22 General Industry Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. A compliance officer asks a plant manager to produce the facility's hazard communication program. Under 29 CFR 1910.1200, what must the employer have in place?

   • A.A verbal briefing each quarter, which replaces a written plan once all containers carry shipped labels
   • B.A written plan listing only the chemicals whose airborne levels exceed their permissible exposure limits
   • C.A binder of safety data sheets alone, since the sheets state every element a written plan would cover
   • D.A written plan covering labeling, safety data sheets and training, plus a list of the hazardous chemicals present✓ Answer

   1910.1200(e) requires a written program describing how the employer will handle labels, safety data sheets and employee training, and that program must include a list of the hazardous chemicals known to be present. The list is what ties the plan to the actual inventory, and the program must be available to employees on request.

   Ref QB-H3WWFSSource: 29 CFR 1910.1200(e) — written hazard communication programReport a problem with this question

2. 2. Safety data sheets must present their information in 16 sections that always appear in the same order. What is the practical purpose of that fixed order?

   • A.A sheet can be kept under a fixed page count so suppliers spend less on printing it
   • B.A supplier can place the hazards it considers most serious in the opening sections of the sheet
   • C.A sheet can double as the shipping paper the carrier needs when the drum moves by highway
   • D.A user can turn to the same numbered section on any sheet to find first-aid or handling advice✓ Answer

   The 16-section order is mandated so that anyone under pressure knows where to look: first aid is always Section 4, fire-fighting Section 5, handling and storage Section 7, and exposure controls and PPE Section 8. A sheet arranged to each supplier's taste would force the reader to search when seconds matter.

   Ref QB-ZJQRVRSource: 29 CFR 1910.1200(g) and Appendix D — safety data sheet, 16 required sectionsReport a problem with this question

3. 3. A plant begins using a solvent whose hazards are new to the work area. Under the Hazard Communication Standard, when must employees receive hazard communication training?

   • A.Within thirty days of hire, and again each time the annual chemical inventory is updated
   • B.At initial assignment, and then on a twelve-month cycle as a refresher for every employee
   • C.At initial assignment, and whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced into their work area✓ Answer
   • D.When an employee asks for it, because the safety data sheet binder already gives the information

   1910.1200(h) ties training to two triggers: initial assignment, and the introduction of a new chemical hazard into the work area. Many workplaces run an annual refresher as good practice, which is exactly why 'every twelve months' feels right, but the standard itself imposes no annual retraining cycle.

   Ref QB-G3JKARSource: 29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1) — training at initial assignment and on new chemical hazardsReport a problem with this question

4. 4. Before selecting personal protective equipment, the employer must assess the workplace for hazards and certify that assessment in writing. What must the written certification identify?

   • A.The workplace evaluated, the person certifying, the date, and that the document is a hazard assessment✓ Answer
   • B.The make and model of each item issued, and the cost charged back to the employee's department
   • C.The injury rate of the last three years, the near misses recorded, and previous inspections
   • D.The names of employees trained, their scores, and the insurance representative's signature

   1910.132(d)(2) requires the written certification to identify the workplace evaluated, the person certifying that the evaluation was performed, the date of the assessment, and a statement identifying the document as a certification of hazard assessment. The certification is the proof that PPE was chosen from an actual survey of hazards rather than from habit.

   Ref QB-4KSRDVSource: 29 CFR 1910.132(d)(2) — written certification of hazard assessmentReport a problem with this question

5. 5. A grinding operation throws metal chips toward operators. Where does personal protective equipment belong in OSHA's approach to controlling that hazard?

   • A.After the first recordable injury, once the hazard has been entered on the OSHA 300 log
   • B.Last, supplementing engineering and work-practice controls rather than substituting for them✓ Answer
   • C.Anywhere the supervisor prefers, since controls and equipment are treated as interchangeable
   • D.First, because it protects the worker directly and costs less than redesigning the process

   1910.132(a) treats PPE as supplementary to feasible engineering and work-practice controls. The hierarchy puts elimination, substitution, engineering and administrative controls first because they reduce the hazard itself, while PPE shields one worker and fails the moment it is missing, wrong for the job, or worn incorrectly.

   Ref QB-K3MKTUSource: 29 CFR 1910.132(a) — PPE supplementary to feasible engineering controls; hierarchy of controlsReport a problem with this question

6. 6. Under the PPE payment rule in 29 CFR 1910.132(h), which item must the employer pay for?

   • A.A cracked face shield being replaced after it was damaged during ordinary work✓ Answer
   • B.Non-specialty safety-toe boots the worker is allowed to wear away from the site
   • C.Prescription safety glasses the worker is permitted to take home after a shift
   • D.A winter coat and rubber overboots worn by a worker on an outdoor loading dock

   Under 1910.132(h) the employer provides PPE at no cost, and that includes replacements; the only replacement exception is equipment the employee lost or intentionally damaged. Non-specialty safety-toe footwear and non-specialty prescription eyewear are exempt when the employer allows them off the job site, and ordinary weather gear is not employer-paid PPE at all.

   Ref QB-3KEE8USource: 29 CFR 1910.132(h) — employer payment for PPE and its exceptionsReport a problem with this question

7. 7. Engineering controls cannot bring an airborne contaminant below its exposure limit, so the employer requires respirators. Under 29 CFR 1910.134, what does the employer owe those employees?

   • A.A signed waiver from each worker accepting the risk, filed for the length of employment
   • B.A stock of filtering facepieces in the tool crib, with each worker picking a size that fits
   • C.A quarterly air sample and a shaving rule, which together satisfy the standard's terms
   • D.A written program, with medical evaluation, fit testing, training and storage rules✓ Answer

   1910.134 requires a written respiratory protection program run by a trained administrator, covering respirator selection, medical evaluation before fit testing or use, fit testing for tight-fitting facepieces, training, and procedures for cleaning, storage, inspection and repair. Issuing respirators without that program is itself the violation.

   Ref QB-J399NTSource: 29 CFR 1910.134(c) — required elements of a written respiratory protection programReport a problem with this question

8. 8. An operator must reach past a fixed guard into the point of operation to clear a jam while the packaging line is still running. Does the control of hazardous energy standard apply?

   • A.Yes, because bypassing a guard or putting a body part in the danger zone ends the exception✓ Answer
   • B.No, because clearing a jam during a production run is a normal operation that the norm excludes
   • C.No, because a machine fitted with a guard falls outside the scope of the energy standard
   • D.Yes, but only where the jam takes more than fifteen minutes and a mechanic is called in

   Normal production operations sit outside 1910.147, but that exclusion falls away when an employee must remove or bypass a guard, or place a body part into the point of operation or an associated danger zone. That is exactly the jam-clearing scenario, so the line must be shut down, isolated, locked out and verified first.

   Ref QB-6KGERXSource: 29 CFR 1910.147(a)(2)(ii) — servicing during normal production operationsReport a problem with this question

9. 9. Under the control of hazardous energy standard, which of these is an energy-isolating device?

   • A.An emergency stop button that cuts the control circuit and brings the machine to a halt
   • B.A manually operated circuit breaker that physically disconnects the machine from its supply✓ Answer
   • C.A selector switch that puts the machine into maintenance mode at a reduced speed
   • D.A pushbutton station that the operator uses to start and stop the machine's cycle

   An energy-isolating device physically prevents the transmission or release of energy: a manually operated breaker or disconnect, a line valve, a block, or a blank flange. Push buttons, selector switches and control-circuit stop devices are expressly excluded, because a control circuit can fail or be reset without anyone opening the supply.

   Ref QB-N3B96XSource: 29 CFR 1910.147(b) — definition of energy isolating deviceReport a problem with this question

10. 10. A millwright shuts a press down, then opens and locks its disconnect and is ready to start work. Under the steps of a compliant energy control procedure, what still has to happen?

    • A.Hang a second tag supplied by the shift supervisor on the handle of the disconnect
    • B.Record the number of the lock in the maintenance log kept at the tool crib window
    • C.Notify the plant manager in writing that the press has been placed under lock today
    • D.Relieve or restrain the stored energy, then verify by test that the press cannot start✓ Answer

    The application sequence is prepare, shut down, isolate, apply the devices, release or restrain stored energy, and then verify. Springs, raised rams, hydraulic and pneumatic pressure and charged capacitors can still injure after the disconnect is locked, and the verification try-out is what proves the isolation actually worked before hands go in.

    Ref QB-TXJWBUSource: 29 CFR 1910.147(d) — application of energy control, stored energy and verificationReport a problem with this question

11. 11. Six workers will service a large press together under a single energy control procedure. How does the standard keep each of them protected?

    • A.The crew signs one log sheet, and the final signature authorizes re-energizing the press
    • B.The crew leader locks for the group and keeps the key in the office until quitting time
    • C.Each applies a personal lock and removes it only when their own part of the work ends✓ Answer
    • D.Each writes a name on a shared tag, which protects the crew the same way a lock would

    Group lockout must give every participating worker protection equal to a personal lockout: each authorized employee affixes a personal lock to the group lockout device or box, and only the employee who applied a device may remove it. That way nobody can re-energize the press while another member of the crew is still exposed.

    Ref QB-BFR3XUSource: 29 CFR 1910.147(f)(3) group lockout/tagout; 1910.147(e)(3) removal of devicesReport a problem with this question

12. 12. 29 CFR 1910.212 requires guards that protect operators and other employees from machine hazards. Which set of hazards does that requirement name?

    • A.Electrical faults, uncovered panels, compressed air lines, and vibration reaching the hands
    • B.The point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, and flying chips and sparks✓ Answer
    • C.Hot surfaces, sharp edges, noise above the action level, and slippery floors near the machine
    • D.Falling objects, poor lighting, awkward reach distances, and repetitive motion of the wrists

    1910.212(a)(1) names hazards from the point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, and flying chips and sparks. The guard must make it impossible for the operator to have any part of the body in the danger zone during the operating cycle, and the guard itself must not create a new hazard.

    Ref QB-SX7K6TSource: 29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1) — types of machine hazards guards must addressReport a problem with this question

13. 13. A shop protects a press brake's point of operation with a light curtain that stops the ram when the beam is broken. How is that arrangement correctly described?

    • A.An administrative control, which meets the standard once the operator has been trained
    • B.A safeguarding device, acceptable as long as it keeps the operator out of the danger zone✓ Answer
    • C.A special hand tool, which may take the place of the guard on the point of operation
    • D.A fixed guard, and the only form of point-of-operation protection the standard will accept

    OSHA separates guards, which are physical barriers (fixed, interlocked, adjustable, self-adjusting), from safeguarding devices such as presence-sensing light curtains, two-hand controls, pullbacks and restraints. Either approach can comply as long as the operator cannot reach the danger zone during the cycle, and special hand tools may supplement protection but never substitute for it.

    Ref QB-AFDRRTSource: 29 CFR 1910.212(a)(3)(ii) and (a)(3)(iii) — point-of-operation guarding and special hand toolsReport a problem with this question

14. 14. 29 CFR 1910.215 sets the maximum gap between a bench grinder's work rest and the wheel at one-eighth inch. What does that clearance limit prevent?

    • A.The wheel overheating because the rest restricts the airflow across its working face
    • B.The wheel turning above the rated speed printed on its blotter and side label
    • C.The operator standing too close to the line of the wheel while grinding a part
    • D.The workpiece being drawn into the gap and jamming between the rest and the wheel✓ Answer

    1910.215 keeps the work rest within 1/8 inch of the wheel so the workpiece cannot be pulled into the gap and wedged between rest and wheel, a jam that can shatter the wheel and drag the operator's hand in. The rest is adjusted only with the wheel stopped and then securely clamped; the adjustable tongue guard at the top is a separate 1/4-inch setting.

    Ref QB-RXU8ZRSource: 29 CFR 1910.215(a)(4) — work rest adjusted to within one-eighth inch of the wheelReport a problem with this question

15. 15. A maintenance worker wants to keep a panel energized while replacing a breaker, because shutting it down would slow production. Under 29 CFR 1910.333, is that acceptable?

    • A.Yes, energized work is allowed for a qualified person using insulated tools and gloves
    • B.Yes, the job counts as infeasible to deenergize because output would be interrupted
    • C.No, lost production is not a permitted reason to leave parts energized during the work✓ Answer
    • D.No, energized work is barred in every circumstance once employees may be exposed

    1910.333(a)(1) requires live parts to be deenergized before work unless the employer demonstrates that deenergizing introduces additional or increased hazards, or is infeasible because of equipment design or operational limitations. Cost, schedule and lost production are not on that list, and energized work is not banned outright either: it is allowed only under those narrow conditions, by qualified persons using safe work practices.

    Ref QB-9F2EKSSource: 29 CFR 1910.333(a)(1) — deenergizing live parts and its two exceptionsReport a problem with this question

16. 16. A qualified person has opened and locked out the circuit feeding a motor starter and is about to touch the conductors. What must be done first?

    • A.Confirm on the panel directory that the locked breaker feeds this starter's circuit
    • B.Observe that the motor has coasted to a stop and that the pilot light has gone out
    • C.Test the conductors with a rated instrument and check that instrument on a live source✓ Answer
    • D.Wait five minutes so any charge stored in the starter's components can bleed off

    1910.333(b) requires a qualified person to use a test instrument rated for the circuit to verify that every conductor and part is deenergized, and on circuits over 600 volts the standard also requires proving that instrument on a known live source before and after, which is good practice at any voltage. A dark pilot light or a stopped motor proves nothing about backfeed, a mislabeled panel, or an instrument that has quietly failed.

    Ref QB-QXGWTQSource: 29 CFR 1910.333(b)(2)(iv) — verification of the deenergized condition with a test instrumentReport a problem with this question

17. 17. A worker will run a portable electric drill from an extension cord in a wet outdoor area. Which measure addresses the shock hazard from a fault in the tool or cord?

    • A.A fuse of higher amperage, which carries the tool's starting current without tripping
    • B.A ground-fault circuit interrupter, which opens the circuit when current leaks to ground✓ Answer
    • C.A surge protector strip, which clamps the voltage spikes arriving on the branch circuit
    • D.A cord with the grounding pin removed, which avoids any path to ground through the tool body

    A GFCI compares the current leaving on the ungrounded conductor with the current returning on the grounded conductor and opens the circuit in milliseconds when a few milliamps take an unintended path, usually through a person. Fuses and breakers protect conductors from overload, not people from shock, and removing a grounding pin destroys the equipment grounding path that carries fault current away.

    Ref QB-8FP3ERSource: 29 CFR 1910.304(b)(3) — ground-fault circuit interrupter protection; 1910.304(g) equipment groundingReport a problem with this question

18. 18. Under 29 CFR 1910.303(g), an electrician needs room to work on an energized 480-volt panel. Which statement describes the required working space?

    • A.Clear in front of the panel, with doors or hinged panels opening at least ninety degrees✓ Answer
    • B.Clear except for stored material that the crew is able to move out within a single shift
    • C.Marked off with yellow floor tape, with storage allowed outside the taped boundary line
    • D.Required only where the equipment is likely to need servicing while it stays energized

    1910.303(g)(1) requires working space that is clear and not used for storage, at least the width of the equipment or 30 inches, whichever is greater, with depth set by the voltage, and it must allow doors or hinged panels to open at least 90 degrees. The space exists so an electrician can step back from a fault instead of being trapped behind a panel door.

    Ref QB-XXY82ZSource: 29 CFR 1910.303(g)(1) — working space about electric equipmentReport a problem with this question

19. 19. Under 29 CFR 1910.22, what does OSHA require of the walking-working surfaces in a plant?

    • A.Cleaned when the supervisor's weekly walk-through finds a hazard worth documenting
    • B.Kept clean, orderly and dry so far as possible, with spills and clutter cleared promptly✓ Answer
    • C.Swept at the end of each shift, which satisfies the requirement for the following day
    • D.Marked with a warning sign at each spill, then left for the cleaning crew next round

    1910.22(a) requires walking-working surfaces to be kept clean, orderly and sanitary, and in a dry condition so far as possible, with the workplace kept free of hazards such as spills and clutter. Slips, trips and falls are among the most common general-industry injuries, and housekeeping is the control that removes the hazard at the source rather than warning about it.

    Ref QB-FF6EMZSource: 29 CFR 1910.22(a) — housekeeping on walking-working surfacesReport a problem with this question

20. 20. A tank has limited means of entry and exit and is not designed for continuous occupancy. What makes it a permit-required confined space rather than a non-permit space?

    • A.It contains a hazardous atmosphere, an engulfment or entrapment hazard, or another serious hazard✓ Answer
    • B.It is entered less than once a month, so each entry counts as a non-routine operation
    • C.It is large enough that a worker can enter it fully and perform assigned work inside
    • D.It can only be reached through an opening smaller than an ordinary doorway in a wall

    Both kinds of confined space have limited entry and exit and are not meant for continuous occupancy; what makes one permit-required is a hazard inside it, such as a hazardous atmosphere, material that can engulf, an inwardly converging shape that could trap or asphyxiate, or any other recognized serious safety or health hazard. A permit entry needs an authorized entrant, an attendant who stays outside and never enters, and an entry supervisor who authorizes and terminates the permit.

    Ref QB-QVJRTQSource: 29 CFR 1910.146(b) — definition of permit-required confined space; 1910.146(d)-(i) duties of entrants, attendants and entry supervisorsReport a problem with this question

21. 21. A general-industry employer designates several maintenance workers as first-aid responders whose duties include rendering aid where blood exposure is reasonably anticipated. What does the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard require?

    • A.An exposure control plan, training, and a free hepatitis B vaccination offer✓ Answer
    • B.A record of each responder's blood type kept in the plant's medical files
    • C.An annual physical examination for every worker on the response roster
    • D.A supply of gloves inside every first-aid kit, which meets what the norm asks for

    1910.1030 applies wherever employees have reasonably anticipated occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials, and designated first-aid responders are covered. The employer must maintain a written exposure control plan reviewed at least annually, provide training and PPE, follow universal precautions, and offer the hepatitis B vaccination series at no cost to the employee.

    Ref QB-7DDK8QSource: 29 CFR 1910.1030(c) and (f) — exposure control plan and hepatitis B vaccinationReport a problem with this question

22. 22. Under 29 CFR 1910.38 an employer must have an emergency action plan. Which element does the standard require the plan to contain?

    • A.Contact details for a private ambulance service covering the plant's county
    • B.Maps showing the nearest hospital and the route the fire department would travel
    • C.Procedures for reporting the emergency, evacuating, and accounting for staff after✓ Answer
    • D.Names of all employees trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and their certificates

    1910.38(c) requires the plan to include, at a minimum, procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency, procedures for emergency evacuation including exit route assignments, procedures for employees who stay behind to operate critical plant operations, procedures to account for all employees after evacuation, rescue and medical duties for those who perform them, and the name or job title of people to contact for more information.

    Ref QB-PV7ENPSource: 29 CFR 1910.38(c) — minimum elements of an emergency action planReport a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the OSHA Outreach standards (29 CFR 1926 / 1910). Not affiliated with OSHA and not a substitute for the official course or the DOL card. About OSHA training →