OSHA 10-Hour Construction Practice Test

Frequently asked questions

How many OSHA 10-Hour Construction practice questions are here?+

A full bank of original OSHA 10-Hour Construction practice questions across the official content areas, weighted like the real exam, with explanations. Free, no signup.

What is the OSHA 10-Hour Construction exam like?+

A multiple-choice exam. Practice by topic here, then take the full timed mock exam to gauge readiness.

Are these the real exam questions?+

No. Every question is 100% original, written from public primary sources with explanations. We never copy real exam questions or paid prep material.

Can I study in Chinese or Spanish?+

PrepPass practice is in English, 中文 and Español. The official exam is in English — switch the question language to English any time to rehearse the exact terminology you'll see on test day.

Sample practice questions

A few real questions from this free bank, with full explanations. Use the practice tool above for the whole set.

  1. 1. Introduction to OSHA

    Under the OSH Act of 1970, what is the primary purpose of OSHA?

    • a.To provide workers' compensation insurance to injured employees
    • b.To assure safe and healthful working conditions by setting and enforcing standards
    • c.To set minimum wage rates for construction workers
    • d.To license contractors before they can bid on public projects

    Answer: b

    Explanation: The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 created OSHA to assure safe and healthful working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance. Wages, licensing, and workers' compensation are handled by other agencies.

  2. 2. Introduction to OSHA

    The General Duty Clause of the OSH Act requires employers to do what?

    • a.Provide health insurance to all full-time employees
    • b.Report every minor first-aid injury to OSHA within 24 hours
    • c.Furnish a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious harm
    • d.Guarantee that no worker will ever be injured on the job

    Answer: c

    Explanation: Section 5(a)(1), the General Duty Clause, requires each employer to furnish a place of employment free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm. It applies especially when no specific standard covers a hazard. It is not an absolute guarantee against all injury.

  3. 3. Introduction to OSHA

    If an employer receives an OSHA citation, what are they generally required to do?

    • a.Post the citation at or near the location of the violation and correct the hazard by the abatement date
    • b.Immediately shut down the entire company permanently
    • c.Ignore it unless a worker was seriously injured
    • d.Pay the fine directly to the workers who reported it

    Answer: a

    Explanation: After a citation is issued, the employer must post it at or near the place where the violation occurred and abate (correct) the hazard by the deadline listed. Employers may contest citations, but they cannot simply ignore them. Penalties are paid to OSHA, not to individual workers.

  4. 4. Focus Four Hazards

    In construction, at what height does OSHA generally require fall protection for workers?

    • a.10 feet
    • b.4 feet
    • c.6 feet
    • d.20 feet

    Answer: c

    Explanation: For most construction work, OSHA requires fall protection at heights of 6 feet or more above a lower level. (Note the general industry trigger is 4 feet and scaffolds is 10 feet, but construction's general threshold is 6 feet.) Falls are the number one cause of construction deaths.

  5. 5. Focus Four Hazards

    Which practice best helps prevent electrocution on a construction site?

    • a.Using metal ladders near overhead power lines to save time
    • b.Removing the grounding prong from a plug so tools fit any outlet
    • c.Working on energized circuits without turning off the power
    • d.Using ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) and maintaining safe distances from power lines

    Answer: d

    Explanation: Using GFCIs, keeping a safe clearance from overhead and buried power lines, and following lockout/tagout to de-energize circuits are key ways to prevent electrocution. Removing grounding prongs, using metal ladders near lines, or working live all increase the danger.

  6. 6. PPE & Lifesaving Equipment

    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

    Answer: c

    Explanation: 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.

  7. 7. PPE & Lifesaving Equipment

    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

    Answer: b

    Explanation: 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.

  8. 8. Health Hazards in Construction

    Which construction activity is a common source of hazardous respirable crystalline silica dust?

    • a.Sweeping a clean office floor
    • b.Painting a wall with a roller
    • c.Cutting, grinding, or drilling concrete, brick, or stone
    • d.Installing carpet tiles

    Answer: c

    Explanation: Cutting, grinding, drilling, or crushing concrete, brick, stone, and mortar releases respirable crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis, lung cancer, and other diseases. Controls include wet methods, vacuum dust collection, and respirators as required by OSHA's silica standard.

  9. 9. Health Hazards in Construction

    Under the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) used in HazCom, what is the purpose of pictograms on a chemical label?

    • a.To show the price of the chemical
    • b.To indicate the manufacturer's phone number
    • c.To display the delivery date
    • d.To quickly communicate the type of hazard through a standardized symbol

    Answer: d

    Explanation: GHS pictograms are standardized symbols inside a red diamond that quickly convey hazard types, such as flame for flammables, skull and crossbones for acute toxicity, or a health-hazard symbol. Along with signal words, hazard statements, and precautionary statements, they help workers recognize dangers at a glance.

  10. 10. Electives

    Before working in a trench 5 feet or deeper, what must generally be in place unless the trench is made entirely of stable rock?

    • a.A protective system such as sloping, benching, shoring, or a trench shield
    • b.A fresh coat of paint on the walls
    • c.At least three workers standing inside at all times
    • d.A ladder placed 50 feet away

    Answer: a

    Explanation: Trenches 5 feet or deeper generally require a protective system (sloping, benching, shoring, or shielding) designed to prevent cave-ins, unless the excavation is entirely in stable rock. A competent person must inspect the excavation daily and as conditions change, and a safe means of egress must be within 25 feet of workers.

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