PSI Workplace Safety and Compliance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the minimum height at which OSHA's general industry fall protection standard requires guardrails on walking/working surfaces?
- 2 feet
- 4 feet (Correct answer)
- 6 feet
- 10 feet
Correct answer: 4 feet
OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.28 requires fall protection when employees are exposed to a fall of 4 feet or more in general industry settings.
Question 2: Which component of a personal fall arrest system (PFAS) connects the harness to the anchor point?
- Body belt
- Lanyard or self-retracting lifeline (Correct answer)
- Safety net
- Toe board
Correct answer: Lanyard or self-retracting lifeline
The lanyard or self-retracting lifeline (SRL) is the connecting component between the full-body harness and the anchor point in a personal fall arrest system.
Question 3: After a personal fall arrest system has arrested a fall, what must happen to the equipment?
- It can be reused immediately if it appears undamaged
- It must be inspected and may be returned to service if no damage is found
- It must be removed from service and inspected before reuse per manufacturer guidelines (Correct answer)
- It should be cleaned and stored for future use
Correct answer: It must be removed from service and inspected before reuse per manufacturer guidelines
OSHA requires that any component of a fall arrest system subjected to fall forces be immediately removed from service and inspected by a competent person before any reuse, per manufacturer guidelines.
Question 4: Under OSHA's scaffolding standard, what is the minimum width of a scaffold platform?
- 12 inches
- 18 inches
- 20 inches (Correct answer)
- 24 inches
Correct answer: 20 inches
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.451 requires scaffold platforms to be at least 18 inches wide, though 20 inches is the minimum for most supported scaffolds used by employees.
Question 5: What is the load capacity requirement for scaffold planking — each plank must support its own weight plus how many pounds per square foot?
- 25 lbs/sq ft
- 50 lbs/sq ft (Correct answer)
- 75 lbs/sq ft
- 100 lbs/sq ft
Correct answer: 50 lbs/sq ft
OSHA requires scaffold planking to be capable of supporting its own weight plus four times the maximum intended load, with a minimum of 50 lbs per square foot for light-duty scaffolds.
Question 6: In construction, when must fall protection be provided for workers on roofs?
- Only when the roof pitch exceeds 4:12
- Whenever workers are on any roof regardless of height
- When the roof edge is 6 feet or more above a lower level (Correct answer)
- Only on roofs higher than 10 feet
Correct answer: When the roof edge is 6 feet or more above a lower level
OSHA's construction standard (29 CFR 1926.502) requires fall protection for employees on roofs when they are exposed to falls of 6 feet or more to a lower level.
Question 7: Which of the following is an acceptable anchor point for a personal fall arrest system?
- An existing pipe that has not been load-tested
- A structural member capable of supporting 5,000 lbs per attached employee (Correct answer)
- Any overhead beam within reach
- The guardrail system at the roof edge
Correct answer: A structural member capable of supporting 5,000 lbs per attached employee
OSHA requires fall arrest anchor points to be capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds per attached employee, or designed with a safety factor of 2 by a qualified person.
PSI Workplace Safety and Compliance 3
What is the minimum height at which OSHA's general industry fall protection standard requires guardrails on walking/working surfaces?