60 questions
What class of fire extinguisher should be readily available where solvent-borne coatings are used?
- a.An extinguisher rated only for ordinary combustibles
- b.A pressurized water extinguisher of at least five gallons
- c.An extinguisher rated only for energized electrical equipment
- d.An extinguisher rated for flammable liquids✓
Solvent fires are flammable liquid fires, which require an extinguishing agent rated for that class, commonly in a multi-rated unit. An extinguisher rated only for wood and paper is the wrong agent. Water spreads a burning solvent rather than extinguishing it. An electrical-only rating does not address the burning liquid.
A painter pours solvent from a five-gallon can into a smaller metal container. What practice reduces the fire risk?
- a.Pour quickly so the transfer takes the least possible time
- b.Pour in a warm room so the solvent flows more freely
- c.Bond the containers together and ground the dispensing can✓
- d.Use a plastic funnel to keep the stream from splashing
Liquid flowing between containers generates static, and bonding equalizes the potential so no spark jumps at the point where vapor is richest. Speed increases charge generation rather than reducing risk. Warmth increases vapor concentration above the liquid. A plastic funnel is an insulator and can build charge instead of dissipating it.
A crew runs extension cords and a spray pump from a temporary panel on a residential jobsite. What electrical protection applies?
- a.A surge protector strip at the end of each cord run
- b.A circuit breaker sized above the pump's rated amperage
- c.Cords rated for indoor use kept off wet surfaces
- d.Ground-fault circuit interrupter protection✓
Construction sites require ground-fault protection for personnel because cords, water, and metal ladders regularly coincide. A surge protector guards equipment, not people. Oversizing a breaker defeats overcurrent protection. Indoor-rated cords are the wrong equipment outdoors regardless of where they are laid.
A daily inspection finds an extension cord with the ground pin missing. What is the correct action?
- a.Wrap the plug end in electrical tape and continue using it
- b.Use the cord only for lighting rather than for tools
- c.Use the cord with a two-prong adapter at the receptacle
- d.Remove the cord from service until repaired or replaced✓
A missing ground pin removes the fault path that keeps a tool housing from becoming energized, so the cord is tagged out of service. Tape does not restore a conductor. Lighting circuits are not exempt from grounding requirements. An adapter conceals the defect rather than correcting it.
A crew washes brushes and rollers on a residential jobsite. Where may the rinse water go?
- a.Into the gutter, since latex paint is water-based and harmless
- b.Into a contained system or sanitary sewer as local rules allow, not into the street✓
- c.Onto the landscaping, where the soil will filter the material
- d.Into the storm drain after the solids have settled out
Storm drains discharge to waterways without treatment, so paint wash water is contained and disposed of according to local requirements, often to the sanitary sewer. Latex rinse water carries pigments, biocides, and surfactants and is not harmless. Discharging to soil is an uncontrolled release. Settling solids does not make the remaining water acceptable for a storm drain.
How should leftover solvent-borne coating and used thinner be handled at the end of a job?
- a.Poured into the same container and left with the property owner
- b.As hazardous waste, stored and taken to an authorized facility✓
- c.Allowed to evaporate in open cans until only solids remain
- d.Placed in the jobsite dumpster once the lids are sealed
Solvent-borne coatings and used thinner are hazardous waste in California and must be accumulated and delivered to an authorized handler. Leaving them with a homeowner transfers a regulated waste to someone unequipped to handle it. Evaporating solvent into the air is an uncontrolled emission. Construction dumpsters are not permitted to receive hazardous waste.
A worker suffers an injury on a painting job that requires inpatient hospitalization. What is the employer's reporting duty?
- a.Record it on the injury log and report it in the annual summary
- b.Report it to the workers' compensation carrier only
- c.Report it to Cal/OSHA only if the injury results in a fatality
- d.Report it to Cal/OSHA immediately, within the short window the regulation allows✓
California requires employers to report serious injuries, illnesses, and deaths to the nearest Cal/OSHA district office immediately, within a very short window. Log recording is a separate duty that does not satisfy the reporting requirement. Notifying the insurer does not notify the regulator. Serious injuries short of death are reportable.
A painting contractor hires two employees for the first time. What insurance obligation attaches?
- a.Only general liability coverage naming the CSLB as an insured
- b.Only a surety bond increase to cover the additional employees
- c.Workers' compensation coverage, with proof filed with CSLB✓
- d.Only commercial auto coverage for the employees' vehicles
A California licensee with employees must carry workers' compensation and file a certificate with the board, and failure to do so results in automatic license suspension. General liability is important but does not cover employee injuries. The contractor's bond is a consumer protection instrument, not injury coverage. Auto coverage addresses vehicle liability only.
A painter must enter a large empty water tank to coat the interior. What is required before entry?
- a.A flashlight, a partner outside the hatch, and a cell phone
- b.A respirator with organic vapor cartridges and a rope
- c.Ventilation alone, since the tank has been empty for weeks
- d.Atmospheric testing, ventilation, a permit, and an attendant✓
A tank being coated is a permit-required confined space with an oxygen-deficient and solvent-rich atmosphere, so testing, ventilation, a written permit, an attendant, and rescue arrangements all apply. An informal buddy at the hatch is not an attendant with rescue capability. Cartridge respirators do not supply oxygen and are inadequate here. Time since the tank was emptied does not establish a safe atmosphere.
A homeowner asks the crew to remove the guardrails from a scaffold so the wall behind them can be painted. What is the correct response?
- a.Remove the rails briefly, since the exposure lasts only a few minutes
- b.Remove the rails and have a worker hold the ladder as a substitute
- c.Keep the protection in place and use another method behind the rails✓
- d.Remove the rails and reinstall them after the customer inspects the wall
Fall protection stays in place while workers are exposed, and the small area behind a rail is reached by other means or coated as the scaffold is dismantled under controlled conditions. Brief exposure is when most falls happen. A worker holding something is not a fall protection system. Reinstalling rails after the exposure is over protects nobody during the work.