Construction Safety and Site Supervision
Scope
Site supervision means directing work safely, legally, and productively. The exam tests OSHA construction standards, hazard recognition, competent-person duties, and the supervisor's role in enforcement and documentation.
Concepts to know
Know the Focus Four hazards: falls, struck-by, caught-in/between, and electrical. Understand fall protection thresholds, excavation protective systems, scaffold and ladder rules, hazard communication, PPE, lockout/tagout, and housekeeping. A competent person is one who can identify existing and predictable hazards and has authority to take prompt corrective measures - that authority element is what exam questions test. Supervisors must conduct toolbox talks, enforce PPE, document inspections, and report incidents. Understand the difference between a hazard abatement and a disciplinary action; safety programs fail when violations go uncorrected.
Traps
Questions often swap thresholds: fall protection is generally required at 6 feet in construction, but scaffolds and some equipment use different triggers. Excavations require a protective system at 5 feet unless in stable rock, while a means of exit is required at 4 feet. Another trap is calling someone a competent person without giving them authority to stop work.
Worked example
A trench is 6 feet deep in class B soil. Because it exceeds 5 feet, a protective system - sloping, shoring, or shielding - is required, and a ladder must be within 25 feet of lateral travel. A competent person must inspect before entry and as conditions change.
Rule of thumb
If you cannot guard it, tie it off. If you cannot correct it, stop work and call the competent person.