General Contractor License Safety and OSHA Regulations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under OSHA's fall protection standard for construction (29 CFR 1926.502), what is the maximum free-fall distance allowed when using a personal fall arrest system?
- 4 feet
- 6 feet (Correct answer)
- 8 feet
- 10 feet
Correct answer: 6 feet
OSHA limits free-fall distance to 6 feet when using a personal fall arrest system in construction.
Question 2: A construction site has a trench that is 6 feet deep and 4 feet wide. Which of the following is NOT an acceptable OSHA-compliant protective system?
- Sloping the trench walls
- Installing a trench box
- Shoring the walls
- Placing spoil material 1 foot from the edge (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Placing spoil material 1 foot from the edge
OSHA requires spoil material to be placed at least 2 feet from the edge of a trench, not 1 foot.
Question 3: Which OSHA standard covers hazard communication (HazCom) and requires Safety Data Sheets (SDS) on construction sites?
- 29 CFR 1926.100
- 29 CFR 1910.1200 (Correct answer)
- 29 CFR 1926.50
- 29 CFR 1910.132
Correct answer: 29 CFR 1910.1200
The Hazard Communication Standard is 29 CFR 1910.1200, which applies to construction sites via 1926.59.
Question 4: When must a competent person inspect an excavation?
- Once per week
- Daily before work begins
- Before each shift and after any hazard-increasing event (Correct answer)
- Only after rainfall
Correct answer: Before each shift and after any hazard-increasing event
OSHA requires a competent person to inspect excavations before each shift and after any event that could increase hazards, such as rainfall or equipment loading.
Question 5: Under OSHA's scaffold standard, what is the minimum width of a scaffold platform that is more than 14 inches from the face of the work?
- 14 inches
- 18 inches
- 20 inches (Correct answer)
- 24 inches
Correct answer: 20 inches
OSHA requires scaffold platforms to be at least 18 inches wide when within 14 inches of the face, or 20 inches if farther away.
Question 6: A general contractor receives an OSHA Citation with a 15-day contest period. What happens if the contractor misses the deadline to contest?
- The citation is automatically dismissed
- The citation becomes a final order of the OSHA Review Commission (Correct answer)
- OSHA must issue a new citation
- The penalty is reduced by 50%
Correct answer: The citation becomes a final order of the OSHA Review Commission
If an employer fails to contest an OSHA citation within 15 working days, it becomes a final order of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and cannot be appealed.
Question 7: Which type of OSHA violation carries the highest potential penalty and is defined as a violation that could cause death or serious physical harm that the employer knew about?
- Other-than-serious violation
- Serious violation
- Willful violation (Correct answer)
- Repeat violation
Correct answer: Willful violation
A willful violation, where the employer intentionally disregards OSHA requirements or acts with plain indifference, carries the highest penalties of up to $156,259 per violation.
General Contractor License Safety and OSHA Regulations 2
Under OSHA's fall protection standard for construction (29 CFR 1926.502), what is the maximum free-fall distance allowed when using a personal fall arrest system?