20 Rights & Hazard Recognition Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. A construction worker's primary language is Spanish and he reads very little English. His employer holds the required safety training session in English only. Under OSHA's employer responsibilities, what must the employer do?

   • A.Have the worker sign a form stating he attended the English session
   • B.Give the worker the English handouts to study on his own time
   • C.Require the worker to learn English before he is allowed to work
   • D.Provide the training in a language and vocabulary the worker can understand✓ Answer

   OSHA standards require that training be presented in a language and vocabulary workers can understand, because training that a worker cannot comprehend does not actually convey the hazard information the standard is designed to deliver. Workers must also be paid their normal rate for training the employer is required to provide.

   Source: OSHA Employer Responsibilities, "Introduction to OSHA" Outreach Trainer Guide; training-language requirement (e.g., 29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1))Report a problem with this question

2. 2. An employee asks her employer for a copy of the OSHA 300 Log for the previous year. Under the recordkeeping rule, when must the employer provide it?

   • A.Within 7 calendar days of the request
   • B.By the end of the next business day✓ Answer
   • C.Within 30 calendar days of the request
   • D.Within 15 working days of the request

   29 CFR 1904.35 gives employees, former employees and their representatives the right to a copy of the OSHA 300 Log by the end of the next business day, and the first copy must be free. The employer may not remove employees' names from the Log before handing it over; only a separate 7-calendar-day deadline applies to giving Form 301 case information to an authorized collective-bargaining representative.

   Source: 29 CFR 1904.35(b)(2)(ii)Report a problem with this question

3. 3. A former employee requests copies of the air-sampling (exposure) records taken at her old job. Which statement correctly describes her rights under 29 CFR 1910.1020?

   • A.The employer must provide access; the first copy is free, and if access cannot be given within 15 working days the employer must explain the delay and state when the records will be available✓ Answer
   • B.The employer may charge a reasonable fee for the first copy of the records
   • C.Former employees lose all right of access once they leave the company
   • D.Access is granted only if OSHA first approves the request in writing

   1910.1020 grants current employees, former employees and designated representatives access to exposure and medical records so they can understand what they were exposed to; access must be provided in a reasonable time, place and manner, the first copy at no cost, with a written explanation and earliest availability date if 15 working days is not met. Exposure records must be kept at least 30 years and employee medical records for the duration of employment plus 30 years.

   Source: 29 CFR 1910.1020(e)(1)(i)–(ii), (d)(1)Report a problem with this question

4. 4. A worker wants OSHA to inspect what he believes is a serious hazard at his site. Under 29 CFR 1903.11, what must his request for an inspection look like?

   • A.It may only be filed by a certified union representative
   • B.It must be approved and co-signed by the employer before OSHA will act
   • C.It must be made anonymously by telephone, because OSHA cannot accept written complaints
   • D.It must be in writing, signed, and state the grounds with reasonable particularity; on the worker's request his name is withheld from the copy given to the employer✓ Answer

   1903.11 requires a signed, written notice describing the alleged violation with reasonable particularity, because a signed complaint is what obligates OSHA to determine whether reasonable grounds for an inspection exist. The employer receives a copy no later than the time of inspection, but the complainant's name is withheld on request, which is what makes the complaint confidential.

   Source: 29 CFR 1903.11(a)–(c)Report a problem with this question

5. 5. An OSHA compliance officer arrives at a plant to conduct an inspection. Which statement about workers' rights during that inspection is correct?

   • A.Workers may speak privately and confidentially with the compliance officer, and an employee representative may accompany the walkaround✓ Answer
   • B.Workers must submit any concerns in writing through management
   • C.Workers may speak to the inspector only when a supervisor is present
   • D.Only the employer may take part in the opening and closing conferences

   The OSH Act gives an authorized employee representative the right to accompany the compliance officer on the walkaround, and the officer must be able to interview workers privately, because workers will not report hazards candidly if management is listening. Workers may also take part in the opening and closing conferences, point out hazards, and learn the inspection results and abatement measures.

   Source: OSH Act Section 8(e); 29 CFR 1903.8; OSHA Workers' Rights (OSHA 3021)Report a problem with this question

6. 6. A worker believes a task will kill or seriously injure him. Under OSHA, his refusal to do the work is legally protected only when which of the following is true?

   • A.He asked the employer to correct the hazard and could not get it corrected, a reasonable person would agree there is a real danger of death or serious physical harm, there is not enough time to get an OSHA inspection, and there is no other way to do the job safely✓ Answer
   • B.He leaves the worksite immediately and files a complaint with OSHA within 30 days
   • C.His union votes to authorize a work stoppage before he refuses
   • D.He simply feels uncomfortable or nervous about the assignment

   The right to refuse dangerous work is narrow: all of those conditions must be met, because the law's normal remedy is to request an OSHA inspection, and refusal is protected only when there is no time for that remedy to work. A worker who refuses should normally tell the employer why and stay at the worksite until ordered to leave.

   Source: 29 CFR 1977.12(b)(2)Report a problem with this question

7. 7. Two weeks after a worker files a safety complaint with OSHA, her employer demotes her and cuts her hours. What is the deadline and method for filing a retaliation complaint under Section 11(c) of the OSH Act?

   • A.Within 6 months of the retaliation, but only through an attorney
   • B.Within 1 year of the retaliation, and only in English
   • C.Within 30 days of the retaliation; no special form is required — she may call, write, or file online✓ Answer
   • D.Within 15 working days of the retaliation, using OSHA Form 301

   Section 11(c) makes it illegal to fire, demote, cut pay or otherwise discriminate against a worker for exercising rights under the Act, and the complaint must reach OSHA within 30 days of the adverse action because that short statutory window is what preserves the remedy. No form is required and complaints may be filed in any language; remedies can include reinstatement and back pay.

   Source: OSH Act Section 11(c)(2); 29 CFR 1977.15(d)Report a problem with this question

8. 8. An OSHA inspector finds a recognized hazard at a worksite that is causing a risk of serious physical harm, but no specific OSHA standard addresses that particular hazard. What can OSHA do?

   • A.Cite the individual worker under Section 5(b) for not protecting himself
   • B.Cite the employer under Section 5(a)(1), the General Duty Clause, which requires a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm✓ Answer
   • C.Nothing — with no standard on point, OSHA has no authority to cite
   • D.Refer the case to NIOSH, which will issue the fine instead

   The General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1), is the catch-all that lets OSHA cite a recognized serious hazard when no specific standard applies, which is why it exists. Although Section 5(b) does obligate each employee to comply with standards, OSHA issues citations and penalties to employers only — it never fines a worker.

   Source: OSH Act Sections 5(a)(1) and 5(b)Report a problem with this question

9. 9. Under 29 CFR 1910.132(h), which of the following is the employer NOT required to pay for?

   • A.A fall-arrest harness required for work at height
   • B.Non-specialty safety-toe footwear (steel-toe boots) that the employer allows workers to wear off the job site✓ Answer
   • C.A face shield required for grinding operations
   • D.A respirator required by the respiratory protection standard

   1910.132(h) requires employers to provide PPE at no cost to employees, so that cost never becomes a reason a worker goes unprotected; the narrow exceptions include non-specialty safety-toe footwear and non-specialty prescription safety eyewear, but only if the employer permits them to be worn off the job site. Employers must also pay for replacement PPE unless the employee lost or intentionally damaged it.

   Source: 29 CFR 1910.132(h)(1)–(2)Report a problem with this question

10. 10. What must a covered employer do with the OSHA "Job Safety and Health: It's the Law" poster?

    • A.Post it only if the company has 11 or more employees
    • B.Display it prominently in the workplace where workers can see it, so they know their rights✓ Answer
    • C.Post it only while an OSHA inspection is under way
    • D.Keep it on file in the HR office and show it only if a worker asks

    29 CFR 1903.2 requires the poster to be displayed prominently where notices to employees are customarily posted, because the poster is how workers learn they have the right to a safe workplace, to training, to see injury records and to complain without retaliation. There is no employee-count threshold and it must stay posted at all times, not just during inspections.

    Source: 29 CFR 1903.2(a)(1)Report a problem with this question

11. 11. Which OSHA recordkeeping form is used to record the detailed information about one specific injury or illness case — how it happened, what object or substance harmed the employee, and the treatment given?

    • A.The Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the chemical involved
    • B.Form 300, the Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
    • C.Form 300A, the Annual Summary
    • D.Form 301, the Injury and Illness Incident Report✓ Answer

    The three forms divide the job: the 300 Log is a one-line-per-case list, the 301 Incident Report captures the full details of each individual case, and the 300A summarizes the year's totals for posting. A recordable case must be entered on both the 300 and the 301 within 7 calendar days of learning about it.

    Source: 29 CFR 1904.29(b)(1); 1904.29(b)(3)Report a problem with this question

12. 12. Which statement about the partial exemption from routinely keeping OSHA injury and illness records is correct?

    • A.An employer with 10 or fewer employees at all times during the previous calendar year — counted across the entire company — is partially exempt from routinely keeping the 300, 300A and 301, but must still report fatalities and severe injuries to OSHA✓ Answer
    • B.The exemption applies only to construction employers
    • C.Any company with fewer than 25 employees is exempt from all OSHA requirements
    • D.The 10-employee count is made separately for each establishment, and an exempt employer does not have to report a fatality

    1904.1 bases the small-employer exemption on peak employment of the entire company (not one establishment) being 10 or fewer at all times in the prior calendar year, and 1904.2 exempts certain low-hazard industries. The exemption is only from routine recordkeeping: 1904.39 fatality and severe-injury reporting applies to every employer, and OSHA or the BLS can still require a survey.

    Source: 29 CFR 1904.1(a)(1), 1904.2, 1904.39Report a problem with this question

13. 13. A machinist cuts his hand at work. The clinic closes the wound with three stitches, and he returns to his regular job the same day with no restrictions. How should the case be handled?

    • A.It is recordable, because sutures are medical treatment beyond first aid✓ Answer
    • B.It is not recordable, because he lost no work time
    • C.It must be reported to OSHA by telephone within 24 hours
    • D.It is recordable only if he later misses three or more days of work

    1904.7 makes a work-related case recordable if it results in death, days away from work, restricted work or transfer, loss of consciousness, or medical treatment beyond first aid — any one of these triggers it, so lost time is not required. Wound-closing devices such as sutures, staples and glue are specifically excluded from OSHA's exhaustive first-aid list, so stitches make the case recordable; it is not, however, one of the events that must be reported to OSHA.

    Source: 29 CFR 1904.7(b)(1) and 1904.7(b)(5)(ii)Report a problem with this question

14. 14. During what period must an employer post the OSHA Form 300A annual summary of work-related injuries and illnesses?

    • A.February 1 through April 30 of the year following the year covered by the records✓ Answer
    • B.January 1 through March 31
    • C.Continuously for 5 years, next to the OSHA poster
    • D.February 1 through March 1

    1904.32 requires the employer to review and total the Log, have a company executive certify the summary, and post the 300A from February 1 to April 30 of the following year so workers can see the injury picture at their own workplace. The 300, 300A and 301 forms must then be retained for 5 years, and the 300 Log must be updated during that storage period.

    Source: 29 CFR 1904.32(b)(6); 1904.33Report a problem with this question

15. 15. A work-related incident kills one employee and sends a second employee to the hospital as an in-patient. Within what times must the employer report each event to OSHA?

    • A.Fatality within 8 hours; in-patient hospitalization within 7 calendar days
    • B.Fatality within 24 hours; in-patient hospitalization within 7 calendar days
    • C.Fatality within 24 hours; in-patient hospitalization within 8 hours
    • D.Fatality within 8 hours; in-patient hospitalization within 24 hours✓ Answer

    1904.39 sets an 8-hour clock for a work-related fatality and a 24-hour clock for an in-patient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye, timed from when the employer learns of the event, so OSHA can investigate while the scene is fresh. Reports must be made by phone or in person to the Area Office, to 1-800-321-OSHA, or through OSHA's online form — voicemail, fax and email do not satisfy the rule.

    Source: 29 CFR 1904.39(a)(1)–(2), (b)(1)Report a problem with this question

16. 16. OSHA cannot inspect every workplace, so it ranks inspections by priority. Which order reflects OSHA's inspection priorities from highest to lowest?

    • A.Follow-up inspections; programmed inspections; imminent danger; fatalities and catastrophes
    • B.Imminent danger; fatalities and catastrophes; worker complaints and referrals; programmed (targeted) inspections✓ Answer
    • C.Programmed inspections; worker complaints; fatalities and catastrophes; imminent danger
    • D.Worker complaints; imminent danger; programmed inspections; follow-up inspections

    OSHA ranks imminent danger first because a hazard that could immediately kill or seriously harm someone cannot wait, followed by fatalities and catastrophes, then complaints and referrals, then programmed inspections of high-hazard industries, with follow-up inspections last. Inspections are conducted without advance notice, and giving unauthorized advance notice is a criminal offense under the OSH Act.

    Source: OSHA inspection priorities, "Introduction to OSHA" Outreach Trainer Guide; OSHA Field Operations Manual, Ch. 2Report a problem with this question

17. 17. A supervisor knows fall protection is required at a 20-foot roof edge, has the harnesses on site, and tells the crew to work without them to finish faster. How would OSHA most likely classify this violation?

    • A.Willful✓ Answer
    • B.Other-than-serious
    • C.Serious
    • D.De minimis

    A willful violation is one the employer commits with intentional knowing disregard of the requirement or plain indifference to worker safety, which is exactly what a supervisor does by ordering available fall protection to be skipped. By contrast, a serious violation is one where a substantial probability of death or serious harm exists but the employer did not knowingly disregard the rule; de minimis violations have no direct relationship to safety, carry no penalty, and need not be posted.

    Source: OSHA Field Operations Manual, Ch. 4 (violation classifications); OSH Act Section 17Report a problem with this question

18. 18. OSHA issues a citation to an employer and sets an abatement date. Workers think the employer is being given far too long to fix the hazard. What are the contest rights?

    • A.Workers may contest only the abatement period; the employer has 15 working days from receipt to contest the violation, its classification, the penalty, or the abatement date✓ Answer
    • B.Workers must file their objection with the employer within 30 days, not with OSHA
    • C.Neither side may contest — OSHA's citation is final once issued
    • D.Workers may contest the classification of the violation and the size of the penalty

    The OSH Act gives the cited employer 15 working days to file a notice of contest challenging the violation, its classification, the proposed penalty or the abatement date, while employees and their representatives may challenge only the length of the abatement period. Contests are heard by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, an independent agency that is not part of the Department of Labor, and contesting does not suspend the employer's duty to post the citation.

    Source: OSH Act Section 10(c); 29 CFR 1903.17(a)–(b); 1903.16Report a problem with this question

19. 19. Which list gives the hierarchy of controls in the correct order, from most effective to least effective?

    • A.Substitution; PPE; elimination; engineering controls; administrative controls
    • B.Elimination; substitution; engineering controls; administrative controls and safe work practices; PPE✓ Answer
    • C.PPE; administrative controls; engineering controls; substitution; elimination
    • D.Engineering controls; elimination; substitution; PPE; administrative controls

    The hierarchy is ranked by how much it depends on human behavior: eliminating or substituting the hazard removes it from the workplace entirely, engineering controls isolate people from it without their participation, administrative controls only change how people work, and PPE protects one worker at a time and only if it is worn and fitted correctly. That is why PPE is the last line of defense rather than the first choice.

    Source: NIOSH/OSHA Hierarchy of Controls; 29 CFR 1910.132(a) and OSHA Outreach hazard-recognition guidanceReport a problem with this question

20. 20. Workers in a shop are getting headaches from solvent vapors. The employer's only response is to hand out respirators. From a hazard-recognition standpoint, what should the employer do?

    • A.Nothing further — issuing respirators fully satisfies OSHA
    • B.Rotate workers through the area so each is exposed only half a shift, which eliminates the hazard
    • C.Post a warning sign at the door and tell workers to take more breaks outside
    • D.Substitute a less hazardous solvent or install local exhaust ventilation, because feasible engineering and work-practice controls must be used before relying on PPE✓ Answer

    OSHA requires employers to control hazards through feasible engineering and work-practice controls first, and to use PPE only when those controls are not feasible or do not fully protect — because ventilation or substitution removes the exposure for everyone, while a respirator protects only the worker wearing it and fails if it leaks, is the wrong size, or is not worn. Rotating workers is an administrative control that reduces individual exposure but does not eliminate the hazard, and the employer must also provide PPE at no cost and train workers on the chemical's hazards.

    Source: 29 CFR 1910.132(a); hierarchy of controls (OSHA/NIOSH); 29 CFR 1910.1200(h) hazard trainingReport 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 →