CSLB General Building (B) — All Questions

What are the 'Focus Four' hazards responsible for most construction deaths?

• a.Noise, dust, heat, and cold
• b.Slips, trips, cuts, and bruises
• c.Falls, struck-by, caught-in/between, and electrocution✓
• d.Fire, flood, wind, and earthquake

OSHA's Focus Four are falls, struck-by, caught-in/between, and electrocution hazards. These four categories account for the majority of construction fatalities each year. Training emphasizes recognizing and controlling each of them.

Which of the Focus Four hazards causes the greatest number of construction fatalities?

• a.Electrocution
• b.Caught-in/between
• c.Struck-by
• d.Falls✓

Falls are consistently the leading cause of death in construction, making up roughly a third of all industry fatalities. This is why fall protection receives heavy regulatory emphasis. Preventing falls has the greatest single impact on construction safety.

A worker is hit by a swinging load from a crane. Which Focus Four category does this fall under?

• a.Caught-in/between
• b.Fall
• c.Electrocution
• d.Struck-by✓

Being hit by a moving or swinging object such as a crane load is a struck-by hazard. Struck-by incidents also include flying, falling, and rolling objects. Controls include barricading swing zones and keeping workers clear of suspended loads.

A worker's arm is pulled into an unguarded rotating drive shaft. This is an example of which hazard?

• a.Struck-by
• b.Fall
• c.Caught-in/between✓
• d.Chemical exposure

Having a body part drawn into or crushed by machinery is a caught-in/between hazard. Machine guarding and lockout/tagout are key controls for these hazards. Rotating equipment must be guarded to prevent contact with moving parts.

What is the primary purpose of a competent person on a construction site?

• a.To manage payroll
• b.To identify hazards and have authority to correct them promptly✓
• c.To greet visitors
• d.To order lunch for the crew

A competent person is someone capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards and who has the authorization to take prompt corrective measures. OSHA requires a competent person for many activities, such as scaffolding, excavation, and fall protection. Their authority to act is a defining feature of the role.

Which control is considered MOST effective in the hierarchy of controls?

• a.Elimination of the hazard✓
• b.Personal protective equipment
• c.Administrative controls
• d.Warning signs

In the hierarchy of controls, elimination of the hazard is the most effective method because it removes the danger entirely. The full order is elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE. PPE is the least effective and a last line of defense.

Before entering an excavation deeper than 5 feet, what is generally required?

• a.A protective system such as sloping, shoring, or shielding✓
• b.Only a hard hat
• c.Nothing, if the soil looks stable
• d.Permission from customers

Excavations 5 feet or deeper generally require a protective system such as sloping, benching, shoring, or a trench shield, unless made entirely of stable rock. A competent person must inspect the excavation. Trench cave-ins are a deadly caught-in/between hazard.

Where should excavated soil (spoil pile) be placed relative to the edge of a trench?

• a.Directly on the trench edge
• b.At least 2 feet back from the edge✓
• c.It does not matter
• d.Inside the trench

Spoil piles and other materials must be kept at least 2 feet back from the edge of an excavation. This reduces the load on the trench walls and prevents materials from rolling back in. Keeping the edge clear also gives workers a safe exit path.

What is the maximum distance a worker in a trench 4 feet or deeper should be from a means of egress?

• a.100 feet
• b.50 feet
• c.25 feet✓
• d.There is no requirement

In trenches 4 feet or deeper, a stairway, ladder, ramp, or other safe means of egress must be within 25 feet of workers. This ensures a quick exit in an emergency such as a cave-in or water intrusion. The means of egress must extend above the trench top edge.

Which practice best reduces struck-by hazards from vehicles and equipment on site?

• a.Wearing dark clothing
• b.Standing behind backing vehicles
• c.Removing backup alarms
• d.Using high-visibility clothing, spotters, and traffic control✓

Struck-by hazards from vehicles are reduced by high-visibility clothing, trained spotters, backup alarms, and traffic control plans. Workers should stay out of the blind spots of heavy equipment. Establishing exclusion zones keeps workers separated from moving equipment.

A tool left on an overhead beam falls and strikes a worker below. What is the best preventive measure?

• a.Removing all hard hats
• b.Working faster
• c.Ignoring the area below
• d.Toe boards, tool tethers, and barricading areas below overhead work✓

Falling-object struck-by hazards are controlled with toe boards, screens, tool tethers, and barricading the area below overhead work. Hard hats provide protection but should not be the only control. Keeping tools secured at height prevents them from becoming projectiles.

Which hard hat class provides electrical protection up to 20,000 volts?

• a.Class C
• b.Class G
• c.Class E✓
• d.There is no such rating

Class E (Electrical) hard hats are tested to provide protection against contact with up to 20,000 volts. Class G (General) is rated to 2,200 volts, and Class C (Conductive) offers no electrical protection. Selecting the right class matters near energized equipment.

Which is a common caught-in/between hazard during trenching operations?

• a.Sunburn
• b.Cave-in of unprotected trench walls✓
• c.Loud noise
• d.Slippery floors

A cave-in of unprotected trench walls is a deadly caught-in/between hazard because soil is extremely heavy and can bury a worker in seconds. Protective systems and competent-person inspections are essential. Even shallow collapses can cause fatal crushing injuries.

What is the purpose of a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)?

• a.To break a job into steps and identify hazards and controls for each✓
• b.To calculate wages
• c.To schedule vacations
• d.To advertise the company

A Job Hazard Analysis breaks a task into individual steps, identifies the hazards associated with each step, and determines controls to reduce risk. It is a proactive tool for planning safe work. Involving workers who perform the task improves its accuracy.

When working near unstable overhead materials or structures, what is the best first action?

• a.Barricade the area and keep workers out until it is made safe✓
• b.Work directly beneath it quickly
• c.Remove warning signs
• d.Increase the load

Areas with unstable overhead materials should be barricaded and kept clear until the hazard is stabilized or removed. Only trained personnel with proper controls should address the instability. Keeping workers out of the danger zone prevents struck-by and crushing injuries.

Which factor most increases the danger of a trench collapse?

• a.Dry, cool weather
• b.Previously disturbed soil, water intrusion, and vibration from equipment✓
• c.A shallow depth of 1 foot
• d.Bright sunlight

Previously disturbed soil, water accumulation, and vibration from nearby traffic or equipment all increase the likelihood of a trench collapse. A competent person must evaluate these conditions. Soil that has been dug before does not hold together as reliably as undisturbed ground.

What does 'housekeeping' on a construction site help prevent?

• a.Only aesthetic problems
• b.Higher wages
• c.Slips, trips, falls, fires, and struck-by hazards from clutter✓
• d.Faster internet

Good housekeeping keeps walkways clear and removes debris, reducing slips, trips, falls, fire fuel, and struck-by hazards. Materials should be stored neatly and scrap removed regularly. A clean site is a strong indicator of an overall safe operation.

A rigging chain snaps and the load drops. Which Focus Four hazard is most directly involved?

• a.Electrocution
• b.Caught-in/between
• c.Chemical
• d.Struck-by✓

A dropped load from failed rigging is a struck-by falling-object hazard. Rigging must be inspected before use and rated for the load. Workers should never stand under a suspended load.

What is a permit-required confined space?

• a.Any small office
• b.A break room
• c.A parking lot
• d.A confined space with hazards such as toxic atmosphere, engulfment, or entrapment requiring a permit✓

A permit-required confined space has one or more serious hazards, such as a hazardous atmosphere, potential for engulfment, or a configuration that could trap or asphyxiate an entrant. Entry requires atmospheric testing, a permit, and an attendant. These procedures prevent deaths in tanks, vaults, and manholes.

Before entering a permit-required confined space, what must be done regarding the atmosphere?

• a.Nothing, just enter quickly
• b.Light a match to check for gas
• c.Test the atmosphere for oxygen, flammability, and toxicity✓
• d.Spray air freshener

The atmosphere of a permit-required confined space must be tested before entry for oxygen content, flammable gases, and toxic contaminants, in that order. Testing continues or is monitored during entry. Never rely on smell or appearance to judge atmospheric safety.

Which of the following is an engineering control for a construction hazard?

• a.A safety poster
• b.A machine guard that physically blocks contact with moving parts✓
• c.A written policy
• d.A warning email

An engineering control physically removes or isolates a hazard, such as a machine guard, ventilation system, or trench shield. Engineering controls rank above administrative controls and PPE in the hierarchy. They protect workers without depending on individual behavior.

What is the main reason to keep workers out of the 'swing radius' of a crane or excavator?

• a.To prevent struck-by and caught-in/between injuries from the rotating counterweight✓
• b.To save fuel
• c.To reduce noise
• d.To improve the view

The rotating superstructure and counterweight of a crane or excavator can strike or crush a worker caught between it and a fixed object. The swing radius should be barricaded to keep workers out. This is a well-documented cause of construction fatalities.

Which is the correct order of the hierarchy of controls from most to least effective?

• a.Elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE✓
• b.PPE, administrative, engineering, substitution, elimination
• c.Administrative, PPE, elimination, engineering, substitution
• d.Substitution, PPE, elimination, engineering, administrative

The correct hierarchy from most to least effective is elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE. Higher-level controls are more reliable because they do not depend on worker behavior. PPE is the last line of defense.

What should a worker do if they discover a hazard they cannot correct themselves?

• a.Ignore it
• b.Report it to a supervisor or competent person immediately✓
• c.Cover it up
• d.Wait until the next inspection

A worker who finds a hazard beyond their ability to fix should report it to a supervisor or competent person right away. Prompt reporting allows corrective action before someone is hurt. Marking or barricading the hazard temporarily can protect others in the meantime.