General safety

General safety questions on the exam usually test a number (a height, a depth, a temperature, a distance) or a duty (who inspects, who provides, what comes first). Many numbers look alike, like 6 feet, 7½ feet, and 20 feet for falls, or 2 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, and 25 feet for trenches. Learn which rule each number belongs to. Before any work starts, the employer must survey the site for foreseeable hazards and plan the protection needed, and no worker may be required to work in an unsafe place except to make it safe (T8 §1511).

Outdoor heat illness prevention (T8 §3395)

The heat rule applies to all outdoor places of employment. Construction is one of the industries that must follow every part of it, including high-heat procedures. As of 2026, the key requirements are:

• Water: fresh, pure, suitably cool, free of charge, and located as close as practicable to where employees work. Enough must be available for each employee to drink at least 1 quart per hour for the whole shift.
• Shade: must be present when the temperature exceeds 80°F, with enough room for the employees on rest or recovery periods. Below that, shade must be provided or made available quickly when an employee asks.
• Cool-down rest: workers may rest in the shade whenever they feel the need. A worker taking a cool-down rest must be monitored and may not be ordered back to work until symptoms are gone, and the rest lasts at least 5 minutes, not counting the time to reach the shade.
• High-heat procedures when the temperature equals or exceeds 95°F: effective communication with workers, observing workers for signs of heat illness, naming at least one person at each site who can call emergency services, reminding workers to drink water, and pre-shift meetings to review the procedures.
• Acclimatization: a new employee in a high-heat area must be closely observed by a supervisor or designee for the first 14 days. During a heat wave, all employees must be closely observed.
• Emergency response procedures, training for every worker and supervisor before the work begins, and a written Heat Illness Prevention Plan in English and in the language understood by most of the employees.

Indoor heat (T8 §3396, in effect since July 23, 2024) covers indoor work areas that reach 82°F. The full program, including heat measurement and control measures, applies when the indoor temperature or heat index reaches 87°F, or when it reaches 82°F and workers wear clothing that restricts heat removal or work near high radiant heat. Cool-down areas must be kept below 82°F. The rule does not apply to exposures under 15 minutes in any 60-minute period.

Fall protection

Falls are a leading cause of construction deaths. Cal/OSHA uses different trigger heights for different kinds of work. The trigger height is the fall distance at which protection such as guardrails, safety nets, or a personal fall arrest system becomes required.

A standard guardrail has a top rail not less than 42 inches and not more than 45 inches high, with a midrail halfway between the top rail and the floor. If balusters or solid panels are used instead of a midrail, the openings between them may not be more than 19 inches wide (T8 §1620(a)(2)). Floor, roof, and skylight openings must be guarded by railings and toeboards or by covers; a cover must hold the greater of 400 pounds or twice the weight of the workers, equipment, and materials on it, be secured, and be marked ‘Opening–Do Not Remove’ (§1632).

A personal fall arrest system must be rigged so a worker cannot free fall more than 6 feet or hit a lower level, must limit the arresting force to 1,800 pounds with a body harness, and must limit deceleration distance to 3.5 feet. Each anchorage must support at least 5,000 pounds per attached worker, and each system must be inspected by a competent person at least twice a year (T8 §1670). A competent person is someone who can identify existing and predictable hazards and has authority to take prompt corrective action.

Ladders

Construction ladders follow T8 §3276 (through §1675). When a ladder is used to reach an upper landing, its side rails must extend at least 36 inches (3 feet) above the landing, or a grab device must be provided. A non-self-supporting ladder is set so the base is out from the top support one-quarter of the working length (a 4-to-1 ratio). Workers may not sit, kneel, step, or stand on the pail shelf, the top cap, or the step below the top cap of a stepladder; the one exception is that they may stand on the step below the top cap if it is located 18 inches under the top cap (T8 §3276(e)(15)(E)). Use non-conductive ladders where the ladder or worker could contact energized conductors. A portable single ladder may not be longer than 30 feet. Workers must be trained before using a ladder.