ASP ASP Construction Safety and Fall Protection 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A steel erector is working at 25 feet on a structure where conventional fall protection is infeasible. Which alternative measure does OSHA allow for steel erection under 1926 Subpart R?
- Warning line only
- Controlled Decking Zone (CDZ) with safety monitoring (Correct answer)
- Verbal safety instructions from a supervisor
- Reduced work pace requirements
Correct answer: Controlled Decking Zone (CDZ) with safety monitoring
OSHA 1926.760 permits use of a Controlled Decking Zone with a safety monitor as an alternative to conventional fall protection during steel erection under specific conditions.
Question 2: When inspecting a full-body harness prior to use, a safety professional notices a cut in the webbing. The correct action is to:
- Apply duct tape to the cut and continue use
- Tag the harness out of service and remove it from the worksite (Correct answer)
- Report it to the supervisor and continue use cautiously
- Reduce the worker's fall exposure until the harness is repaired
Correct answer: Tag the harness out of service and remove it from the worksite
Any harness with damaged webbing must be immediately removed from service and destroyed to prevent inadvertent use.
Question 3: A hole in a walking-working surface that measures 3 inches in diameter must be covered or guarded when:
- It is in a high-traffic area only
- It is adjacent to an edge
- It presents a trip hazard regardless of size
- Always — any hole must be protected under OSHA 1926.502(b) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Always — any hole must be protected under OSHA 1926.502(b)
OSHA 1926.502(b) requires covers or barriers for all holes in walking-working surfaces, regardless of size, that a worker could step into or fall through.
Question 4: What is the required horizontal distance between a warning line and an unprotected roof edge during roofing operations?
- 3 feet minimum
- 6 feet minimum (Correct answer)
- 10 feet minimum
- 15 feet minimum
Correct answer: 6 feet minimum
OSHA 1926.502(f) requires warning lines to be erected at least 6 feet from the roof edge on low-slope roofs.
Question 5: During a construction site inspection, you observe workers using body belts instead of full-body harnesses for fall arrest. Which OSHA regulation is being violated?
- 1926.500 — Scope of fall protection
- 1926.502(d) — Personal fall arrest systems prohibiting body belts (Correct answer)
- 1926.503 — Training requirements
- 1926.501 — Duty to have fall protection
Correct answer: 1926.502(d) — Personal fall arrest systems prohibiting body belts
OSHA 1926.502(d) explicitly prohibits the use of body belts as the sole means of personal fall arrest in construction.
Question 6: A construction worker falls 4 feet and is arrested by a PFAS. The maximum total fall distance (including deceleration distance and harness elongation) must not exceed:
- 6 feet
- 10 feet
- 12.5 feet (Correct answer)
- 18 feet
Correct answer: 12.5 feet
OSHA limits total fall distance to 12.5 feet when using a PFAS: 6 ft free fall + 3.5 ft deceleration + 1 ft harness elongation + 2 ft safety factor.
Question 7: Under the hierarchy of controls for fall protection in construction, which approach is most preferred?
- Personal fall arrest systems (PFAS)
- Warning line systems
- Elimination of the fall hazard through engineering design (Correct answer)
- Administrative controls such as scheduling high-risk work during low-traffic periods
Correct answer: Elimination of the fall hazard through engineering design
Elimination of the fall hazard—such as designing work to be performed at grade—is the highest-order control in the hierarchy.
ASP ASP Construction Safety and Fall Protection 5
A steel erector is working at 25 feet on a structure where conventional fall protection is infeasible.
Which alternative measure does OSHA allow for steel erection under 1926 Subpart R?