OSHA 10 — Construction

Exam blueprint

Sourced from OSHA Outreach Training Program 10-Hour Construction Procedures (Revised 04-01-2024)

• Introduction to OSHA20%
• Focus Four — Falls15%
• Focus Four — Electrocution15%
• Focus Four — Caught-In/Between5%
• Focus Four — Struck-By15%
• Personal Protective Equipment10%
• Health Hazards in Construction10%
• Electives (employer/instructor choice)10%

1. 01Introduction to OSHA

   ~60min

   OSHA's mission, what your rights as a worker are, what your employer must do, and how to get help when you need it. Two of the ten mandatory hours.

   • OSHA mission and creation

     The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 created OSHA to ensure safe and healthful working conditions. OSHA covers most private-sector employers and their workers, plus some public-sector workers, in all 50 states either directly or through an OSHA-approved State Plan. Construction workers are covered by 29 CFR Part 1926, the Construction Industry standards.

     Reference: 29 CFR Part 1926 · read the standard ↗

   • Worker rights and the right to refuse

     Workers have the right to: a workplace free of recognized hazards, training in a language they understand, copies of safety data sheets and injury logs, and the right to file a complaint with OSHA. Workers also have a limited right to refuse work that poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical harm — but only after asking the employer to fix it, and only when there is no time to wait for an OSHA inspection.

     Reference: OSH Act §11(c) 29 U.S.C. 660(c)

   • OSHA poster and reporting requirements

     Employers must post the OSHA 'It's the Law' poster (OSHA 3165) in a conspicuous place at the worksite. Worker fatalities must be reported to OSHA within 8 hours; inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, and loss of an eye within 24 hours. Workers can call 1-800-321-OSHA or file online to report a hazard or fatality.

     Reference: 29 CFR 1904.39

   Practice questions (2)

   1. 1. A foreman tells a crew that OSHA does not apply because the crew is non-union. What is correct?

      • A.The foreman is correct — OSHA only covers union jobs
      • B.OSHA covers most private-sector workers regardless of union status
      • C.OSHA only covers federal-contract jobs
      • D.OSHA only applies to projects over 1 million dollars

      Pick an answer to see the explanation.

   2. 2. You are scared a hazard will hurt someone. Which of these is the FIRST step OSHA expects?

      • A.Walk off the job and call 1-800-321-OSHA
      • B.Tell the employer about the hazard and ask them to correct it
      • C.File a §11(c) retaliation complaint preemptively
      • D.Take photos for a personal injury lawyer

      Pick an answer to see the explanation.

2. 02Focus Four hazards

   ~90min

   Falls, electrocution, caught-in/between, and struck-by — the four hazards that account for ~63% of construction worker deaths every year. The 10-hour devotes substantial time to all four.

   • Falls — the 6-foot trigger

     Construction fall protection is required when workers are exposed to a fall of 6 feet or more to a lower level. Acceptable systems are guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall-arrest systems. The threshold applies on roofs, scaffolds, ladders, leading edges, and around any unprotected hole.

     Reference: 29 CFR 1926.501

   • Electrocution — overhead power lines

     Equipment, ladders, scaffolds, and workers must stay at least 10 feet away from overhead lines rated 50 kV or below. For higher voltages, add 4 inches per 10 kV above 50. Lines must be assumed energized unless and until verified de-energized AND visibly grounded at the worksite.

     Reference: 29 CFR 1926.1408

   • Caught-in/between — trenches and rotating equipment

     Workers can be crushed or pulled into excavations, machinery, or moving parts. Trench protective systems (sloping, shoring, shielding) are required at depths over 5 feet (or any depth in unstable soil). Guards on rotating equipment must be in place before the equipment runs.

     Reference: 29 CFR 1926.652

   • Struck-by — flying, falling, swinging objects

     Hard hats are required when there is a possibility of head injury from impact, falling/flying objects, or electrical shock. Workers should never stand under a suspended load. Vehicle blind spots cause struck-by fatalities — high-vis apparel and a competent spotter are the controls.

     Reference: 29 CFR 1926.100

   Practice questions (2)

   1. 1. On a flat commercial roof 8 feet above the ground, fall protection is required?

      • A.No — flat roofs are exempt
      • B.No — under 10 feet does not trigger protection
      • C.Yes — the construction trigger is 6 feet
      • D.Only if the worker requests it

      Pick an answer to see the explanation.

   2. 2. A worker is unloading lumber from a flatbed and is hit by a sliding bundle. Which Focus Four hazard?

      • A.Caught-in/between
      • B.Struck-by
      • C.Electrocution
      • D.Fall

      Pick an answer to see the explanation.

3. 03PPE and health hazards

   ~60min

   When PPE is required, who pays for it, and how to recognize the silent health hazards (silica, asbestos, lead, noise) that hurt workers years after the exposure.

   • Employer pays for required PPE

     PPE — hard hats, eye/face protection, hearing protection, fall-arrest systems, gloves, respirators — is provided by the employer at no cost to the worker. Narrow exceptions: ordinary safety-toed footwear and prescription safety eyewear when the worker is allowed to take them off-site. Replacement is also employer-paid except when the worker has lost or intentionally damaged the gear.

     Reference: 29 CFR 1926.95(d)

   • Respirable crystalline silica

     Silica dust from cutting or grinding concrete, masonry, or stone causes silicosis, lung cancer, and kidney disease. The OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 50 µg/m³ over an 8-hour TWA. Most jobs use Table 1 — choose the listed task, follow the listed engineering control (water, vacuum), and you don't need exposure monitoring.

     Reference: 29 CFR 1926.1153

   Practice questions (1)

   1. 1. A new hire on a concrete-cutting job is told they must buy their own dust mask. Correct?

      • A.Yes — masks are personal hygiene items
      • B.No — respirators are employer-paid PPE under 1926.95(d)
      • C.Yes, but only for the first 30 days
      • D.Only if they signed an arbitration clause

      Pick an answer to see the explanation.

External resources

• Official
  OSHA Pocket Guide to Construction Safety (Pub 3252) ↗

  40-page agency-published condensation of the most-cited construction standards. Skim this twice — half the 10-hour content traces to its pages.

• Official
  OSHA 'It's the Law' Worker Rights Poster (3165) ↗

  The poster every employer must display. Reading it through is a 5-minute primer on every right the Introduction module covers.

• Official
  OSHA Construction Focus Four Training Modules ↗

  Free downloadable instructor guides + student handouts for all four Focus Four hazards. Use these to test yourself between modules.