Under Cal/OSHA fall protection requirements, at what height must personal fall arrest systems be provided for employees working on scaffolds?
Correct Answer
D) 10 feet
Cal/OSHA Section 1637 requires fall protection on scaffolds at 10 feet, which differs from the federal 6-foot requirement for some construction activities.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Cal/OSHA Title 8 Section 1637 requires fall protection — including personal fall arrest systems or guardrails — for scaffold work at 10 feet above the lower level. This is a California-specific requirement that differs from the federal OSHA standard, which uses 6 feet for general construction fall protection.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: 15 feet
15 feet has no basis in Cal/OSHA scaffold regulations. Waiting until 15 feet would leave workers unprotected at legally required protection heights between 10 and 15 feet.
Option B: 25 feet
25 feet is not a Cal/OSHA scaffold fall protection trigger height. This figure may be confused with other height thresholds in different contexts (e.g., some high-rise definitions), but it is not the scaffold standard.
Option C: 6 feet
6 feet is the federal OSHA (29 CFR 1926) threshold for fall protection in residential construction and for some general construction activities. Cal/OSHA uses 10 feet for scaffolds — a common source of confusion for candidates who know federal standards.
Memory Technique
Cal/OSHA scaffolds = '10 feet, no retreat.' Federal OSHA = 6 feet. Remember: California adds 4 feet of extra safety margin on scaffolds. Ten fingers, ten feet.
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In a workplace accident scenario, an employee falls from a scaffold and is hospitalized. Under Cal/OSHA requirements, within what timeframe must the employer report this incident?
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Calculate the required air changes per hour for a confined space with lead work under Cal/OSHA regulations. The space volume is 1,200 cubic feet and the exhaust fan moves 400 CFM. How many air changes per hour are being provided?