NABCEP Workplace Safety and OSHA 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A PV installer working on a scaffold must be protected from falls when the scaffold platform is at or above:
- 4 feet
- 6 feet
- 10 feet (Correct answer)
- 12 feet
Correct answer: 10 feet
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.451 requires fall protection on scaffolds when the platform is 10 feet or more above the lower level.
Question 2: Which type of respiratory protection requires a fit test before use?
- N95 filtering facepiece respirator
- Powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) with a loose-fitting hood
- Half-mask air-purifying respirator with P100 filters
- Both A and C (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Both A and C
Both N95 filtering facepieces and half-mask APRs rely on a face seal and require quantitative or qualitative fit testing under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134.
Question 3: Under OSHA's lockout/tagout standard (29 CFR 1910.147), tagout alone (without a lockout device) is permitted only when:
- The energy source cannot be locked out due to equipment design (Correct answer)
- The tag is applied by a qualified electrician
- The circuit is under 50 volts
- Two employees verify zero energy simultaneously
Correct answer: The energy source cannot be locked out due to equipment design
Tagout alone is only acceptable if the energy-isolating device is incapable of being locked out, and additional protective measures must compensate for the lesser protection of a tag.
Question 4: Heat illness prevention for solar installers working outdoors in summer includes all of the following EXCEPT:
- Providing cool water nearby
- Acclimatization for new workers
- Requiring workers to wear dark-colored clothing (Correct answer)
- Rest breaks in shade or a cool area
Correct answer: Requiring workers to wear dark-colored clothing
Dark clothing absorbs more heat; OSHA's heat illness prevention guidance recommends light-colored, loose-fitting clothing to reflect heat.
Question 5: An employer wants to use a personal fall arrest system (PFAS) on a rooftop PV installation. The anchor point must be capable of supporting at least:
- 1,000 lbs per worker attached
- 2,500 lbs per worker attached
- 5,000 lbs per worker attached (Correct answer)
- The manufacturer's rated load plus 25%
Correct answer: 5,000 lbs per worker attached
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.502(d) requires each personal fall arrest system anchor to support at least 5,000 pounds per worker attached.
Question 6: Under OSHA's Eye and Face Protection standard, safety glasses used on a PV job site must comply with which ANSI standard?
- ANSI Z41
- ANSI Z87.1 (Correct answer)
- ANSI Z89.1
- ANSI Z359.1
Correct answer: ANSI Z87.1
OSHA requires eye and face protection to meet ANSI Z87.1, the standard for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices.
Question 7: During solar installation, a worker is injured and misses 3 days of work. Under OSHA recordkeeping rules, this must be recorded on the OSHA 300 log as a:
- First-aid case only
- Restricted work case
- Days-away-from-work case (Correct answer)
- Medical treatment case
Correct answer: Days-away-from-work case
Any work-related injury resulting in one or more days away from work (beyond the day of injury) is classified as a 'days-away-from-work' case on the OSHA 300 log.
NABCEP Workplace Safety and OSHA 4
A PV installer working on a scaffold must be protected from falls when the scaffold platform is at or above: