CSLB General Building (B) — All Questions

Before any excavation or trenching in California, the law requires a contractor to do what?

• a.Only notify the property owner
• b.Wait 30 days
• c.Contact the regional notification center (DigAlert/811) to mark underground utilities✓
• d.Dig a test hole first without notice

California Government Code section 4216 requires excavators to contact the regional one-call center, DigAlert (811), at least two working days before digging so utility owners can mark their buried lines. This prevents striking gas, electric, and other utilities. Failing to call can cause deadly accidents and legal liability.Gov Code §4216 (DigAlert)

Under Cal/OSHA, a trench generally must be protected by sloping, shoring, or shielding once it reaches what depth?

• a.5 feet or deeper (and shallower if a competent person sees a hazard)✓
• b.20 feet
• c.2 inches
• d.50 feet

Cal/OSHA requires cave-in protection such as sloping, benching, shoring, or a trench box for excavations 5 feet deep or greater, and even shallower trenches if a competent person identifies a hazard. Unprotected trenches can collapse and bury workers in seconds. A competent person must inspect trenches daily.Cal/OSHA Title 8

California's Heat Illness Prevention standard requires employers to provide which of the following to outdoor workers?

• a.Only water on very hot days
• b.Nothing until a worker faints
• c.Ice cream breaks
• d.Access to shade, fresh drinking water, rest breaks, and training✓

Cal/OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention standard requires access to shade, plenty of cool drinking water, cool-down rest breaks, acclimatization, and training on recognizing heat illness. High-heat procedures kick in at certain temperatures. Landscapers work outdoors and are a key covered group.Cal/OSHA Title 8

When operating a walk-behind mower on a slope, the recommended practice is to do what?

• a.Mow across the slope (side to side), not straight up and down✓
• b.Mow straight up and down only
• c.Mow only in the rain
• d.Remove all guards first

With a walk-behind mower you mow across the face of a slope so the machine cannot roll back over you and you keep better footing. The opposite applies to riding mowers, which are safer going up and down. Never remove safety guards, and keep hands and feet away from the deck.

In California, a person who applies restricted-use pesticides for hire generally must hold what?

• a.No license at all
• b.Only a driver's license
• c.A Qualified Applicator License or Certificate (QAL/QAC) as applicable✓
• d.A food handler card

California requires applicators of pesticides for hire to be properly licensed or certified, such as holding a Qualified Applicator License (QAL) or Qualified Applicator Certificate (QAC) depending on the work. These credentials show the person is trained in safe, legal pesticide use. Landscapers applying pesticides commercially must comply.

A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for a landscape chemical provides what information?

• a.The retail price only
• b.Hazards, handling, PPE, first aid, and safe storage of the product✓
• c.The plant's watering schedule
• d.The pipe size to use

A Safety Data Sheet lists a chemical's hazards, required personal protective equipment, first aid measures, safe handling and storage, and spill response. Employers must keep SDSs accessible to workers under the hazard communication standard. Workers should review the SDS before using any chemical.

When operating a gas-powered chipper/shredder, which practice is safest?

• a.Wear loose clothing and no eye protection
• b.Reach into the feed chute to clear jams while running
• c.Feed material with your bare hands past the intake
• d.Wear eye and hearing protection, keep hands clear, and never reach into the feed while running✓

Chippers demand snug clothing, eye and hearing protection, and keeping hands well back from the feed opening, using a push stick or the branch itself to feed material. Never reach into the chute while the machine runs, as the feed mechanism can pull in a hand or arm instantly. Always shut down and lock out before clearing a jam.

When using a chainsaw or working near it, which PPE combination is appropriate?

• a.Chaps, eye and hearing protection, gloves, and a hard hat where overhead hazards exist✓
• b.Only sandals and sunglasses
• c.No protection is needed for short cuts
• d.A single glove and shorts

Proper chainsaw PPE includes cut-resistant chaps, eye and hearing protection, sturdy gloves, and a hard hat when limbs could fall. This gear protects against kickback, flying debris, noise, and falling branches. Skipping PPE, even for short cuts, causes serious injuries.

Before servicing or clearing a jam in powered landscape equipment, the safest first step is what?

• a.Increase the throttle
• b.Have a coworker hold the blade
• c.Shut off the engine and disconnect the spark plug or use lockout/tagout✓
• d.Simply tilt the machine

Powered equipment must be shut off and its energy source isolated, such as disconnecting the spark plug wire or applying lockout/tagout, before anyone clears a jam or services it. This prevents accidental startup that could amputate fingers or hands. It is a fundamental rule for mowers, trimmers, and chippers.

A contractor with employees in California generally must have which of the following?

• a.Only a business card
• b.A written Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP)✓
• c.A single first aid bandage
• d.Nothing in writing

Cal/OSHA requires nearly every California employer to establish and maintain a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) that identifies hazards and sets procedures to correct them. It must include training, inspections, and a way for employees to report hazards. It is a foundational Cal/OSHA safety requirement.Cal/OSHA Title 8

When mixing and applying pesticides, the label directions are legally significant because what?

• a.They are only suggestions
• b.They can be ignored by licensed applicators
• c.They apply only to homeowners
• d.The label is the law and must be followed exactly✓

Under pesticide regulations, the product label is a legal document, and using a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its labeling is a violation. The label specifies rates, sites, PPE, and restrictions that must be followed exactly. This protects applicators, the public, and the environment.

Early signs of heat exhaustion in a worker include which of the following?

• a.Heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness, nausea, and headache✓
• b.Improved strength and energy
• c.Dry, comfortable skin and clear thinking
• d.No symptoms at all

Heat exhaustion commonly shows as heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness, nausea, and headache, and it can progress to life-threatening heat stroke if ignored. Affected workers should move to shade, cool down, and drink water. Recognizing these signs early is part of required heat illness training.

When lifting heavy bags of soil or stone, the correct technique is to do what?

• a.Bend at the waist and twist while lifting
• b.Lift with straight legs and a rounded back
• c.Bend the knees, keep the back straight, and lift with the legs✓
• d.Hold the load far from the body

Safe lifting keeps the back straight, bends the knees, and uses the leg muscles to raise the load held close to the body, avoiding twisting. This reduces strain on the lower back, a leading source of landscaping injuries. Heavy or awkward loads should be split or team-lifted.

When working near overhead power lines with tall equipment or ladders, workers must do what?

• a.Touch the line to test it
• b.Maintain a safe clearance distance and treat all lines as energized✓
• c.Lean the ladder on the line
• d.Ignore the lines if they look old

All overhead lines should be treated as energized, and workers must keep required minimum clearances with ladders, poles, and equipment such as loaders and tree-trimming gear. Contact or arcing can be fatal. When work must occur close to lines, the utility should be contacted to de-energize or cover them.

Pesticide containers, after being emptied, should be handled how?

• a.Reused for drinking water
• b.Buried anywhere on site
• c.Left open in the yard
• d.Triple-rinsed and disposed of according to label and regulations✓

Empty pesticide containers should be triple-rinsed, with rinse water added to the spray tank, then disposed of per the label and local regulations. They must never be reused for food, water, or other purposes. Proper disposal prevents contamination and accidental poisoning.

A 'competent person' on a trenching job is someone who can do what?

• a.Identify hazards and has authority to take prompt corrective action✓
• b.Only operate the excavator
• c.Sell the customer more work
• d.Sign the contract

Cal/OSHA defines a competent person as one capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards and who is authorized to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them. On trenching jobs this person inspects the excavation, soil, and protective systems daily. Their authority to stop unsafe work is essential.Cal/OSHA Title 8

When operating a trencher, the operator should do what to stay safe?

• a.Wear loose jewelry and headphones
• b.Let bystanders stand next to the digging chain
• c.Keep bystanders clear, watch for marked utilities, and keep hands and feet away from the chain✓
• d.Dig first, then call DigAlert

Trencher safety means keeping bystanders back, working only after utilities are located and marked, and keeping hands, feet, and clothing away from the moving digging chain. Loose items can be caught by the chain. Utility location must happen before, not after, digging.

When climbing to prune a tree, a professional arborist relies mainly on what for fall protection?

• a.Standing on the top rung of a stepladder
• b.A proper climbing system with rope, harness (saddle), and secure tie-in point✓
• c.Holding onto branches with one hand only
• d.No protection for low limbs

Professional tree climbers use a rope-and-saddle climbing system tied into a sound anchor point to protect against falls while working aloft. Standing on the top of a ladder or relying on hand grip is unsafe. Proper tie-in and inspected gear are essential for tree work.

Appropriate PPE for a worker applying a liquid herbicide typically includes which of the following?

• a.Shorts and sandals
• b.No gloves so you can feel the sprayer
• c.Only sunglasses
• d.Chemical-resistant gloves, eye protection, long sleeves and pants, and any label-required respirator✓

Applying liquid pesticides calls for chemical-resistant gloves, eye protection, long sleeves and pants, closed shoes, and whatever additional protection the label requires, which can include a respirator. The label specifies the minimum PPE for that product. Skin and eye contact with concentrates can cause serious harm.

Backing up a truck and trailer or operating equipment in a crew area is made safer by which practice?

• a.Using a trained spotter and a backup alarm, and checking blind spots✓
• b.Backing quickly with no one watching
• c.Turning off all mirrors
• d.Letting anyone stand directly behind the vehicle

A trained spotter, functioning backup alarm, and careful blind-spot checks greatly reduce the risk of striking a worker or object while backing. Landscape crews often work in tight spaces with equipment moving nearby. Clear communication and awareness prevent serious struck-by incidents.