OSHA 10-Hour Outreach Training (Construction) Study Guide

A competent person has to reinspect the excavation and its protective system before each new shift begins, since ground conditions and shoring can change even without an obvious trigger like rain.

The extra weight from a spoil pile near the edge can destabilize the trench wall and cause it to slide or collapse back into the excavation, striking or trapping a worker inside.

The employer must generally provide most required PPE to employees at no cost, rather than expecting workers to purchase their own gear before they can start a task.

The four hazard categories responsible for most construction worker fatalities: falls, electrocution, struck-by hazards, and caught-in or caught-between hazards, which is why the 10-hour course dedicates required class time specifically to each one.

Falls cause more construction deaths than electrocution, struck-by, or caught-in/between hazards, so the course requires at least 1.5 hours on Fall Hazards while the other three Focus Four topics each need only 30 minutes.

Electrocution Hazards, Struck-By Hazards, and Caught-In/Between Hazards must each receive at least 30 minutes of dedicated instruction, separate from the larger block of time set aside for Fall Hazards.

That all three components, an adequate anchorage point, a properly fitted full-body harness, and a connecting device like a lanyard, are in place and undamaged, since a failure in any one piece can let the system fail.

Metal conducts electricity, so a metal ladder touching or coming close to a live conductor can carry current straight to the worker holding it; fiberglass or wood ladders are the safer choice for electrical work.

A GFCI cuts power within a fraction of a second when it detects current leaking to ground, such as through a damaged tool or a worker's body, preventing a dangerous or fatal shock on temporary power circuits.

A suspended load can shift, slip from its rigging, or drop without warning even after inspection, so the safe practice is to stay clear of the area beneath it and route around it instead.

Toe boards along the platform edge, tools tethered to workers, and debris netting or screening below the work area all keep tools and materials from leaving the platform and striking someone below.

A glove rated for chemical resistance may not protect against cuts, and a cut-resistant glove may not hold up against solvents, so gloves need to be selected for the actual hazard a task presents.

A Class E hard hat is generally designed to provide protection against contact with certain energized electrical conductors, unlike hard hats built mainly for general impact protection.

Grinding throws sparks and debris across a wider area than safety glasses alone can cover, so a face shield worn over the glasses adds broader protection for the whole face.

Engineering controls like wet cutting or vacuum dust collection should reduce the dust at its source first, with respiratory protection added as an additional layer, not used as the only control.

A poorly fitted harness can shift during a fall and fail to distribute the arresting forces properly across the body, reducing how effectively it protects the worker even with a lanyard attached.

No. Construction 10-hour and 30-hour outreach cards do not expire, so a worker who earned one years ago still holds a valid card without needing to renew or retake the course.

An authorized training provider is generally expected to issue the completion card within 90 days of course completion, giving a worker a reasonable basis to follow up if it takes noticeably longer.

No official exam is required. OSHA sets no passing score for the card, and whether a trainer gives any quiz at all, and how it's scored, is left entirely to that trainer's discretion.

The construction outreach course totals 10 hours of instruction, covering required topics, the Focus Four hazards, and elective topics chosen by the trainer within that time.

OSHA does not set or fund student card fees; each authorized training organization sets its own price, so the amount is provider-specific rather than published by OSHA itself.

No. The course must be spread across a minimum number of calendar days rather than compressed into one marathon session, which keeps the pace reasonable for actually absorbing the material.

No. OSHA does not keep records of individual Outreach classes; those records are kept by the trainer or the authorized training organization that delivered the course.

The course must cover at least two distinct elective topics, in addition to the required topics and the Focus Four hazard areas built into the curriculum.

The worker has the right to request that OSHA inspect the workplace to address the uncorrected hazard, without needing to wait for an injury to happen first.

Yes. Workers generally have the right to access their employer's injury and illness records, which helps them understand a workplace's hazards before accepting certain tasks or shifts.

No. Workers are protected from retaliation, including worse shifts, tasks, or other adverse treatment, for exercising their right to file a safety complaint or report a hazard.

No. OSHA coverage generally extends to nearly all private-sector employers regardless of size, so a small contractor is covered just as much as a large one.

Yes. Employers must keep the workplace free of recognized hazards likely to cause serious harm, even when no specific standard covers that particular hazard.

Safety training and instructions need to be delivered in a language and vocabulary the workers can actually understand, not just in whatever language is most convenient for the trainer.

A competent person identifies existing and predictable hazards, evaluates soil and site conditions, and selects an appropriate protective system, reinspecting the excavation before each new shift begins.

For unusually deep or complex excavations with difficult, unstable soil conditions, a registered professional engineer should be involved to design a protective system suited to that added complexity.

A trench shield, or trench box, is built to withstand the force of a cave-in and protect workers inside it, while shoring braces the trench walls directly to prevent them from moving at all.

Identify and isolate all of the equipment's energy sources, lock and tag them out, and verify zero energy with a tester before reaching into the point of operation.

Avoid disturbing the material and have it properly tested and handled by personnel trained for that specific hazard, since disturbing suspected asbestos can release fibers that cause serious lung disease.

Paint applied decades ago may contain lead, and disturbing it during removal can release lead-containing dust or fumes that pose serious health risks if inhaled or ingested.

Hearing loss from ongoing loud noise exposure often develops gradually and painlessly, so the absence of pain doesn't mean damage isn't building up over repeated shifts near loud equipment.

Safety data sheets covering the chemicals in use should be kept accessible on site so any worker handling those products can review the hazards and safe handling steps directly.

The curriculum includes six required topics, plus the four Focus Four hazard areas and at least two elective topics, all fitting within the course's 10 total hours.

A class generally needs a minimum of three students, which keeps the course viable as a group training session rather than functioning as one-on-one instruction.