CESSWI Safety and Communication 3 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of a pre-construction meeting in the context of SWPPP communication?
- To sign contracts between the owner and contractor
- To ensure all parties understand SWPPP requirements, roles, and inspection procedures before ground disturbance (Correct answer)
- To review the architectural drawings
- To negotiate bid prices for BMP installation
Correct answer: To ensure all parties understand SWPPP requirements, roles, and inspection procedures before ground disturbance
Pre-construction meetings align all stakeholders on SWPPP obligations, inspection schedules, and responsible parties before earth-disturbing activities begin.
Question 2: When an inspector identifies that a subcontractorânot the prime contractorâhas caused an erosion violation, who bears regulatory responsibility?
- The subcontractor alone bears all liability
- The permit holder (typically the owner or prime contractor) remains responsible and must ensure correction (Correct answer)
- The inspector bears responsibility for not catching it sooner
- The local municipality is automatically liable
Correct answer: The permit holder (typically the owner or prime contractor) remains responsible and must ensure correction
Under most NPDES construction general permits, the permit holder is ultimately responsible for all earth-disturbing activities on the site, including subcontractor work.
Question 3: What does the term 'qualified personnel' mean in the context of SWPPP inspections?
- Anyone employed by the construction company
- Someone with sufficient training, experience, and knowledge to identify erosion and sediment control deficiencies and implement corrective actions (Correct answer)
- A licensed professional engineer only
- Any state employee
Correct answer: Someone with sufficient training, experience, and knowledge to identify erosion and sediment control deficiencies and implement corrective actions
Most permits define qualified personnel as someone with training and knowledge to assess BMPs and identify deficiencies, not necessarily a licensed PE.
Question 4: An inspector finds a silt fence that is completely buried in sediment and no longer functional. What is the most critical communication step?
- Note it as compliant since the fence did its job collecting sediment
- Document the deficiency with photos and measurements and issue a written corrective action notice with a deadline (Correct answer)
- Verbally tell the nearest worker and move on
- Remove the fence yourself to restore the site
Correct answer: Document the deficiency with photos and measurements and issue a written corrective action notice with a deadline
A non-functional BMP must be formally documented and a written corrective action notice issued, creating a regulatory paper trail and establishing accountability.
Question 5: What is the correct protocol when an inspector observes potentially hazardous materials (e.g., fuel spill) during a storm water inspection?
- Clean it up personally using available materials
- Notify the site supervisor immediately and follow the SWPPP's spill response plan (Correct answer)
- Document and leave without notification since it is not an erosion issue
- Report it only in the next scheduled inspection
Correct answer: Notify the site supervisor immediately and follow the SWPPP's spill response plan
Spill response procedures in the SWPPP govern notification and cleanup; the inspector's role is notification and documentation, not personal cleanup.
Question 6: How frequently must inspection reports typically be completed under the EPA's Construction General Permit (CGP) for sites with common discharge to impaired waters?
- Monthly
- Every 7 calendar days (Correct answer)
- Every 14 calendar days
- Once per month during the dry season only
Correct answer: Every 7 calendar days
The EPA CGP requires inspections at least every 7 calendar days for sites with common discharge points to impaired waters or with high potential for erosion.
Question 7: When wearing a high-visibility vest on a construction site, what color classification is typically required for workers near moving traffic?
- Class 1 (minimal background material)
- Class 2 or Class 3 depending on traffic speed and proximity (Correct answer)
- Any bright-colored vest regardless of ANSI classification
- High-visibility requirements only apply to flaggers
Correct answer: Class 2 or Class 3 depending on traffic speed and proximity
ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or Class 3 vests are required depending on traffic speed and worker proximity to moving vehicles.
CESSWI Safety and Communication 3
What is the purpose of a pre-construction meeting in the context of SWPPP communication?