OSHA Materials Handling & Storage Quiz — 29 CFR 1926.250-252 Practice Questions — Page 4 of 4
Free OSHA 30-Hour Construction materials handling and storage practice test with 40 realistic scenarios. Lumber stacking, rebar storage, rigging inspection, sling types, material hoists, debris disposal, housekeeping, and manual lifting with 29 CFR 1926 Subpart H references. (Page 4 of 4)
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Q31/ 40
A 30-gallon waste container for oily rags on a construction site has a lid. The container is a standard 55-gallon drum cut in half. The rags are saturated with linseed oil, mineral spirits, and paint thinner. The container is not labeled. Is this container adequate?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.252(e): all solvent waste, oily rags, and flammable liquids shall be kept in fire-resistant covered containers. 1926.252(d): waste materials shall not be allowed to accumulate. Linseed oil is particularly dangerous — it undergoes an exothermic oxidation reaction as it dries, and rags soaked in linseed oil can self-heat to ignition temperature (autoignition around 450°F, but self-heating can reach this from ambient). Approved oily waste cans have: (1) self-closing, tight-fitting lids that limit oxygen, (2) raised bottoms to allow air circulation, (3) UL/FM listing. A cut-off drum with a loose lid does not meet these requirements. The container should also be labeled per HazCom.
Q32/ 40
A tower crane is lifting a bundle of rebar from a flatbed truck. The rigger uses two 3/8-inch wire rope slings in a basket hitch at a 60-degree angle from horizontal. The load weight is 4,200 lbs and each sling has a vertical capacity of 2,800 lbs. Is the rigging adequate?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.251(a)(1) requires that rigging equipment be inspected prior to use and that the safe working load be determined. The sling angle factor at 60 degrees from horizontal is 1.155 (load in each sling = load ÷ number of slings × angle factor = 4,200 ÷ 2 × 1.155 = 2,426 lbs per sling). This is within the 2,800-lb capacity but very close to it — and assumes perfectly balanced loading, which rebar bundles rarely are. 1926.251(a)(2) requires that rigging be configured so that no component exceeds its rated capacity. The competent rigger should either use 1/2-inch slings with higher capacity or adjust the hitch configuration. Note: at 30 degrees from horizontal, the angle factor jumps to 2.0, which would create 4,200 lbs per sling — clearly overloading the slings.
Q33/ 40
A forklift operator is moving a load of lumber that blocks forward visibility. The designated travel path goes through an active work area with ground personnel. How should the operator proceed?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.602(c)(1)(vi) states: 'When a powered industrial truck is used on a roadway, the provisions of 1926.21...shall apply.' 29 CFR 1910.178(n)(4): 'The driver shall be required to look in the direction of, and keep a clear view of the path of travel.' When the load obstructs forward view, driving in reverse (load trailing) keeps the operator's line of sight clear in the direction of travel. Option D is dangerous — elevated loads destabilize the forklift. Option C is acceptable but less safe than direct line-of-sight control. 1910.178(n)(6) specifically requires the operator to look in the direction of travel at all times.
Q34/ 40
A chain sling being used to lift a steel beam shows a 12% elongation in one link compared to the manufacturer's original link dimension. The sling is less than 6 months old. What action is required?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.251(a)(4) states that alloy steel chain slings shall be permanently removed from service if they are stretched beyond the manufacturer's recommendations. ASME B30.9 (incorporated by reference in OSHA's rigging standards) specifies that chain slings shall be removed if any link shows elongation exceeding 5% (or wear exceeding 15% of original diameter). 12% elongation indicates the link has entered plastic deformation — the chain is compromised and could fail catastrophically. Welding or repair of alloy steel chain slings is prohibited by 1926.251(a)(5) — replacement is the only option.
Q35/ 40
A worker is manually lifting bags of cement (94 lbs each) from a pallet onto a mixer platform. The bags are at ground level and the platform is 3 feet high. The worker lifts alone with no mechanical aid. Is this allowed?
✅ Correct Answer: B
There is no single 'maximum lift weight' in OSHA standards. However, 1926.21(b)(2) requires the employer to instruct employees in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions. The General Duty Clause 5(a)(1) applies: if a hazard is recognized (and back injuries from heavy manual lifting are among the most recognized hazards in construction), the employer must take feasible abatement action. The NIOSH lifting equation considers 51 lbs the maximum under ideal conditions — 94 lbs far exceeds this, especially from ground level (origin below knuckle height). OSHA has consistently cited employers under the General Duty Clause for permitting excessive manual lifts when engineering controls (vacuum lifters, two-person teams, smaller bags) are feasible and available.
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Q36/ 40
A crawler crane is set up on a slope with a 4% grade. The operator checked the load chart for the rated capacity on level ground. Outriggers are fully extended on the uphill side but the downhill outriggers are only 75% extended due to space constraints. Is this acceptable?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.1431(b) requires that the equipment be assembled and operated within the manufacturer's specifications. Crane load charts are developed for level ground (within 1% grade per ASME B30.5). Operating on a 4% slope shifts the center of gravity, reduces effective capacity, and increases the risk of tipping — lifting capacities must be derated according to the manufacturer's slope chart (or by a qualified person using accepted engineering methods). Additionally, 1926.1431(c) requires outriggers to be fully extended and set per manufacturer specifications. Partial outrigger extension invalidates the load chart. Either violation alone would make the lift non-compliant and citable under 1926.1431.
Q37/ 40
A signal person is directing a crane operator during a blind lift where neither can see the load at the pick point. The signal person uses standard hand signals, but the operator hesitates on the 'hoist slowly' signal. What should happen?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.1419(d) requires: 'When the operator is unable to see the load, the employer must ensure that the operator uses that information to comply with the standard.' 1926.1428(a)(2) requires that the operator obey a stop signal regardless of who gives it, but for non-stop signals, the operator and signal person must have a clear shared understanding. If a signal is ambiguous or not understood, 1926.1417 requires that operations cease until signals are clarified. Operator hesitation is a safety behavior — it indicates something was unclear and MUST be resolved before proceeding. This is a leading cause of crane incidents.
Q38/ 40
A tagline is being used to control a suspended load in moderate wind (15 mph). The worker holding the tagline wraps it around their wrist to get a better grip. Is this acceptable?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.1425(a)(3) requires that tagline use be in accordance with manufacturer specifications and industry practice. ASME B30.5 and industry consensus standards specify that taglines be controlled by hand grip only — never wrapped, tied, or fastened to any body part or stationary object. A wind gust can transform a suspended load into a pendulum with tremendous force. If the load swings or drops suddenly, a wrist-wrapped tagline becomes a noose. There is no regulatory wind speed cutoff for taglines, but 1926.1431(k)(6) requires the operator to consider wind conditions in the lift plan — 15 mph with a large surface-area load may already warrant stopping the lift.
Q39/ 40
A worker is cutting banding straps on a bundle of 20-foot-long metal studs with tin snips. The bundle was stacked by forklift and the bands are under tension from the compression of the stack. What should the worker do first?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.250(a)(2) requires that material be stacked and secured to prevent sliding, falling, or collapse. 1926.250(b)(6) requires that employees handling materials be trained in safe methods. Cutting tensioned banding straps is one of the most common causes of severe lacerations and eye injuries in material handling — straps under thousands of pounds of compression tension can whip with enough force to cause deep cuts, fractures, or blindness. The worker must stand to the side (out of the line of fire), wear eye and hand protection, alert others in the area, and cut the band at the point of lowest stored energy. Snips should cut away from the body.
Q40/ 40
A site has a designated debris chute for roof tear-off material going to a dumpster at ground level. The chute opening at the top (on the roof) is 4 ft × 4 ft and unguarded when not in use. Workers walk past it during tear-off operations. Is this compliant?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.252(b) requires that debris removal openings be guarded. A 4 ft × 4 ft opening exceeds the dimensions of a floor hole (which, per 1926.500(b), is an opening less than 12 inches in its least dimension). This is actually a floor opening exceeding 12 inches — 1926.501(b)(4)(i) requires that every employee on a walking/working surface be protected from falling through holes more than 6 feet above lower levels by covers, guardrails, or PFAS. When the chute is not being actively loaded, the opening must be covered or guarded.