OSHA Scaffold Safety Quiz — 29 CFR 1926.450-454 Practice Questions — Page 2 of 4
Free OSHA 30-Hour Construction scaffold safety practice test with 40 realistic scenarios. Covers supported scaffolds, suspended scaffolds, aerial lifts, platform construction, guardrails, and competent person inspection with 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L references. (Page 2 of 4)
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Q11/ 40
A mason is working from a tubular welded frame scaffold that is 3 tiers high (approximately 18 feet). The scaffold has no guardrails because the mason claims 'guardrails get in the way of laying brick.' The scaffold is fully planked and has proper access. What is the violation?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.451(g)(1)(vii): each employee on a scaffold more than 10 feet above a lower level shall be protected by a guardrail system or a personal fall arrest system. For overhand bricklaying, 1926.451(g)(1)(ii) allows removal of the front guardrail only when necessary to lay brick — the other three sides must remain guarded. Guardrails are the primary protection; PFAS is an alternative but guardrails protect everyone on the platform simultaneously.
Q12/ 40
A scissor lift is being used to install ceiling fixtures at 28 feet inside a warehouse. The worker on the platform is not wearing a harness. The lift has standard guardrails (top rail at 42 inches, midrail at 21 inches, toeboard). Is the worker required to wear a PFAS?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.453: scissor lifts are classified as mobile scaffolds under 1926.452(w), not as aerial lifts under 1926.453(b). 1926.451(g)(1)(vii) requires guardrails OR PFAS on scaffolds above 10 feet. With compliant guardrails, OSHA does not mandate PFAS on scissor lifts. However, ANSI A92.6 and most manufacturers REQUIRE fall protection (harness + lanyard attached to the platform anchor point) because scissor lifts can bounce and eject occupants. OSHA can cite under the General Duty Clause if manufacturer instructions require PFAS and it's not used.
Q13/ 40
A two-point suspension scaffold (swing stage) is set up at the 15th floor of a high-rise. The platform is 24 feet long with two workers. The supporting wire ropes have a safety factor of 6. The rigger attached the stirrups directly to the platform — no additional fasteners. What is wrong?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.451(d)(5): suspension scaffold outrigger beams shall be provided with stop bolts or shackles at both ends. 1926.451(d)(12): scaffold hangers shall be designed and secured to prevent accidental displacement. Additionally, 1926.451(d)(7): tiebacks for outrigger beams must be equivalent in strength to the suspension ropes. Many swing stage accidents occur when the stirrup slips off the platform end. The platform should have stirrup retention pins, bolts, or clamps.
Q14/ 40
A supported scaffold 4 tiers high (about 24 feet) is erected next to a masonry building under construction. The scaffold is NOT tied to the building. The competent person says 'it's heavy enough — it won't tip.' The base plates are on compacted gravel. Is this compliant?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.451(c)(1): supported scaffolds must be restrained from tipping by guys, ties, or braces. The 4:1 height-to-base ratio rule is the standard stability requirement — if the height exceeds 4 times the minimum base width, tie-ins are required. For a typical 5-foot wide frame scaffold, tie-ins are required above 20 feet. 1926.451(c)(1)(iii) requires the first tie at the closest horizontal member to the 4:1 height, and additional ties every 26 feet vertically and 30 feet horizontally thereafter.
Q15/ 40
A competent person is inspecting tubular welded frame scaffolds at the start of the shift. One scaffold leg shows a 2-inch dent from a forklift impact. The dent is about 1/4 of the tube diameter deep. The foreman says 'it's just cosmetic.' What must be done?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.451(f)(3): scaffolds and scaffold components shall be inspected for visible defects by a competent person before each work shift, and after any occurrence which could affect a scaffold's structural integrity. 1926.451(f)(4): any part of a scaffold damaged or weakened such that its strength is less than required shall be immediately repaired or replaced. A dent 1/4 of the tube diameter deep in a scaffold leg significantly reduces its load-bearing capacity — the leg is a column in compression and the dent creates a buckling failure point.
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Q16/ 40
A crew is disassembling a supported scaffold. Workers are passing frames down hand-to-hand from the 3rd tier. The frames are being stacked on the ground but not secured. A gust of wind knocks over two stacked frames, nearly striking a worker. What safety practice was violated?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.451(f)(7): scaffold components shall not be dropped or thrown. 1926.252(a): debris shall be dropped through enclosed chutes or lowered in containers. While passing frames hand-to-hand avoids 'dropping,' the frames on the ground must be stacked to prevent collapse. Additionally, 1926.451(h)(1): toeboards or other falling object protection is needed. The stacked frames created a struck-by hazard that should have been mitigated by organized stacking, securing, or barricading the area.
Q17/ 40
An employer uses a tubular welded frame scaffold rated as 'light duty' (25 psf). Workers are doing drywall finishing from the scaffold — one worker, plus a stack of 10 drywall sheets (4×8 ft, approx 55 lbs each) being stored on the platform. The scaffold platform is 3 feet × 7 feet. What is the loading concern?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.451(a)(1): each scaffold platform shall be fully planked. 1926.451(a)(6): scaffolds shall not be loaded in excess of their maximum intended load. Light duty = 25 psf (workers only, no material storage). 10 sheets × 55 lbs = 550 lbs + worker (250 lbs) = 800 lbs on 21 sq ft = 38 psf — exceeding the 25 psf light-duty rating. 1926.451(f)(1): scaffolds shall be erected with the load rating appropriate for the intended use. For material storage, at least medium-duty (50 psf, 450 lbs for bricklaying) is required.
Q18/ 40
A suspended scaffold (swing stage) has counterweights on the outrigger beams consisting of standard concrete blocks (8×8×16 inches, approximately 36 lbs each). The manufacturer specifies a 4:1 safety factor for counterweights and calls for 1,200 lbs of counterweight. The rigger uses 30 blocks (30 × 36 = 1,080 lbs). Is this acceptable?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.451(d)(3)(ii): counterweights shall be made of a solid material (concrete blocks are acceptable) and shall be secured to the outrigger beam by mechanical means. The counterweight must be specifically intended as counterweight and marked. 1926.451(d)(3)(i): the counterweight shall be at least 4 times the load applied. If the manufacturer specifies 1,200 lbs, using only 1,080 lbs reduces the safety factor below the 4:1 requirement. Additionally, loose individual blocks must be mechanically connected to function as a single counterweight — they cannot simply be stacked.
Q19/ 40
Workers on a supported scaffold access the platform by climbing the cross-braces. The scaffold is equipped with a built-in ladder on one end, but it's at the far end from where workers are working. A compliance officer observes workers climbing the cross-braces. What is the citation?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.451(e)(1): when scaffold platforms are more than 2 feet above or below a point of access, access must be by portable ladders, hook-on ladders, attachable ladders, stair towers, ramps, or other safe means. Cross-braces are structural bracing members — they are not designed, tested, or intended as climbing surfaces. The rung spacing, diameter, and attachment are not compliant with ladder requirements under 1926.1053. The built-in ladder must be positioned to provide practical access — workers will take the unsafe shortcut if access is inconvenient.
Q20/ 40
A boom lift (articulating boom) is being operated on a 5-degree slope. The manufacturer's operator manual states the maximum allowable slope is 3 degrees. The slope indicator on the lift reads 4 degrees. The operator levels the platform using the platform tilt function and continues work. Is this acceptable?
✅ Correct Answer: B
1926.453(b)(2)(iii): aerial lifts shall not be operated on grades, side slopes, or ramps exceeding the manufacturer's recommendations. Platform leveling adjusts the platform angle for worker comfort — it does NOT change the lift's center of gravity or stability. The 3-degree manufacturer's limit is based on the machine's stability envelope and tip-over risk. Operating at 4-5 degrees exceeds the design limit. 1926.453(b)(2)(i) requires operators to follow manufacturer instructions for operation.