16 General Industry Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. Under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom 2012, aligned with GHS), which of the following is one of the required elements on a shipped-container hazardous chemical label?

   • A.The purchase price of the chemical
   • B.The employee's job title
   • C.The name of the shipping carrier
   • D.A signal word such as "Danger" or "Warning"✓ Answer

   29 CFR 1910.1200(f) requires shipped-container labels to include six elements: product identifier, signal word, hazard statement(s), pictogram(s), precautionary statement(s), and the supplier's name/address/phone. A signal word ('Danger' for more severe hazards, 'Warning' for less severe) is one of these mandatory elements, so it must appear on the label.

   Source: 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(1) — HazCom label required elementsReport a problem with this question

2. 2. A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) under HazCom 2012 uses a standardized 16-section format. Which section contains first-aid measures?

   • A.Section 9
   • B.Section 4✓ Answer
   • C.Section 16
   • D.Section 14

   The 16-section SDS format is fixed in order: Section 4 is always First-Aid Measures. Because the ordering is standardized, workers can locate first-aid information quickly and consistently across any manufacturer's SDS. (Section 9 is Physical/Chemical Properties, Section 14 is Transport Information, Section 16 is Other Information.)

   Source: 29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D — SDS Section 4 (First-Aid Measures)Report a problem with this question

3. 3. On an SDS, in which section would you find the chemical's exposure limits, such as the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL), along with recommended engineering controls and PPE?

   • A.Section 8 — Exposure Controls/Personal Protection✓ Answer
   • B.Section 2 — Hazard Identification
   • C.Section 5 — Fire-Fighting Measures
   • D.Section 11 — Toxicological Information

   Section 8 (Exposure Controls/Personal Protection) lists occupational exposure limits such as the OSHA PEL and ACGIH TLV, together with appropriate engineering controls and personal protective equipment. This is where a worker or safety professional confirms how much exposure is allowed and what protection is needed.

   Source: 29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix D — SDS Section 8 (Exposure Controls/Personal Protection)Report a problem with this question

4. 4. What is the primary purpose of a machine guard on a piece of general-industry equipment?

   • A.To protect the operator and others from hazards such as the point of operation, ingoing nip points, and rotating parts✓ Answer
   • B.To make the machine run faster
   • C.To reduce the machine's electricity consumption
   • D.To display the manufacturer's warranty information

   29 CFR 1910.212 requires guards to protect operators and other employees from hazards such as those created by the point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, and flying chips or sparks. The guard exists to prevent contact between the worker's body and these dangerous moving parts.

   Source: 29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1) — General requirements for machine guardingReport a problem with this question

5. 5. Under OSHA's Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) standard, who is permitted to remove a lockout device from a machine?

   • A.The first employee to arrive on the next shift
   • B.Any coworker who needs to use the machine
   • C.Any member of the janitorial staff
   • D.Generally, only the authorized employee who applied that device✓ Answer

   29 CFR 1910.147(e)(3) requires that each lockout or tagout device be removed by the authorized employee who applied it. This ensures the person who knows the machine has been made safe is the one who re-energizes it, preventing startup while others may still be exposed. Removal by anyone else is allowed only under a strict, documented exception procedure.

   Source: 29 CFR 1910.147(e)(3) — Lockout/tagout device removal by authorized employeeReport a problem with this question

6. 6. In lockout/tagout, what must an authorized employee do to verify that a machine is actually de-energized before beginning servicing?

   • A.Wait five minutes and then start work without testing
   • B.Verify isolation, for example by trying to start the machine after ensuring no one is exposed, then returning controls to "off"/"neutral"✓ Answer
   • C.Assume it is safe once the lock is applied and begin work immediately
   • D.Ask a coworker if they think the power is off

   29 CFR 1910.147(d)(6) requires the authorized employee to verify that isolation and de-energization have actually been accomplished before starting work. A common verification is attempting to operate the normal start controls (after ensuring no one is exposed) to confirm the machine will not start, then returning the controls to the off/neutral position. Verification catches stored or residual energy that a lock alone does not address.

   Source: 29 CFR 1910.147(d)(6) — Verification of isolationReport a problem with this question

7. 7. Under OSHA's walking-working surfaces rules, at what height on a general-industry walking-working surface does an unprotected side or edge generally require fall protection such as a guardrail system?

   • A.10 feet (3.0 m) or more above a lower level
   • B.2 feet (0.6 m) or more above a lower level
   • C.20 feet (6.1 m) or more above a lower level
   • D.4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level✓ Answer

   29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1) requires fall protection when an employee is on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge that is 4 feet or more above a lower level. This 4-foot trigger is the general-industry threshold (distinct from the 6-foot trigger used in construction under Part 1926).

   Source: 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1) — Fall protection at 4 feet, general industryReport a problem with this question

8. 8. OSHA describes a preferred hierarchy for protecting workers from hazards. Which control method is considered the LEAST preferred (last line of defense)?

   • A.Substitution with a less hazardous option
   • B.Personal protective equipment (PPE)✓ Answer
   • C.Engineering controls
   • D.Elimination of the hazard

   In the hierarchy of controls, elimination and substitution are most effective, followed by engineering controls and administrative controls; PPE is the least preferred because it does not remove the hazard—it only reduces exposure and depends on correct, consistent use by the worker. PPE is used when higher-level controls are not feasible or as a supplement.

   Source: OSHA Hierarchy of Controls; 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I (PPE) as last resortReport a problem with this question

9. 9. Under OSHA's PPE standard for general industry, who is generally responsible for providing required PPE to employees at no cost (with limited exceptions such as ordinary safety-toe footwear and prescription safety eyewear that employees keep)?

   • A.The local fire department
   • B.The individual employee
   • C.The equipment manufacturer
   • D.The employer✓ Answer

   29 CFR 1910.132(h) requires the employer to provide required PPE at no cost to employees, apart from specific narrow exceptions (such as non-specialty safety-toe footwear and prescription safety eyewear that the employee is allowed to take off-site). Placing the duty on the employer ensures cost is never a barrier to using protective equipment.

   Source: 29 CFR 1910.132(h) — Employer payment for PPEReport a problem with this question

10. 10. Before an employee first uses PPE on the job, what does OSHA's general-industry PPE standard require the employer to do?

    • A.Require employees to research PPE use on their own time
    • B.Train each employee who must use PPE, including when, what, and how to wear it, plus care and limitations✓ Answer
    • C.Simply hand out the PPE with no instruction
    • D.Post a single sign in the break room and consider training complete

    29 CFR 1910.132(f) requires the employer to train each employee who is required to use PPE so they know at least: when PPE is necessary, what PPE is necessary, how to properly don/doff/adjust/wear it, its limitations, and its proper care and disposal. Training ensures the equipment is actually effective in use, not just issued.

    Source: 29 CFR 1910.132(f) — PPE training requirementsReport a problem with this question

11. 11. Under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens standard, what does the concept of "Universal Precautions" instruct workers to do?

    • A.Treat blood as infectious only if the source person is known to be ill
    • B.Treat all human blood and certain body fluids as if they are infectious✓ Answer
    • C.Only use precautions when handling visibly contaminated materials
    • D.Assume body fluids are safe unless a supervisor says otherwise

    29 CFR 1910.1030 defines Universal Precautions as an approach to infection control in which all human blood and certain body fluids are treated as if known to be infectious for HIV, HBV, and other bloodborne pathogens. Because a source individual's infection status often cannot be known, treating everything as infectious protects the worker regardless.

    Source: 29 CFR 1910.1030(b) and (d)(1) — Universal PrecautionsReport a problem with this question

12. 12. Under the Bloodborne Pathogens standard, when an employee has an occupational exposure, the employer must make available a vaccination for which disease at no cost to the employee?

    • A.Seasonal influenza
    • B.Tetanus only
    • C.Tuberculosis
    • D.Hepatitis B✓ Answer

    29 CFR 1910.1030(f) requires the employer to make the Hepatitis B vaccination series available at no cost to all employees with occupational exposure, within 10 working days of initial assignment, unless the employee declines (with a signed declination). HBV is a major bloodborne risk and the vaccine is an effective preventive measure.

    Source: 29 CFR 1910.1030(f)(1)(ii) and (f)(2) — Hepatitis B vaccinationReport a problem with this question

13. 13. Which electrical safe-work practice does OSHA's general-industry standard rely on as the primary method to protect employees working on or near exposed circuits?

    • A.Working on live circuits whenever it is faster than shutting them off
    • B.De-energizing the circuit and using lockout/tagout before work, treating conductors as live until verified de-energized✓ Answer
    • C.Relying only on a warning sign posted near the panel
    • D.Wearing cotton gloves instead of insulating gloves

    29 CFR 1910.333(a) establishes that live parts to which an employee may be exposed must be de-energized before the employee works on or near them, unless de-energizing introduces additional or increased hazards or is infeasible. Conductors and parts are treated as energized until tested and verified de-energized (and locked/tagged out), which is why de-energization is the primary safe-work practice.

    Source: 29 CFR 1910.333(a)(1) — Deenergized parts, electrical safe work practicesReport a problem with this question

14. 14. Under the OSHA Outreach Training Program, what is the status of completing a 10-hour General Industry course with respect to OSHA's mandatory training standards?

    • A.It is a voluntary program and does not satisfy the training requirements of any OSHA standard✓ Answer
    • B.It replaces the employer-specific hazard training required by OSHA standards
    • C.It is federally mandated for all general industry workers before starting a job
    • D.It legally satisfies all general industry training requirements under 29 CFR 1910

    The OSHA Outreach Training Program is voluntary, and Outreach training does not meet the training requirements contained in any OSHA standard. Some states or employers may mandate it, but the federal government does not, so completing it never substitutes for standard-specific training an employer must provide.

    Source: OSHA Outreach Training Program – General Industry Procedures (Rev. July 1, 2024), Section II, General Industry OverviewReport a problem with this question

15. 15. In the 10-hour OSHA Outreach General Industry course, which of the following is a mandatory required topic rather than an elective topic?

    • A.Hazard Communication✓ Answer
    • B.Ergonomics
    • C.Bloodborne Pathogens
    • D.Lockout/Tagout

    Hazard Communication is one of the six mandatory required topics (each 1 hour, totaling 6 hours) in the 10-hour General Industry required module, alongside Introduction to OSHA, Walking/Working Surfaces, Exit Routes/Emergency Action Plans/Fire, Electrical, and PPE. Lockout/Tagout, Bloodborne Pathogens, and Ergonomics are listed only as elective topics.

    Source: OSHA Outreach Training Program – General Industry Procedures (Rev. July 1, 2024), Section IV.A, 10-hour General Industry Designated Training TopicsReport a problem with this question

16. 16. How often must an OSHA-authorized General Industry Outreach trainer complete an update course (OSHA #503 or #501) to keep their trainer authorization current?

    • A.Every two years
    • B.Every year
    • C.Every four years✓ Answer
    • D.Only once; the authorization never expires

    General Industry Outreach trainers must complete either the OSHA #503 Update or the OSHA #501 Trainer Course every four years to remain current. If the authorization expires, the trainer can no longer conduct Outreach classes or receive student course completion cards, and no extensions are granted.

    Source: OSHA Outreach Training Program – General Industry Procedures (Rev. July 1, 2024), Section III.B, Update RequirementReport 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 →