General Contractor License Safety and OSHA Regulations 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of OSHA's Injury and Illness Prevention Program (I2P2) guidance for construction contractors?
- To replace mandatory OSHA inspections with self-audits
- To proactively identify and control workplace hazards before injuries occur (Correct answer)
- To allow contractors to self-certify compliance without OSHA involvement
- To reduce required PPE standards for compliant employers
Correct answer: To proactively identify and control workplace hazards before injuries occur
An I2P2 establishes a proactive system for finding and fixing hazards before they cause injuries, forming the backbone of a contractor's safety management program.
Question 2: Under OSHA standards, which of the following is a 'competent person' best defined as?
- Any worker with 5+ years of construction experience
- A person capable of identifying hazards and with authority to take corrective action (Correct answer)
- A licensed professional engineer designated by the GC
- An OSHA-certified safety inspector employed by the contractor
Correct answer: A person capable of identifying hazards and with authority to take corrective action
OSHA defines a competent person as someone who can identify existing and predictable hazards and who has authority to take prompt corrective measures.
Question 3: When must a general contractor post the OSHA 300A Annual Summary at a job site?
- Year-round at all construction sites
- From February 1 through April 30 of the following year (Correct answer)
- Only during an OSHA inspection
- Whenever a recordable injury occurs
Correct answer: From February 1 through April 30 of the following year
The OSHA 300A Summary must be posted from February 1 through April 30 each year, covering the prior year's injury and illness data.
Question 4: A worker on a residential roofing project claims the steep slope roof is too steep for conventional fall protection and requests a variance. What alternative fall protection method does OSHA allow for steep-slope roofing?
- No alternative — guardrails are always required
- A written fall protection plan using a safety monitoring system with a designated safety monitor (Correct answer)
- Workers may refuse the task with no penalty
- A warning line system alone is sufficient at any roof height
Correct answer: A written fall protection plan using a safety monitoring system with a designated safety monitor
OSHA allows a written alternative fall protection plan using a safety monitoring system for steep-slope roofing when conventional systems are infeasible, but it must be documented and implemented by a competent person.
Question 5: Under OSHA's heat illness prevention guidance, what is the recommended action when the heat index reaches 103°F–115°F (high risk)?
- Continue normal work with extra water breaks
- Reduce physical demands, use engineering controls, and have a buddy system in place (Correct answer)
- Halt all outdoor work immediately
- Require workers to wear cooling vests only
Correct answer: Reduce physical demands, use engineering controls, and have a buddy system in place
At high-risk heat index levels, OSHA recommends reducing physical demands, using engineering and administrative controls, and implementing a buddy system to watch for heat illness symptoms.
Question 6: Which OSHA standard requires general contractors to develop a written safety program specific to excavation and trenching operations on sites with trenches 5 feet or deeper?
- 29 CFR 1926.652 (Correct answer)
- 29 CFR 1926.501
- 29 CFR 1926.1053
- 29 CFR 1910.146
Correct answer: 29 CFR 1926.652
29 CFR 1926.652 governs excavation and trenching, requiring protective systems and competent person oversight for excavations 5 feet or deeper.
Question 7: A general contractor notices that a subcontractor's crew is not using required eye protection while operating a grinder. Under OSHA's PPE standard, who bears the responsibility for ensuring PPE is worn?
- The PPE manufacturer
- The individual worker only
- Both the employer and the controlling employer on the site (Correct answer)
- Only the subcontractor employer
Correct answer: Both the employer and the controlling employer on the site
Under OSHA's multi-employer citation policy, both the subcontractor as the creating/exposing employer and the GC as the controlling employer share responsibility for ensuring PPE compliance.
General Contractor License Safety and OSHA Regulations 5
What is the primary purpose of OSHA's Injury and Illness Prevention Program (I2P2) guidance for construction contractors?