General Workplace Safety and Health 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the minimum distance from the edge of a roof that OSHA requires guardrails to be installed on construction sites?
- 4 feet
- 6 feet (Correct answer)
- 10 feet
- 15 feet
Correct answer: 6 feet
OSHA requires fall protection when working at heights of 6 feet or more in construction (29 CFR 1926.502).
Question 2: When must a confined space be considered a 'permit-required' confined space?
- When it is larger than 4 feet in diameter
- When it contains or has the potential to contain a serious hazard (Correct answer)
- When more than one worker enters at the same time
- When it is located underground
Correct answer: When it contains or has the potential to contain a serious hazard
A permit-required confined space has serious hazards such as a hazardous atmosphere, engulfment potential, or internal configuration hazards.
Question 3: Which respirator type provides the highest level of respiratory protection?
- Filtering facepiece (N95)
- Half-face air-purifying respirator
- Full-face air-purifying respirator
- Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
SCBAs supply clean air from a carried tank and are used in immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) atmospheres.
Question 4: An employee reports a safety hazard to OSHA and is subsequently fired. This is an example of:
- Constructive dismissal
- Whistleblower retaliation (Correct answer)
- At-will employment
- Disciplinary action
Correct answer: Whistleblower retaliation
Section 11(c) of the OSH Act prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who exercise their safety rights, including filing OSHA complaints.
Question 5: What chemical class is most commonly associated with oxygen-deficient atmospheres in confined spaces?
- Oxidizers
- Inert gases displacing oxygen (Correct answer)
- Flammable liquids
- Corrosive acids
Correct answer: Inert gases displacing oxygen
Inert gases like nitrogen, argon, or CO2 can displace oxygen in enclosed spaces, creating a life-threatening oxygen-deficient atmosphere.
Question 6: According to OSHA, what is the maximum weight a single worker should routinely lift without mechanical assistance?
- 25 lbs
- 35 lbs (Correct answer)
- 50 lbs
- 75 lbs
Correct answer: 35 lbs
OSHA and NIOSH generally recommend a maximum of 35 lbs for routine lifting tasks to prevent musculoskeletal injuries.
Question 7: Which document must workers review and sign before working with a hazardous chemical for the first time?
- Incident report form
- Safety Data Sheet (SDS) acknowledgment (Correct answer)
- Material takeoff sheet
- OSHA 300 log
Correct answer: Safety Data Sheet (SDS) acknowledgment
OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard requires employers to train workers on chemical hazards and ensure SDS access before initial work exposure.
General Workplace Safety and Health 3
What is the minimum distance from the edge of a roof that OSHA requires guardrails to be installed on construction sites?