to a lower level, with limited defined exceptions.

Guardrail system dimensions

Top rail must be 42 inches plus or minus 3 inches above the walking surface, with a midrail near 21 inches and a toe board of at least 3.5 inches.

Personal fall arrest anchor strength

Anchors must support at least 5,000 pounds per employee attached, or be designed and installed under a qualified person's supervision with a safety factor of at least two.

Portable ladder extension height

Extension ladders must extend at least 3 feet above the upper landing surface and be set at a 4:1 angle, one foot out for every four feet of height.

Excavation protective system threshold

Any trench or excavation 5 feet or deeper must have a protective system such as sloping, shoring, or a shield, unless the excavation is made entirely in stable rock.

Spoil pile setback distance

Excavated material and equipment must be kept at least 2 feet back from the edge of an excavation, and a competent person must inspect excavations daily before work begins.

Power line clearance distance

For overhead lines rated 50 kV or below, equipment and workers must stay at least 10 feet away; add 0.4 inch for each kV above 50.

Class E hard hat

A Class E (Electrical) hard hat provides dielectric protection against contact with conductors up to 20,000 volts; Class G protects to 2,200 volts and Class C gives no electrical protection.

PPE hazard assessment certification

29 CFR 1910.132(d) requires employers to assess workplace hazards to select PPE and to prepare a written certification identifying the workplace evaluated, the person certifying, and the date.

Employer payment for PPE

Under 29 CFR 1926.95, employers must pay for required PPE, except items such as non-specialty safety-toe footwear, non-specialty prescription eyewear, and everyday clothing usable off the job.

ANSI Z87.1 eye protection

Safety glasses, goggles, and face shields must comply with ANSI Z87.1, which is marked on the device; ordinary prescription glasses are not acceptable eye protection unless Z87-rated with side protection.

Respirator fit test and medical evaluation

Before wearing a tight-fitting respirator, an employee must pass a medical evaluation and be fit tested annually; the employer must also provide training and ensure use of NIOSH-approved respirators.

Respirable crystalline silica PEL

29 CFR 1926.1153 sets a permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter as an 8-hour time-weighted average and an action level of 25 micrograms per cubic meter.

Asbestos PEL and excursion limit

Construction asbestos standard 29 CFR 1926.1101 sets an 8-hour time-weighted average PEL of 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter and a 30-minute excursion limit of 1.0 fiber per cubic centimeter.

Lead PEL in construction

29 CFR 1926.62 sets a permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter over 8 hours and an action level of 30 micrograms per cubic meter, triggering monitoring and medical surveillance.

Hexavalent chromium PEL

29 CFR 1926.1126 sets an 8-hour time-weighted average permissible exposure limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter for hexavalent chromium, with an action level of 2.5 micrograms per cubic meter.

Construction noise PEL

29 CFR 1926.52 sets a permissible exposure limit of 90 dBA for an 8-hour shift; 1926.101 requires feasible controls and, where controls are not feasible, hearing protection provided and worn.

Seven core program elements

OSHA's Recommended Practices list management leadership, worker participation, hazard identification and assessment, hazard prevention and control, education and training, evaluation and improvement, and coordination with contractors.

Competent person definition

Under 29 CFR 1926.32(f), a competent person is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings and has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.

Emergency action plan trigger

29 CFR 1926.35 requires an emergency action plan covering escape routes, procedures, and accounting for employees; employers with 10 or fewer employees may communicate the plan orally.

Safety training requirement 1926.21

29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2) requires employers to instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and in the regulations applicable to the work environment.

Job hazard analysis

A job hazard analysis breaks a task into steps, identifies hazards at each step, and specifies controls; it is a core hazard identification method in a written safety and health program.

Recordable injury criteria

A work-related case is recordable if it causes death, days away, restricted work or transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, or a significant injury diagnosed by a physician.

Fatality reporting time limit

An employer must report a work-related fatality to OSHA within 8 hours of learning of it, and must report an in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye within 24 hours.

OSHA 300A posting period

The annual summary of work-related injuries and illnesses, OSHA Form 300A, must be posted in a visible location from February 1 through April 30 of the year following the record year.

Recordkeeping retention period

OSHA injury and illness records (Forms 300, 300A, and 301) must be retained for 5 years following the end of the calendar year they cover, and must be updated as needed.

Incidence rate formula

The recordable incidence rate equals the number of recordable cases multiplied by 200,000, divided by total employee hours worked; 200,000 represents 100 employees working 40-hour weeks for 50 weeks.