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 individual worker
• c.The equipment manufacturer
• d.The local building inspector

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

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

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

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.