OSHA 510 Course

June 2025

Day 1
8:00 am – 9:00 am – Introductions & Course Overview
3-Points of contact w/ ladders is an OSHA myth.
Understanding where the “error” might happen and trying to find alternative solutions for those
who might not follow protocol.
35 multiple question test on Tuesday, all test question hints will be in red.
OSHA 500 Course (Instructor Course) - They want to know safety experience
All Star Audit – those who are doing well in safety, clients have a “safety all star of the month”
instead of employee of the month. They can get a hundred couple dollar gift card or lunch/dinner
as a reward. Employs a positive reinforcement for taking safety seriously.
- DOT Compliance
- Procedures Out
- PPE? Safety Measures being followed?
- Do they know the tasks they are to do that day?
- Is the Foreman communicating well?
- Just a very tough audit
Did you know? There is a risk and reward for each safety measure. We want our roofers to tie
off to the roof but there is a chance it can kill them. For example: Hanging too long on personal
fall assist can kill someone. Using a tagline can help control a crane load but can also cause
human injury.
Fall Protection & Scaffolding came out in the 90’s. OSHA was passed by Congress in December
of 1970. April 1971 enforcement began by Nixon.
Focused Four – Over 90% of fatalities caused by:
- Falls (Floors, Work Platforms, Roofs) 33%
- Struck By (Falling Objects, Vehicles) 22%
- Caught In-Between (Cave-Ins) 18%
- Electrical (Overhead Lines, Tools) 17%
Silicosis causes more fatalities than trenching does (cave-ins) but it isn’t listed because it is hard
to associate a long-term illness with your occupation that you haven’t been employed with for
years. Silicosis can also be misdiagnosed as TB.
Construction Industry’s number one cause of death is alcoholism and suicide.
Mental Health is something that isn’t spoken about much as work / life balance.
A horizontal standard applies when you don’t have a specific industry standard.
Example: NFPA 70E is the General Industry Standard Clause for working on electrical.
Focusing on the important risks/hazards, expired fire extinguishers aren’t a HUGE deal. (per
OSHA)
“Culture Inspection” – Checking the team’s attitude and approach to safety
Safety People need to focus on risk more than hazards.
For example: Safety people on a jobsite are focusing on using safety glasses when the biggest
hazard that they never spoke on was not wearing seatbelt when using the heavy machinery.
Let Severity / Probability Guide Your Thinking
Letters of Interpretation
OSHA has received thousands of requests for clarification about their standards from employers
and individuals throughout the years.
Section 11© of the OSH Act gives workers the right to safety & health without fear of
punishment.
Section 1 of the OSH Act: Protecting the safety and health of America’s workers is an important
factor in reducing worker fatalities, injuries, and illnesses.
You don’t have the right to safety. You have a right to work for a company that follows OSHA
law.
Example: You don’t have a right to fall protection at 6 feet but OSHA says you must have fall
protection at 30 feet.
Competent Person: Someone who has the ability to resolve issues. One who is capable of
identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions that are
unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authority to take prompt
corrective measures to eliminate them.
Examples of Areas with Competent Person Requirements:
- Fall Protection Ladders
- Scaffolding Welding/Cutting
- Excavations Electrical
- Respiratory Protection Silica
- Cranes
Qualified Person: One who, by having a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing,
or who by extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has successfully demonstrated his
ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the work.
To check a company’s previous OSHA inspection results: OSHA Website > Help & Resources >
Establishment Search
Multi-Employer Work Site Policy
- Exposing Employer – One who’s employees are exposed to hazards
- Creating Employer- one who creates the hazard has a duty to inform other contractors
of hazard.
- Correcting Employer – One responsible for correcting the hazard.
- Controlling Employer – One responsible for overall conditions on work site.
OSHA Inspections
Compliance officer must present credentials. Inspection sequence:
1. Opening Conference
a. Scope (Why are you here and what are you looking for)
b. Example: They are here for worker fall protection because they want to make
sure employees are using PPE
i. If you are on the way to taking the rep to the fall protection, and they ask
to see the electrical room, but they are there for fall protection, ask them
“Can you tell me why we are expanding the scope?”. This will help deter
them, but you can say no – it just won’t look the best if brought to
litigation.
2. Walk Around Inspection
a. If OSHA gives you a violation while walking around, if you fix it in front of them,
they are required to charge you less if they fine you for it.
3. Closing Conference

Citations
- Will be received by the employer via registered mail within 180 days.
- The employer can ask for an informal conference within 15 days.
- The employer must certify abatement is complete for each cited violation.
Types of Citations
- Other than Serious – where most likely would not cause death or serious physical harm,
but would have a direct and immediate relationship to safety/health of employees.
 - Serious – Substantial probability that death/serious physical harm could result unless the
employer did not, and could not, know of the presence of the violation.
- Willful – Where an employer has demonstrated either an inentianl disregard for the
requirements of the Act of a plain indifference to employee safety and health.
- Criminal Willful – Willful violation that caused death to any employee may be punished
by a fine or imprisonment for not more than sicx months, or by both.
- Repear – a vilation of any standard or rule where upon re-inspection within 6 years, a
similar violation is found.
- Failure to Abate – a violation for failure to correct a previous citation in a timely manner.
Citation Penalty Change
- The 2015 Budget Agreement changed OSHA penalties to now be subject to inflation
adjustment.
- Under the new law the initial inflation adjustment for OSHA penalties must be based on
changes in the consumer price index.
Citation Penalties Changes
Current penalties as of 2023:
- Serious - $15,625 per violation
- Willful or Repeated - $156,259
- Failure to Abate - $15,625 per day beyond the abatement date
Safety Programs must have a provision that frequent inspections of materials, jobsites, and
equipment by a competent person.
It is the responsibility of the employer to initiate and maintain accident prevention programs to
comply with the standards.
Unsafe tools, machinery, material or equipment to be tagged or locked out of service, or
physically removed from place of operation.
Employer must permit only employees qualified by training or experience to operate machinery
and equipment.
Training and Education
Employees must be trained in recognition, avoidance, and prevention of unsafe conditions and
the regulations applicable to his/her work environment.
House Keeping
How do you look from the side of the road?
Debris must be kept cleared in and around buildings and jobsites.
Means of Egress
- Free and unobstructed egress at all exits must be maintained
- Exits cannot be locked
o If they must be locked (airports, etc.) then there needs to be someone on standby
to unlock in the case of a fire
- Exits must be marked if direction to them is not immediately visible.
- Means of egress must be maintained free of obstructions.

How can we lessen the potential having people underneath a crane tower load is more important
than the tripping hazard of the block between the gap.
The cones and bones are more effective than caution/hazard tape (people duck under or go over
caution tape all of the time). The bones look more intimidating to enforce the prevention.
Locking doors have been known to cause mass casualty due to fires.
Emergency Action Plans
- Escape Procedures and Routes
- Procedures for employees who remain for critical functions
- Procedures to account for all employees
- Means of reporting emergencies
- Rescue and medical duties
- Names or job titles of persons who can be contacted for further information
Having a poster with a picture/diagram of the jobsite with information listed of what to do in the
event of an emergency posted.
Safety People are underpaid therapists.
It’s best to not only focus on things to fix BUT to also praise the positive actions/solutions.
If somebody died today, where would it be?
Talk to employees – they can speak on culture and any hazards they might have that haven’t been
addressed.
 Day 2
Hierarchy of controls
1. Engineering Controls
2. Administrative Controls
3. PPE
PPE should always be the last choice.
PPE for eyes, face, head, and extremities and clothing, respirators, shields and barriers must be
provided, used and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition.
Where employees provide their own PPE, the employer is responsible to assure adequacy,
maintenance, and sanitation.
Employer Payment for PPE
In general the employer must pay for PPE. Exceptions to this requirement are for PPE that is:
- Personal in nature can be worn off the job, i.e. safety toed footwear or prescription
eyewear.
- Replacement for PPE lost or damaged by the employee.
- Clothing that may be worn off the job.
Foot Protection Requirements
Hand Protection
Head Protection
Traditional Hard Hats: Prone to fall off prior to impact leaving the head exposed when protection
is most needed.
No high-density foam liner to absorb impact to the top, sides, front, and rear of head.
No integral chinstrap.
Respirators
GA Tech will come out for free and test the air.
Qualitative Fit Testing
- Qualitative fit testing relies on a sensation (taste, irritation, smell) to a particular test
agent.
- For negative pressure air purifying respirators, users may rely on either a qualitative or a
quantitative fit test where exposure levels are less than 10 times the permissible exposure
limit.
There must be an annual fit test and training done for all employees using respirators.
FALL PROTECTION
Part I - Guardrails & Personal Fall Arrest Systems
Most Frequently Cited – 2022
- 501(b)(13) Residential Fall Protection (4171)
- 503(a)(1) Fall Hazards Training Program (1228)
- 501(b)(1) Unprotected Sides & Edges (706)
- 501(b)(10) Fall Protection – Low-Slope Roofs (406)
- 503(b)(1) Fall Protection Written Certification (354)
Scope & Application
Start Fall Protection at 6 feet or greater.
Exemption only applies when exposed to fall hazards for very short durations, if at all, and able
to accomplish their work without going near the danger zone.
Duty to have Fall Protection Residential
Each employee engaged in residential construction 6 feet or more above surface must be
protected from falls by conventional fall protection measures except when alternative fall
protection is used.
New compliance standards state that they need to follow all procedures unless they can prove in
writing that it is not feasible and alternative procedures are allowed.
 OSHA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PUBLIC.
OSHA ONLY PROTECTS EMPLOYEES THAT WORK THERE.

Limit employee free fall to 6 feet and ensure no contact with lower level.
Fall Protection Systems must be inspected prior to each use.

Load Limit Label

Inspection Log on each fall protection system – must be completed/logged at least every 6
months. Somebody other than the user must be the one to complete the inspection.
If someone falls and is hanging in the fall protection, you must get them down within 30 minutes
but best practice is within 6 minutes due to the risk of fatal injury increases after 6 mins.
 Test Question

First Aid Kits – no law for what is required to be in there, however it needs to be fully stocked as
it can be a risk in litigation.
Eye Wash Stations are required if corrosives exist. (Batteries, Concrete, etc.)
Eye Wash Bottles will suffice if there is no running water on the jobsite.
Sanitation
- Potable (Safe/Clean) Drinking Water Must Be Provided
- Containers must be tightly closed with a cap
- Must provide drinking cups
- Some companies use bottled water instead of portable containers
- Must provide hand washing facilities for employees using paints, coatings, etc. that may
be harmful
- If you have 200 people on a jobsite, it is only required to have 4 portajohns

LEAD IS TOXIC TO THE MALE & FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS!

Exposures in construction from removing paint from bridges, renovation of residences, and
demolition.
SDS Sheets
PEL – Law Based
TLV – Best Practice and Based on Science
Hazard Communication
- Must have written hazcom program
- Employer must maintain SDS and job specific inventory list
- Employees must be trained prior to exposure and have access to SDS

If someone is wearing a respirator for any amount of time – it is considered an entire day. No
matter the duration of use.
4ft deep you have to have a ladder.
Most Frequently Cited
- 652(a)(1) Protection from cave-ins (362)
- 651©(2) Means of egress provided (210)
- 651(j)(2) Material/Equipment 2’ from edge (133)
- 651(k)(1) Competent Person Inspection (117)
- 651(k)(2) Competent Person Inspection – Employees removed from hazard (40)
Soil Mechanics
It is unnatural to dig up dirt and that dirty is a very heavy material.
Weight of soil is what is dangerous.
Competent Person Requirements:
- Must have specific training in, and be knowledgeable about:
o Soil typing and analysis
o The different kinds of protective systems and their proper us
o Hazard recognition (including hazardous atmospheres)
o When a registered P.E. is required
o Requirements of Subpart P

General Requirements – Contact the utility company or locate service

Confined Space
Alternative Entry is when there are no physical hazards present or isolated so the only hazard is
actual/potential hazardous atmosphere.