OSHA 10 Construction Practice Test: 20 Questions with Answers
Twenty questions on the topics the OSHA 10-Hour Construction Outreach course covers — the Focus Four hazards, fall protection, PPE, hazard communication, trenching, and a worker’s rights under the OSH Act. This is a free knowledge check, not the official 10-hour course: the DOL wallet card is issued only by an OSHA-authorized Outreach trainer, and no online quiz replaces it.
Based on: OSHA 29 CFR 1926 (various Focus Four sections) · OSH Act Sections 5(a)(1) and 11(c) · OSHA Outreach Training Program requirements
Question 1 of 20
OSHA’s "Focus Four" are the four hazard categories behind most construction fatalities. What are they?
Question 2 of 20
On a construction site, at what height does OSHA generally require fall protection on an unprotected side or edge?
Question 3 of 20
Who qualifies as a "competent person" under OSHA’s construction standards?
Question 4 of 20
If no specific OSHA standard covers a particular hazard, what can OSHA still cite an employer under?
Question 5 of 20
An employee reports a safety hazard and believes their employer retaliated against them for it. Under Section 11(c) of the OSH Act, roughly how many days do they generally have to file a complaint with OSHA?
Question 6 of 20
Can an employee request that OSHA inspect their workplace?
Question 7 of 20
In the generally accepted hierarchy of hazard controls, what is preferred over relying on personal protective equipment alone?
Question 8 of 20
Head protection (hard hats) used on construction sites must meet which consensus standard, as referenced by OSHA?
Question 9 of 20
When must employees wear eye or face protection on a construction site?
Question 10 of 20
How many pictograms does OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard require manufacturers to use on chemical labels?
Question 11 of 20
A portable ladder used to access a work surface must extend how far above that surface, if it is being used for access?
Question 12 of 20
Which form does OSHA require many employers to use to record work-related injuries and illnesses?
Question 13 of 20
At what trench depth does OSHA generally require a protective system — shoring, sloping, benching, or a trench box — unless the trench is cut entirely in stable rock?
Question 14 of 20
Which of these is a "struck-by" hazard — one of the Focus Four?
Question 15 of 20
A trench wall collapsing onto a worker is an example of which Focus Four hazard?
Question 16 of 20
Who is generally required to pay for required personal protective equipment on a construction site?
Question 17 of 20
What does OSHA require regarding general housekeeping on a construction site?
Question 18 of 20
Does passing a free online practice quiz like this one issue an OSHA 10-Hour Outreach wallet card?
Question 19 of 20
At what 8-hour time-weighted average noise exposure does OSHA generally require a hearing conservation program, including audiometric testing?
Question 20 of 20
Working near an unguarded, energized overhead power line, what is a key control OSHA requires?
Answer key with explanations (spoilers — take the quiz first)
1. OSHA’s "Focus Four" are the four hazard categories behind most construction fatalities. What are they?
Answer: Falls, electrocution, struck-by, and caught-in/between hazards
These four categories account for the large majority of construction worker deaths, which is why the OSHA 10-Hour Outreach curriculum is built around them.
Source: OSHA Outreach Training Program — "Focus Four" construction hazards
2. On a construction site, at what height does OSHA generally require fall protection on an unprotected side or edge?
Answer: 6 feet
Six feet is the general construction threshold for guardrails, safety nets or a personal fall arrest system on unprotected sides and edges — residential construction uses the same 6-foot number.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(1)
3. Who qualifies as a "competent person" under OSHA’s construction standards?
Answer: Someone capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the workplace, who also has the authority to take prompt corrective action to eliminate them
Both halves matter: the ability to spot the hazard, and the actual authority to fix it. Someone who can see a problem but cannot do anything about it does not meet the definition.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.32(f)
4. If no specific OSHA standard covers a particular hazard, what can OSHA still cite an employer under?
Answer: The General Duty Clause, requiring a workplace free of recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm
The General Duty Clause is a catch-all for serious, recognized hazards that fall outside any specific standard — it does not replace specific standards where one exists, but it fills the gaps.
Source: OSH Act Section 5(a)(1), 29 U.S.C. 654(a)(1)
5. An employee reports a safety hazard and believes their employer retaliated against them for it. Under Section 11(c) of the OSH Act, roughly how many days do they generally have to file a complaint with OSHA?
Answer: 30 days
The 30-day window is why workers are told to report retaliation quickly rather than waiting — Section 11(c) protects employees who exercise safety rights from being fired, demoted, or otherwise punished for it.
Source: OSH Act Section 11(c), 29 U.S.C. 660(c)
6. Can an employee request that OSHA inspect their workplace?
Answer: Yes — an employee or their representative can file a complaint requesting an inspection, and may ask that their identity be kept confidential
This right exists specifically so workers do not have to wait for an injury before raising a hazard — and OSHA can keep the complainant’s name confidential from the employer.
Source: OSH Act Section 8(f) — employee complaints
7. In the generally accepted hierarchy of hazard controls, what is preferred over relying on personal protective equipment alone?
Answer: Eliminating the hazard, or using engineering controls, ahead of PPE as a last line of defense
PPE depends on a person using it correctly, every time — removing the hazard, or engineering it out (guards, ventilation, substitution), fails less often and is why those sit higher in the hierarchy.
Source: Hierarchy of controls (NIOSH / OSHA safety training principle)
8. Head protection (hard hats) used on construction sites must meet which consensus standard, as referenced by OSHA?
Answer: ANSI Z89.1
OSHA’s PPE standard for head protection points to the ANSI Z89.1 consensus standard for the actual performance requirements the hard hat has to meet.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.100(b)
9. When must employees wear eye or face protection on a construction site?
Answer: Whenever there is a reasonable probability of injury from flying particles, chemicals, or radiant energy that eye or face protection could prevent
The trigger is a reasonable probability of a preventable eye or face injury — that covers a lot more tasks than just welding, including grinding, cutting, and chemical handling.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.102(a)(1)
10. How many pictograms does OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard require manufacturers to use on chemical labels?
Answer: 8
Eight — OSHA does not require the ninth, internationally used "environment" pictogram, since environmental hazard labeling falls outside OSHA’s jurisdiction.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1200, Appendix C
11. A portable ladder used to access a work surface must extend how far above that surface, if it is being used for access?
Answer: At least 3 feet above the point of support
That extra 3 feet gives a worker something stable to hold onto while stepping off the ladder onto the landing, instead of transitioning at the very top rung.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(1)
12. Which form does OSHA require many employers to use to record work-related injuries and illnesses?
Answer: OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses)
The 300 Log is the running record employers with recordkeeping obligations keep all year; the related 300A summary gets posted each February for employees to see.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1904.7
13. At what trench depth does OSHA generally require a protective system — shoring, sloping, benching, or a trench box — unless the trench is cut entirely in stable rock?
Answer: 5 feet
Five feet is the general trigger depth; below that, a protective system is only required if a competent person determines the specific soil and site conditions call for one.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.652(a)(1)
14. Which of these is a "struck-by" hazard — one of the Focus Four?
Answer: A worker being hit by a moving vehicle, a falling tool, or a swinging load
Struck-by is about an object or vehicle hitting the worker — falls, electrocution, and caught-in/between are the other three categories, and chronic exposure issues like dust or noise are a different hazard class entirely.
Source: OSHA Outreach Training Program — Focus Four, struck-by hazards
15. A trench wall collapsing onto a worker is an example of which Focus Four hazard?
Answer: Caught-in/between
Caught-in/between covers situations where a worker is trapped, crushed, or pinned — a trench cave-in is one of the deadliest and most common examples of this category.
Source: OSHA Outreach Training Program — Focus Four, caught-in/between hazards
16. Who is generally required to pay for required personal protective equipment on a construction site?
Answer: The employer, with a short list of limited exceptions such as ordinary safety-toe footwear and everyday prescription eyewear in some circumstances
The general rule is employer-paid PPE — the narrow exceptions exist mostly for items an employee would reasonably own and use off the job site anyway.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.95(d)
17. What does OSHA require regarding general housekeeping on a construction site?
Answer: Form and scrap lumber with protruding nails, debris, and other loose materials must be kept clear of work areas, passageways and stairs
Clutter is a direct contributor to trips, falls, and puncture injuries — this is a basic, ongoing requirement, not a one-time, end-of-job task.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.25(a)
18. Does passing a free online practice quiz like this one issue an OSHA 10-Hour Outreach wallet card?
Answer: No — the OSHA 10/30 DOL card is issued only through an OSHA-authorized Outreach trainer; this is a free tool to check your knowledge of the same topics
This practice test and this site’s courses are independent training, not the federal Outreach program — the DOL card has to come from an OSHA-authorized Outreach trainer, full stop.
Source: OSHA Outreach Training Program requirements
19. At what 8-hour time-weighted average noise exposure does OSHA generally require a hearing conservation program, including audiometric testing?
Answer: 85 dBA
Eighty-five dBA as an 8-hour average is the "action level" that triggers hearing conservation program requirements — monitoring, audiometric testing, and hearing protectors offered to exposed workers.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.95(c)
20. Working near an unguarded, energized overhead power line, what is a key control OSHA requires?
Answer: Maintaining a minimum safe distance from the line, or having the utility de-energize or insulate it before work begins
Distance and de-energizing are the two real controls — footwear and tool material are not a substitute for staying clear of, or removing, the hazard itself.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.333(c) — clearance from exposed live parts
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This is a practice quiz, not a certification or a qualification. It is scored in your browser, nothing is recorded, and passing it does not satisfy any OSHA training requirement. Answers reflect the cited standards as published; where your employer, site owner or the equipment manufacturer sets a stricter rule, that rule applies.