OSHA 10 & OSHA 30: the safety card, explained honestly

25 questions · Construction focus (OSHA 10/30 — 29 CFR 1926). Pick an answer for each, then check. Explanations cite the rule each question tests.

1. 1. In construction, fall protection is generally required at working heights of:

   4 ft6 ft or more above a lower level10 ft20 ft

2. 2. The 'Focus Four' construction hazards that cause most fatalities are:

   Noise, dust, heat, coldFalls, electrocution, struck-by, caught-in/betweenFire, chemicals, cuts, strainsCranes, saws, nails, trucks

3. 3. A personal fall arrest system must limit free fall to:

   12 ft6 ft (and prevent contact with a lower level)10 ftAny distance

4. 4. A portable extension ladder used to access an upper landing must extend above the landing surface at least:

   1 ft3 ft5 ftNot required

5. 5. Excavations 5 ft or deeper require:

   Nothing until 10 ftA protective system (sloping, shoring, or a trench box) unless in stable rockA ladder onlyTwo workers

6. 6. Spoil piles and equipment must be kept back from a trench edge at least:

   1 ft2 ft5 ft10 ft

7. 7. Who must inspect a trench before each shift and after rain?

   Any workerA competent person — someone able to identify hazards AND authorized to correct themThe ownerAn engineer always

8. 8. On construction sites, receptacle circuits for portable tools require:

   Nothing specialGFCI protection (or an assured equipment grounding conductor program)Only grounded toolsArc-fault breakers

9. 9. The minimum clearance to keep equipment and materials away from energized overhead power lines up to 50kV is:

   3 ft6 ft10 ft50 ft

10. 10. A damaged extension cord with exposed conductors should be:

    Taped and reusedRemoved from service immediately (destroyed or properly repaired by a qualified person)Used indoors onlyShortened

11. 11. Hard hats are required when:

    Only during demolitionThere is possible danger of head injury from impact, falling/flying objects, or electrical burnsWorking above 6 ftNever for visitors

12. 12. Eye protection when grinding, drilling overhead, or striking masonry must be:

    Ordinary prescription glassesANSI Z87-rated safety glasses/goggles (face shield over them for heavy grinding)SunglassesOptional

13. 13. Scaffolds must be erected, moved, or altered only under the supervision of:

    Any crew memberA competent person qualified in scaffold workThe general contractor's officeThe rental company

14. 14. Struck-by hazards from vehicles on site are reduced by:

    Standing behind vehiclesHigh-visibility apparel, backup alarms/spotters, and never positioning between moving equipment and a fixed objectWorking fasterHeadphones

15. 15. Before a worker enters an excavation near underground utilities, the employer must:

    Dig carefullyContact the utility locating service (call 811), establish locations, and expose by safe means (hand digging near marks)Use a bigger machineNothing

16. 16. Housekeeping on a construction site requires that work areas, passageways and stairs be:

    Cleaned monthlyKept clear of debris, protruding nails bent/removed, and materials stored stablySwept only at closeoutThe laborers' problem

17. 17. A fire extinguisher must be provided on a construction site at least:

    One per floor totalOne rated 2A per 3,000 sq ft of building area, travel distance ≤100 ftOne per companyOnly near fuel

18. 18. When a crew works where noise exposure averages above 90 dBA over 8 hours:

    Nothing is requiredFeasible engineering/administrative controls apply, and hearing protection must be provided and usedEarbuds are fineOnly signage

19. 19. Respirable crystalline silica from cutting concrete/masonry is controlled primarily by:

    Working upwind onlyWet methods or vacuum dust collection per Table 1, plus respiratory protection when requiredPaper masksShort shifts

20. 20. Powder-actuated tools may be operated by:

    Anyone over 18Only workers trained and certified for the specific toolAny journeymanLaborers

21. 21. Workers exposed to vehicular traffic must wear:

    Dark clothingHigh-visibility warning garments meeting the standardAny vestRain gear

22. 22. An aerial lift (boom) operator must:

    Stand on the rails for reachWear a body harness with a lanyard attached to the boom/basket and keep feet on the platform floorExit at height freelyOverride limits

23. 23. First-aid provisions on a construction site require:

    NothingA trained first-aid provider available when a clinic/hospital is not reasonably close, plus first-aid suppliesOnly a phoneAn ambulance on site

24. 24. The OSHA 10-hour construction card is obtained by:

    Passing a state examCompleting a 10-hour Outreach course delivered by an OSHA-authorized trainer (online or in person)Employer sign-offBuying it online instantly

25. 25. Caught-in/between protection when working near rotating equipment includes:

    Loose sleevesMachine guards in place, no loose clothing/jewelry, and equipment de-energized before reaching into itSpeedGloves only

25 questions · General industry focus (29 CFR 1910). Pick an answer for each, then check. Explanations cite the rule each question tests.

1. 1. In general industry, fall protection on walking-working surfaces is required at:

   6 ft4 ft or more above a lower level10 ftOnly on roofs

2. 2. Under HazCom (GHS), every hazardous chemical container in the workplace must have:

   A price tagA label with product identifier, pictograms, signal word, and hazard statements — plus an accessible SDSA lockRed paint

3. 3. A Safety Data Sheet has how many standardized sections?

   481632

4. 4. Lockout/tagout is required when:

   Only on electrical gearServicing or maintaining machines where unexpected energization or stored energy could injure workersThe machine is newA supervisor says so

5. 5. The correct LOTO sequence begins with:

   Removing the lockNotify affected employees, shut down, isolate energy, apply lock/tag, release stored energy, then VERIFY zero energy before workStarting workTesting the machine live

6. 6. Machine guarding must protect the operator from:

   Noise onlyPoint of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, and flying chips/sparksHeat onlyNothing if trained

7. 7. Exit routes in a workplace must be:

   Locked during shiftsUnobstructed, marked with visible EXIT signs, adequately lit, and never locked from the inside during occupancyOne per buildingThrough storage rooms

8. 8. Powered industrial truck (forklift) operators must be:

   Over 21Trained, evaluated, and certified by the employer for the specific truck type, re-evaluated at least every 3 yearsLicensed by the DMVWatched by a spotter always

9. 9. The action level for occupational noise that triggers a hearing conservation program is:

   75 dBA85 dBA as an 8-hour time-weighted average95 dBA100 dBA

10. 10. Before an employee wears a tight-fitting respirator, the employer must provide:

    Only the respiratorMedical evaluation, fit testing, and training under a written respiratory protection programA beard trimNothing

11. 11. A permit-required confined space is one that:

    Is smallHas limited entry/exit, is not designed for continuous occupancy, AND contains a serious hazard (atmosphere, engulfment, configuration)Is undergroundIs dark

12. 12. The first atmospheric test before confined-space entry checks:

    ToxicsOxygen (19.5–23.5% acceptable), then flammables, then toxics — in that orderTemperatureHumidity

13. 13. Portable fire extinguishers in the workplace must be:

    HiddenMounted, identified, accessible, and inspected (monthly visual, annual maintenance) — with employee training where use is expectedBehind locked doorsOne per building

14. 14. PPE selection must be based on:

    CostA workplace hazard assessment, certified in writing by the employerEmployee preferenceCatalog defaults

15. 15. Employers must provide PPE at no cost to employees:

    NeverWith narrow exceptions (e.g., ordinary safety-toe footwear or prescription eyewear the employee keeps)Only for chemicalsOnly for managers

16. 16. Work on exposed energized parts operating at 50V or more requires:

    Speed and careQualified persons, and energized work only when de-energizing is infeasible or creates greater hazard — with shock/arc-flash protectionRubber bootsA helper

17. 17. Flexible cords and power strips in general industry may NOT be used as:

    Temporary power during maintenanceA substitute for fixed/permanent building wiringComputer connectionsBench power

18. 18. Workers exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials (e.g., first-aid responders) are covered by:

    No standardThe bloodborne pathogens standard — exposure control plan, universal precautions, hepatitis B vaccination offerHazCom onlyState law only

19. 19. An emergency action plan must include:

    Only fire drillsEvacuation procedures and routes, alarm systems, accounting for employees, and training — in writing for employers with more than 10 employeesInsurance infoWeather policy

20. 20. Fixed ladders extending more than 24 ft installed today must have:

    A cage onlyA personal fall arrest or ladder safety system (cages alone no longer suffice for new installations)NothingRest platforms only

21. 21. Stored materials must be stacked so they are:

    As high as possibleStable, secured against sliding or collapse, and limited in height where requiredAgainst exit doorsOn stairs if brief

22. 22. Employees have the right under the OSH Act to:

    Nothing beyond wagesA workplace free of recognized serious hazards, to report hazards, request an OSHA inspection, and be free from retaliationOnly PPEChoose their own rules

23. 23. Serious work-related injuries (in-patient hospitalization, amputation, eye loss) must be reported to OSHA within:

    30 days24 hours (fatalities within 8 hours)1 weekNever

24. 24. The OSHA 30-hour card differs from the 10-hour card in that it:

    Expires monthlyProvides deeper coverage intended for supervisors and workers with safety responsibility — same Outreach program, more hours and topicsReplaces licensesIs state-issued

25. 25. If an employer's site rules and an OSHA standard conflict, the worker should understand that:

    Site rules always winThe OSHA standard is the legal minimum — employers may be stricter, never looserNeither appliesThe union decides