OSHA 10-Hour Construction — All Questions

Who is generally responsible for providing required personal protective equipment (PPE) to workers at no cost?

• a.The employer✓
• b.The equipment manufacturer
• c.The local building inspector
• d.The individual worker

With few exceptions (such as ordinary work boots the worker keeps), the employer must provide required PPE at no cost to workers and ensure it is used and maintained properly. PPE is considered the last line of defense, used after engineering and work-practice controls.

In the hierarchy of hazard controls, where does personal protective equipment (PPE) rank?

• a.It is only used during OSHA inspections
• b.It is the first and most preferred control method
• c.It is the last line of defense, used when other controls cannot fully protect the worker✓
• d.It is equal in preference to eliminating the hazard

PPE is the least preferred control and the last line of defense. Employers should first try to eliminate or substitute the hazard, then use engineering controls, then administrative/work-practice controls, and finally rely on PPE to protect against remaining risk.

Which components make up a personal fall arrest system (PFAS)?

• a.An anchorage, a full-body harness, and a connector such as a lanyard or lifeline✓
• b.A ladder and a tool belt
• c.Only a hard hat and safety glasses
• d.A guardrail and a warning sign

A personal fall arrest system consists of an anchorage, a full-body harness worn by the worker, and a connecting device such as a shock-absorbing lanyard or self-retracting lifeline (sometimes remembered as the ABCs: Anchorage, Body harness, Connector). Body belts are no longer allowed for fall arrest.

When should a worker inspect PPE such as a hard hat or fall protection harness?

• a.Only when an OSHA inspector requests it
• b.Only after it has already failed
• c.Only once when it is first purchased
• d.Before each use, checking for cracks, damage, or wear✓

PPE should be inspected before each use for cracks, dents, frays, damage, or excessive wear, and damaged equipment must be removed from service. A cracked hard hat or frayed harness webbing may fail when it is needed most, so routine inspection is essential.