General Contractor License Construction Safety and OSHA 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under OSHA's Excavation Standard (29 CFR 1926 Subpart P), what is the maximum depth of a trench before protective systems are required?
- 3 feet
- 4 feet
- 5 feet (Correct answer)
- 6 feet
Correct answer: 5 feet
OSHA requires protective systems (shoring, sloping, or trench boxes) for any excavation 5 feet or deeper.
Question 2: What OSHA standard governs the use of scaffolding on construction sites?
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L (Correct answer)
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart Q
- 29 CFR 1910 Subpart D
Correct answer: 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L
29 CFR 1926 Subpart L specifically addresses scaffolding requirements on construction sites.
Question 3: A competent person inspects an excavation and finds standing water at the bottom. What is the correct action?
- Allow workers in with rubber boots
- Remove workers until water is controlled (Correct answer)
- Install a sump pump and allow work to continue immediately
- Reduce the shift length to limit exposure
Correct answer: Remove workers until water is controlled
OSHA requires workers to be removed from excavations with hazardous conditions such as standing water until the hazard is controlled.
Question 4: What is the minimum distance that excavated spoils (dirt) must be kept from the edge of a trench?
- 1 foot
- 2 feet (Correct answer)
- 3 feet
- 5 feet
Correct answer: 2 feet
OSHA requires spoils and materials to be kept at least 2 feet from the edge of an excavation to prevent cave-ins.
Question 5: Under OSHA's ladder safety standard, what is the required overlap for extension ladders used to access an upper landing surface?
- 1 foot above the landing
- 2 feet above the landing
- 3 feet above the landing (Correct answer)
- 4 feet above the landing
Correct answer: 3 feet above the landing
Extension ladders must extend at least 3 feet above the upper landing surface they are used to access.
Question 6: Which OSHA standard requires employers to conduct a job hazard analysis before beginning certain construction tasks?
- 29 CFR 1926.21 (Correct answer)
- 29 CFR 1926.502
- 29 CFR 1910.147
- 29 CFR 1926.62
Correct answer: 29 CFR 1926.21
29 CFR 1926.21 requires employers to instruct workers in the recognition and avoidance of hazards, which includes job hazard analysis.
Question 7: What is the maximum noise exposure level allowed by OSHA for an 8-hour workday without hearing protection?
- 85 dBA
- 90 dBA (Correct answer)
- 95 dBA
- 100 dBA
Correct answer: 90 dBA
OSHA's permissible exposure limit for noise is 90 dBA for an 8-hour time-weighted average.
General Contractor License Construction Safety and OSHA 2
Under OSHA's Excavation Standard (29 CFR 1926 Subpart P), what is the maximum depth of a trench before protective systems are required?