OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Outreach (knowledge check)
Introduction to OSHA: practice questions
Our OSHA 10 General Industry bank has 33 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
What may a worker contest about a citation issued to their employer?
- The amount of the penalty
- Whether the employer should have been cited at all, in any respect
- Nothing; only employers may contest
- The time allowed to correct (abate) the hazard
Show the answer
D. The time allowed to correct (abate) the hazard — Employees or their representatives may file a notice alleging that the abatement period in the citation is unreasonable, within 15 working days.
Question 2
Under federal OSHA, which workers are not covered by OSHA directly unless their state has an approved State Plan?
- State and local government workers
- Private sector factory workers
- Federal government workers, who are covered only by their agency's own rules
- Private sector retail workers
Show the answer
A. State and local government workers — State and local government workers are not covered by federal OSHA but have protections in states with OSHA-approved plans. Federal agencies are covered by OSHA, which does not fine them.
Question 3
Which agency researches workplace hazards and recommends ways to prevent them, but does not enforce standards?
- OSHA's Area Offices
- The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which also issues OSHA citations
- NIOSH
Show the answer
D. NIOSH — The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, created by the OSH Act, does research and makes recommendations; OSHA sets and enforces standards.
Question 4
Which of these is a right OSHA lists for workers?
- Receiving safety training in a language they understand
- Choosing which OSHA standards apply to their job
- Being paid double time while an OSHA inspection is in progress at their workplace
- Skipping any task they find inconvenient
Show the answer
A. Receiving safety training in a language they understand — OSHA lists rights including training in a language you understand, safe machines, required safety equipment, protection from toxic chemicals, requesting an inspection, and seeing records and test results.
Question 5
What is the rule on giving employers advance notice of an OSHA inspection?
- Employers always get one week's notice
- Employers get 24 hours' notice for every inspection, by law
- Notice is given only to employers with State Plans
- It is generally not allowed, except in limited situations
Show the answer
D. It is generally not allowed, except in limited situations — Advance notice of inspections may not be given except in limited situations, such as imminent danger or when it would make the inspection more effective.