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OSHA 500 practice questions

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Question 1Introduction to OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Act, which created OSHA, was signed into law in which year?

  1. 1982
  2. 1965
  3. 1970 Correct answer.
  4. 1975

Explanation

The OSH Act was signed on December 29, 1970, and took effect on April 28, 1971. It created OSHA within the Department of Labor and a separate research institute, NIOSH.

Question 2Introduction to OSHA

OSHA operates as an agency within which federal department?

  1. Department of Commerce
  2. Department of Labor Correct answer.
  3. Department of Health and Human Services
  4. Department of the Interior

Explanation

OSHA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor, headed by the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. NIOSH, created by the same Act, sits within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in HHS.

Question 3Introduction to OSHA

Which section of the OSH Act requires employers to furnish a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm?

  1. Section 11(c)
  2. Section 8(c)
  3. Section 5(a)(1) Correct answer.
  4. Section 18

Explanation

Section 5(a)(1), the General Duty Clause, imposes this broad obligation where no specific standard addresses the hazard. It requires a recognized hazard, likelihood of serious harm, and a feasible means of abatement.

Question 4Introduction to OSHA

A self-employed consultant works alone in a home office and has no employees. How does the OSH Act treat this individual?

  1. Required to file an annual injury summary with OSHA
  2. Covered as an employer with full recordkeeping obligations
  3. Covered only where the state operates an approved plan
  4. Generally not covered by OSHA Correct answer.

Explanation

Coverage under the Act runs to employers and their employees in affected workplaces, and the self-employed are expressly excluded. With no employees, there is no employment relationship for OSHA to regulate.

Question 5Introduction to OSHA

An employer must report the work-related death of an employee to OSHA within what maximum time?

  1. 24 hours
  2. 8 hours Correct answer.
  3. 30 calendar days
  4. 72 hours

Explanation

29 CFR 1904.39 requires reporting a work-related fatality within 8 hours of learning of it. In-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye carry a 24-hour deadline.

Question 6Introduction to OSHA

Which OSHA regulation contains the rule for recording and reporting occupational injuries and illnesses?

  1. 29 CFR 1926
  2. 29 CFR 1915
  3. 29 CFR 1904 Correct answer.
  4. 29 CFR 1910

Explanation

Part 1904 is the Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses rule. Part 1910 covers general industry standards, 1926 covers construction, and 1915 covers shipyard employment.

Question 7Introduction to OSHA

The OSHA Form 300A annual summary must be posted in the workplace during which period?

  1. April 1 to June 30
  2. February 1 to April 30 Correct answer.
  3. December 1 to January 31
  4. January 1 to March 31

Explanation

The employer must post the annual summary in a conspicuous place where notices are customarily posted from February 1 through April 30 of the year following the reporting year. Posting is required even when no recordable cases occurred, as long as the establishment must keep records.

Question 8Introduction to OSHA

Which federal entity conducts research and issues recommendations on occupational safety and health but has no enforcement authority?

  1. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  2. Mine Safety and Health Administration
  3. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Correct answer.
  4. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Explanation

NIOSH was created by the same 1970 Act that created OSHA and conducts research, recommends exposure limits, and performs health hazard evaluations. It cannot cite employers; that authority rests with OSHA and, for mining, MSHA.

Question 9Introduction to OSHA

OSHA schedules inspections according to a priority system. Which category receives the highest priority?

  1. Programmed inspections of high-hazard industries
  2. Catastrophes and fatal accidents
  3. Imminent danger situations Correct answer.
  4. Formal employee complaints

Explanation

The priority list begins with imminent danger, followed by fatalities and catastrophes, then employee complaints and referrals, then programmed inspections, and finally follow-ups. Imminent danger outranks the others because a death or serious harm could occur immediately.

Question 10Introduction to OSHA

An employer that disagrees with a citation must file a notice of contest within what period?

  1. 30 calendar days
  2. 10 calendar days
  3. 15 working days Correct answer.
  4. 20 working days

Explanation

Section 10(a) gives the employer 15 working days from receipt of the citation and proposed penalty to contest before the OSHA Area Director. If the deadline passes, the citation becomes a final order not subject to review.

Question 11Introduction to OSHA

An employee believes she was demoted for reporting a safety hazard to OSHA. Within how many days must she file a discrimination complaint with OSHA?

  1. 60 days
  2. 30 days Correct answer.
  3. 6 months
  4. 15 working days

Explanation

Section 11(c) protects employees from retaliation for exercising rights under the Act, and a complaint must be filed within 30 days of the alleged adverse action. OSHA then investigates and may pursue reinstatement and back pay.

Question 12Introduction to OSHA

During the physical walkaround of an OSHA inspection, who may accompany the compliance officer?

  1. Only a certified industrial hygienist retained by the employer
  2. Any person the employer chooses, with no employee involvement
  3. A representative authorized by the employees, or an employee where no authorized representative exists Correct answer.
  4. Only the plant manager, at the employer's sole discretion

Explanation

Section 8(e) entitles both an employer representative and an employee-authorized representative to accompany the compliance officer. Where employees have no authorized representative, the officer must consult with a reasonable number of employees.

Question 13Introduction to OSHA

What is the maximum period after a violation occurs in which OSHA may issue a citation?

  1. 12 months
  2. 6 months Correct answer.
  3. 3 years
  4. 30 days

Explanation

Section 9(c) requires issuance of a citation within six months of the occurrence of any violation. The period may be extended only where the employer failed to post the citation as required.

Question 14Introduction to OSHA

To establish a General Duty Clause violation, OSHA must show that the hazard was recognized and that:

  1. The employer had been cited for the same condition in a prior year
  2. An employee had already been injured by the hazard
  3. A feasible means existed to abate it and it was likely to cause death or serious harm Correct answer.
  4. A specific OSHA standard already covers the same hazard

Explanation

A General Duty Clause case requires a recognized hazard likely to cause death or serious physical harm, employer knowledge, and a feasible and useful means of abatement. Neither a prior citation nor an actual injury is an element.

Question 15Introduction to OSHA

A state wishes to run its own occupational safety and health program. Its plan must:

  1. Provide standards and enforcement that are at least as effective as the federal program Correct answer.
  2. Adopt only the standards the state considers appropriate
  3. Limit coverage to state government employees
  4. Be approved by Congress rather than by OSHA

Explanation

Section 18 allows states and territories to operate their own programs, but OSHA must approve the plan and it must be at least as effective as the federal program in standards and enforcement. Approved plans must also cover state and local government employees.

Question 16Introduction to OSHA

An employee suffers a work-related amputation and is admitted to the hospital as an in-patient. Within what time must the employer report the event to OSHA?

  1. 24 hours Correct answer.
  2. 7 calendar days
  3. 72 hours
  4. 8 hours

Explanation

Amputations, in-patient hospitalizations, and losses of an eye must be reported within 24 hours of the employer learning of them. Only a fatality carries the 8-hour deadline.

Question 17Introduction to OSHA

An employee asks for a copy of the employer's current OSHA Form 300 injury log. When must the employer provide it?

  1. Within 15 working days
  2. Within 30 calendar days
  3. Only when an OSHA inspection is underway
  4. By the end of the next business day Correct answer.

Explanation

29 CFR 1904.35(b)(2) requires the employer to give the employee, former employee, or representative a copy of the current log by the end of the next business day after the request. The employee may make such a request once per calendar quarter.

Question 18Introduction to OSHA

Within how many calendar days must an employer enter a newly recordable injury or illness on the OSHA Form 300 log?

  1. 14 calendar days
  2. 3 calendar days
  3. 7 calendar days Correct answer.
  4. 10 calendar days

Explanation

The employer must record a case on the Form 300 within seven calendar days of receiving information that it is recordable. Late entry does not excuse the obligation to record.

Question 19Introduction to OSHA

What is the purpose of the opening conference at the start of an OSHA inspection?

  1. To negotiate the scope of the employer's abatement plan
  2. To explain the purpose and scope of the inspection and to request injury and illness records Correct answer.
  3. To issue citations and propose monetary penalties
  4. To interview employees privately about workplace hazards

Explanation

At the opening conference the compliance officer presents credentials, explains why the inspection is being conducted and what it will cover, and requests the OSHA 300 logs and 300A summaries. Citations, if any, are issued later by the Area Director rather than during the visit.

Question 20Introduction to OSHA

An employer refuses to permit an OSHA compliance officer to inspect the workplace. In light of Marshall v. Barlow's, Inc., OSHA may:

  1. Immediately cite the employer for a willful violation
  2. Ask state or local police to conduct the inspection instead
  3. Proceed with the inspection because the Act authorizes warrantless searches
  4. Seek an inspection warrant from a federal court Correct answer.

Explanation

The Supreme Court held in Marshall v. Barlow's, Inc. (1978) that the Act does not authorize inspections over an employer's objection without a warrant. OSHA may obtain an administrative inspection warrant from a federal district court.

Question 21Introduction to OSHA

An employer cannot install required engineering controls because the necessary equipment will not be available for 18 months. Which mechanism should the employer seek?

  1. An experimental variance
  2. An exemption based on a national consensus standard
  3. A permanent variance
  4. A temporary variance Correct answer.

Explanation

A temporary variance is available when the employer cannot comply by the effective date because of unavailability of professional or technical personnel, materials, or equipment, or because necessary construction cannot be completed in time. The application must include a compliance plan and a schedule for reaching compliance.

Question 22Introduction to OSHA

Under Section 5(b) of the OSH Act, employees are required to:

  1. Report all unsafe conditions to OSHA within 24 hours
  2. Purchase their own personal protective equipment when it is required
  3. Comply with occupational safety and health standards applicable to their own actions and conduct Correct answer.
  4. Conduct monthly self-inspections of their own work areas

Explanation

Section 5(b) places a duty on each employee to comply with standards and with all rules, regulations, and orders issued under the Act that apply to the employee's own actions and conduct. The duty to furnish required personal protective equipment, by contrast, rests with the employer.

Question 23Introduction to OSHA

How does the statutory maximum penalty for a willful or repeated violation compare with that for a serious violation?

  1. The willful or repeated maximum is ten times the serious maximum Correct answer.
  2. Only willful violations carry monetary penalties; repeated violations do not
  3. The willful or repeated maximum is $1,000 more than the serious maximum
  4. They are identical

Explanation

Section 17 of the Act sets the willful or repeated maximum at ten times the serious maximum, and the annual inflation adjustments have preserved that ratio. Repeated violations involve conditions the employer was previously cited for, and willful violations involve intentional disregard or plain indifference.

Question 24Introduction to OSHA

An establishment in a non-exempt industry employed eight workers at all times during the previous calendar year. With respect to OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping, the employer:

  1. Must keep full records because the partial exemption applies only to establishments with five or fewer employees
  2. Is partially exempt from routine recordkeeping unless OSHA or BLS asks in writing, but must still report fatalities and severe injuries Correct answer.
  3. May stop recording once one case has already been recorded for the year
  4. Must keep the Form 300 log but is excused from posting the 300A summary

Explanation

29 CFR 1904.1 partially exempts establishments that had ten or fewer employees at all times during the previous calendar year from routine recordkeeping unless OSHA or BLS asks them in writing to keep records. The separate duty to report fatalities, in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and eye losses still applies.

Question 25Introduction to OSHA

Section 6(c) of the OSH Act allows OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard when:

  1. Employees face grave danger from a new hazard or a toxic or physically harmful agent and the standard is needed to protect them Correct answer.
  2. An employer requests relief from a standard that is technologically infeasible
  3. A violation has been classified as de minimis
  4. A state plan has not yet received final federal approval

Explanation

An emergency temporary standard may be issued when employees are exposed to grave danger and a standard is necessary to protect them from that danger. It takes effect immediately and must be followed by permanent rulemaking, which the courts have required to proceed expeditiously.

Question 26Introduction to OSHA

In what year did the Occupational Safety and Health Act become federal law?

  1. 1968
  2. 1970 Correct answer.
  3. 1972
  4. 1969

Explanation

The OSH Act was signed into law on December 29, 1970, and took effect on April 28, 1971, the date now observed as Workers' Memorial Day. The law created OSHA within the Department of Labor and the independent Review Commission.

Question 27Introduction to OSHA

Where must an employer display the OSHA 'It's the Law' poster (Publication 3165)?

  1. Only in establishments with 25 or more employees
  2. Where employee notices are customarily posted Correct answer.
  3. Only when an OSHA inspection has been scheduled
  4. Only in the human resources office

Explanation

Employers covered by the OSH Act must post the official OSHA notice in a conspicuous place where notices to employees are normally posted, so workers can see their rights and how to file a complaint. There is no size threshold and it must remain posted at all times, not just during inspections.

Question 28Introduction to OSHA

Which set of OSHA regulations applies to construction work?

  1. 29 CFR 1926 Correct answer.
  2. 29 CFR 1904
  3. 29 CFR 1952
  4. 29 CFR 1910

Explanation

29 CFR Part 1926 contains the safety and health standards for construction, while Part 1910 covers general industry. Part 1904 governs injury and illness recordkeeping, and Part 1952 addresses approved State Plan operations.

Question 29Introduction to OSHA

Which group is generally outside the coverage of the OSH Act?

  1. Nurses at a community hospital
  2. Machine operators at a manufacturing plant
  3. Cashiers at a national retail chain
  4. Self-employed people with no employees Correct answer.

Explanation

The Act covers employers and employees in businesses affecting interstate commerce; a self-employed person with no employees has no covered employment relationship. Workers in manufacturing, retail, and health care are covered, as are most private-sector employees.

Question 30Introduction to OSHA

Under OSHA's personal protective equipment rules, who pays for required PPE?

  1. The employer may charge employees the full retail cost of PPE
  2. The employer may require employees to supply their own PPE
  3. PPE costs are shared equally by employer and employee
  4. The employer must provide required PPE at no cost Correct answer.

Explanation

The PPE standard requires the employer to furnish, at no cost to employees, the protective equipment needed to comply with applicable standards. Only narrow exceptions exist, such as non-specialty safety-toe footwear and prescription safety eyewear that employees may wear off the job.

Question 31Introduction to OSHA

What distinguishes OSHA's On-site Consultation Program from its enforcement programs?

  1. It issues citations but with reduced penalties
  2. It is a free service kept separate from enforcement Correct answer.
  3. It replaces the employer's duty to comply with standards
  4. It is open only to employers in State Plan states

Explanation

The consultation program provides free, confidential assistance, largely delivered through state agencies, and does not issue citations or propose penalties. Employers who correct identified hazards may qualify for SHARP recognition, but participation does not excuse compliance obligations.

Question 32Introduction to OSHA

An employee asks to see copies of his personal exposure and medical records. Within what period must the employer provide them?

  1. Within 15 working days Correct answer.
  2. Within 24 hours of the request
  3. Within 30 calendar days
  4. Within 7 calendar days

Explanation

The access-to-exposure-and-medical-records standard requires the employer to provide requested records to the employee or representative within 15 working days. The employer may charge a reasonable copying fee but cannot delay access beyond that period.

Question 33Introduction to OSHA

A worker believes a serious hazard exists at his jobsite. What may he do under the OSH Act?

  1. Conduct an independent inspection of the worksite
  2. Demand that OSHA cite the employer within 24 hours
  3. Order the employer to shut down until hazards are abated
  4. File a signed written complaint requesting an inspection Correct answer.

Explanation

Any employee may file a written, signed complaint alleging a violation and request an inspection; the employee's identity can be kept confidential from the employer. Enforcement authority, including any decision to cite or order abatement, remains with OSHA, not with individual workers.

Question 34Introduction to OSHA

What is the role of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC)?

  1. It independently reviews contested citations Correct answer.
  2. It conducts research on workplace hazards
  3. It issues the citations and proposed penalties
  4. It sets penalty amounts through rulemaking

Explanation

The Review Commission is an independent adjudicatory agency, separate from OSHA, that decides cases when an employer timely contests a citation or penalty. Its decisions may be appealed to a U.S. Court of Appeals.

Question 35Introduction to OSHA

What is OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP)?

  1. A rulemaking track for adopting new consensus standards
  2. An inspection program that targets high-hazard worksites
  3. A voluntary program recognizing exemplary safety programs Correct answer.
  4. A grant program that funds safety training for small businesses

Explanation

VPP recognizes employers that have implemented comprehensive safety and health management systems and achieved injury and illness rates below their industry averages. Participants are approved at levels such as Star, Merit, and Demonstration, and receive recognition rather than exemption from the Act.

Question 36Introduction to OSHA

Under OSHA's multi-employer citation policy, which employer can be cited for a hazard on a worksite?

  1. An employer that only delivers materials to the site
  2. An employer that submitted the lowest bid for the job
  3. An employer that created or controlled the hazard Correct answer.
  4. An employer that owns the land but performs no work

Explanation

OSHA may cite an employer that created the hazard, one that controls the hazard or the site, or one whose own employees were exposed to it. Passive roles such as delivering supplies, owning land without involvement, or winning a contract at a low price do not by themselves create citation liability.

Question 37Introduction to OSHA

A worker believes his assigned task will cause immediate death or serious injury. When may he refuse to perform it?

  1. When a good-faith belief of imminent danger exists Correct answer.
  2. Any time the employer violates a recordkeeping rule
  3. Only after OSHA has issued a citation for the hazard
  4. Whenever another employee has filed a complaint

Explanation

Protected refusal to work requires a good-faith belief that death or serious injury is imminent, a reasonable fear of that harm, no time to have the danger corrected through normal channels, and no realistic alternative for the employee. The refusal must also not itself create a greater danger.

Question 38Introduction to OSHA

Before OSHA issues a permanent standard under Section 6(b), the Secretary must find that the hazard poses:

  1. Widespread employee complaints about the hazard
  2. Significant risk and that the standard is feasible Correct answer.
  3. At least one fatality caused by the hazard
  4. A consensus standard published by a standards body

Explanation

Section 6(b) requires a threshold finding that workers face a significant risk of material health impairment or injury and that the standard is technologically and economically feasible. The feasibility finding is what courts scrutinize when industry challenges a new rule.

Question 39Introduction to OSHA

Before OSHA issues a new safety or health standard for construction, it must consult with which body?

  1. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
  2. The Small Business Administration
  3. Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health Correct answer.
  4. The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission

Explanation

The construction industry has its own statutory advisory committee, the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH), which must be consulted on proposed construction standards. General industry standards are the province of NACOSH, and NIOSH and the Review Commission play different roles.

Question 40Introduction to OSHA

Employees believe the abatement date in a citation is unreasonably far in the future. What may they do?

  1. Ask the Secretary of Labor to withdraw the citation
  2. Contest the amount of the proposed penalty
  3. Contest the citation itself before the Review Commission
  4. Contest the abatement period within 15 working days Correct answer.

Explanation

Employees are not parties who may contest a citation or its penalty, but the Act lets them challenge the reasonableness of the abatement period by filing a notice within 15 working days. The contest is limited to the time allowed for correction, not to the existence of the violation.

Question 41Construction Focus Four Hazards

Under OSHA construction standards, at what minimum height above a lower level must employees generally be provided fall protection?

  1. 15 feet
  2. 10 feet
  3. 4 feet
  4. 6 feet Correct answer.

Explanation

Section 1926.501(b)(1) requires that each employee on a walking/working surface with an unprotected side or edge 6 feet or more above a lower level be protected using guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems. Some specific operations in 1926.501(b) carry different triggers, but the general construction threshold is 6 feet.

Question 42Construction Focus Four Hazards

A guardrail system is installed along an elevated walking surface. What is the required height of the top edge of the top rail?

  1. 36 inches
  2. 54 inches
  3. 48 inches
  4. 42 inches Correct answer.

Explanation

Section 1926.502(b)(1) requires the top edge height of top rails to be 42 inches, plus or minus 3 inches, above the walking/working level. The tolerance allows for variations while keeping the rail at a height that restrains a falling worker.

Question 43Construction Focus Four Hazards

Employees are exposed to falling objects on a construction site. Which action does OSHA require of the employer?

  1. Requiring employees to wear protective helmets that meet ANSI Z89.1 Correct answer.
  2. Requiring hard hats only where overhead work is scheduled that day
  3. Providing head protection only when objects could fall from more than 10 feet
  4. Assigning a spotter to watch for falling material

Explanation

Section 1926.100(a) requires that employees working in areas where there is a possible danger of head injury from impact, falling or flying objects, or electrical shock be protected by protective helmets. Helmets must meet ANSI Z89.1 (or be equally effective).

Question 44Construction Focus Four Hazards

Temporary 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacle outlets on a construction site are not part of the permanent wiring. Which safeguard does OSHA require for these outlets?

  1. A surge arrestor
  2. A step-down transformer
  3. GFCI protection Correct answer.
  4. A lockout device

Explanation

Section 1926.404(b)(1)(i) requires ground-fault circuit interrupter protection for all 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacle outlets on construction sites that are not part of the permanent wiring of the building or structure. The employer may instead implement an assured equipment grounding conductor program.

Question 45Construction Focus Four Hazards

Absent a competent person's determination that a protective system is unnecessary, at what depth must employees in an excavation be protected from cave-ins?

  1. 10 feet or more
  2. 5 feet or more Correct answer.
  3. 6 feet or more
  4. 4 feet or more

Explanation

Section 1926.651(i)(1) requires protective systems for employees in excavations 5 feet or more in depth, unless the excavation is made entirely in stable rock or a competent person determines there is no indication of a potential cave-in. Trenches less than 5 feet deep must still be examined by a competent person for signs of ground movement.

Question 46Construction Focus Four Hazards

How far back from the edge of an excavation must excavated material and equipment be kept, or otherwise retained by a retaining device?

  1. 4 feet
  2. 2 feet Correct answer.
  3. 6 feet
  4. 1 foot

Explanation

Section 1926.651(j)(2) requires that employees be protected from excavated or other materials or equipment that could pose a hazard by falling or rolling into excavations. Protection must be provided by placing and keeping the materials or equipment at least 2 feet from the edge, or by using retaining devices.

Question 47Construction Focus Four Hazards

Each anchor point used for a personal fall arrest system must be capable of supporting what minimum load for each employee attached?

  1. 3,000 pounds
  2. 5,000 pounds Correct answer.
  3. 1,000 pounds
  4. 10,000 pounds

Explanation

Section 1926.502(d)(15) requires anchorages for personal fall arrest systems to be independent of any anchorage used to support or suspend platforms and capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds per employee attached. Alternatively, the anchorage may be designed and installed under the supervision of a qualified person as part of a complete fall arrest system with a safety factor of at least two.

Question 48Construction Focus Four Hazards

A portable ladder is used to reach an upper landing. How far must the side rails extend above the landing surface?

  1. 18 inches
  2. 12 inches
  3. 24 inches
  4. 36 inches Correct answer.

Explanation

Section 1926.1053(b)(1) requires portable ladders used for access to an upper landing surface to extend at least 3 feet above the upper landing surface. When that extension is not possible, the ladder must be secured and a grasping device such as a grab rail provided.

Question 49Construction Focus Four Hazards

What is the required height for the intermediate (mid) rail of a guardrail system?

  1. 30 inches
  2. 24 inches
  3. 21 inches Correct answer.
  4. 18 inches

Explanation

Section 1926.502(b)(2) requires midrails, screens, mesh, or intermediate vertical members to be installed midway between the top edge of the guardrail and the walking/working surface, which is approximately 21 inches. With a 42-inch top rail, 21 inches places the midrail at the midpoint.

Question 50Construction Focus Four Hazards

What is the maximum arresting force a personal fall arrest system may impose on an employee wearing a body harness?

  1. 1,800 pounds Correct answer.
  2. 2,500 pounds
  3. 900 pounds
  4. 5,000 pounds

Explanation

Section 1926.502(d)(16)(ii) limits the maximum arresting force on an employee to 1,800 pounds when using a body harness in a personal fall arrest system. Body belts are not permitted for fall arrest because they concentrate arrest forces on the torso.