RPLS Safety Regulations and Compliance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A survey crew is setting up equipment on a two-lane rural highway. According to the MUTCD, which sign must be the first one encountered by approaching drivers in a work zone?
- Road Work Ahead (W20-1) (Correct answer)
- Flagger Ahead (W20-7)
- Be Prepared to Stop (W3-4)
- One Lane Road Ahead (W20-4)
Correct answer: Road Work Ahead (W20-1)
The 'Road Work Ahead' sign (W20-1) is the advance warning sign placed farthest from the work space to alert drivers first.
Question 2: When is a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) most effectively performed?
- After an incident occurs to document root causes
- Before the task begins, ideally during project planning (Correct answer)
- At the end of the workday for the following day's tasks
- Annually as part of the safety program review
Correct answer: Before the task begins, ideally during project planning
A JHA is most effective when performed before work begins, allowing hazards to be identified and controls put in place proactively.
Question 3: In the hierarchy of hazard controls, which method offers the highest level of worker protection?
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Administrative controls
- Engineering controls
- Elimination of the hazard (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Elimination of the hazard
Elimination removes the hazard entirely and is the most effective control; PPE is the last resort and offers the least reliable protection.
Question 4: A surveyor discovers an unmarked underground utility while probing. The correct immediate action under OSHA and state 811 rules is to:
- Mark the utility and continue excavation carefully
- Stop digging, expose the utility by hand, and contact the facility owner (Correct answer)
- Fill the probe hole and shift the work area 5 feet away
- Complete the survey and report the utility on the final plat
Correct answer: Stop digging, expose the utility by hand, and contact the facility owner
Unmarked utilities must be carefully hand-exposed and reported to the facility owner before any mechanical excavation resumes.
Question 5: Under OSHA recordkeeping (29 CFR 1904), which work-related injury must be recorded on the OSHA 300 log?
- Any injury requiring first aid only
- Injuries resulting in days away from work, restricted duty, or medical treatment beyond first aid (Correct answer)
- All near-miss incidents regardless of outcome
- Any injury that occurs off-site during a survey assignment
Correct answer: Injuries resulting in days away from work, restricted duty, or medical treatment beyond first aid
OSHA 300 log entries are required for work-related injuries involving medical treatment beyond first aid, lost time, restricted duty, or job transfer.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of a pre-task safety briefing (tailgate meeting) for a survey crew?
- To satisfy OSHA documentation requirements
- To communicate site-specific hazards and controls before work begins (Correct answer)
- To review the equipment maintenance log
- To assign individual liability for accidents
Correct answer: To communicate site-specific hazards and controls before work begins
Tailgate meetings communicate hazards, controls, and emergency procedures specific to that day's work location and tasks.
Question 7: When must flaggers be used instead of signs alone in a highway work zone, per MUTCD guidance?
- When the work zone is on a divided highway
- When sight distance, lane closure, or traffic complexity requires human control that signs cannot provide (Correct answer)
- Whenever more than two workers are present in the work zone
- Only when directed by a licensed traffic engineer
Correct answer: When sight distance, lane closure, or traffic complexity requires human control that signs cannot provide
Flaggers are required when traffic conditions, sight distance limitations, or complex merges exceed what static signing alone can safely manage.
RPLS Safety Regulations and Compliance 3
A survey crew is setting up equipment on a two-lane rural highway.
According to the MUTCD, which sign must be the first one encountered by approaching drivers in a work zone?