Safe Pass Practice Test (SOLAS) 2026: Practice test 2

Practice test 2 of 3 for the Safe Pass Practice Test (SOLAS): 20 more questions with answers and explanations.

Workplace safety
Ireland
60 questions
Checked October 10, 2026

Question 1 of 20
What is a near miss?
- A worker who only just catches the bus to work
- A delivery of materials that arrives later than planned
- An accident that causes a serious injury to a worker
- An event that could have caused injury or damage but did not
Show answer
Answer: D. An event that could have caused injury or damage but did not
Near misses should be reported, because the same cause could hurt someone next time.
Question 2 of 20
You are hurt on site. Who should you tell first?
- Your supervisor
- No one, unless the injury is serious
- Only your family
- A local newspaper
Show answer
Answer: A. Your supervisor
Tell your supervisor so the accident can be recorded and investigated, and the cause dealt with.
Question 3 of 20
What is a hazard?
- A type of personal protective equipment
- The chance that harm will happen from a hazard
- Anything that has the potential to cause harm
- A form used for reporting accidents to the HSA
Show answer
Answer: C. Anything that has the potential to cause harm
A hazard is something that can cause harm, such as an open excavation, a live cable or a noisy machine.
Question 4 of 20
In the hierarchy of controls, what should be done first?
- Eliminate the hazard if possible
- Tell workers to be careful
- Put up a warning sign
- Hand out PPE
Show answer
Answer: A. Eliminate the hazard if possible
Removing the hazard is the most effective control. PPE is the last line of defence.
Question 5 of 20
Which supply voltage is the safer choice for portable power tools on a construction site?
- 230 volts
- 110 volts, centre-tapped to earth
- Whatever the nearest socket provides
- 400 volts
Show answer
Answer: B. 110 volts, centre-tapped to earth
A reduced-voltage 110 V supply lowers the danger of a serious electric shock. Battery tools are safer still.
Question 6 of 20
You see the cable on an extension lead is cut. What should you do?
- Use it only in dry weather from now on
- Wrap insulating tape around it and keep going
- Stop using it, take it out of use and report it
- Leave it where it is for someone else to find
Show answer
Answer: C. Stop using it, take it out of use and report it
Damaged electrical equipment can cause shock or fire. It must be checked and repaired by a competent person.
Question 7 of 20
Before digging, how should you deal with possible underground cables?
- Check the service drawings, use a cable locator and treat any cable as live
- Assume there are no cables if none can be seen on the surface
- Use a pick to feel for cables before digging any further
- Dig quickly with a machine to get the job done before lunch
Show answer
Answer: A. Check the service drawings, use a cable locator and treat any cable as live
Striking a buried cable can kill. Locate services before digging and dig carefully by hand near them.
Question 8 of 20
Plant is working near overhead power lines. What helps prevent contact?
- Barriers and height limits (goal posts)
- Raising the boom to check the height
- Working quickly under the lines
- Asking the driver to watch the lines
Show answer
Answer: A. Barriers and height limits (goal posts)
Contact with overhead lines can be fatal. Keep plant out of the danger zone with physical barriers and a safe system of work.
Question 9 of 20
What is the main danger when working in a trench?
- The trench is too quiet
- The sides can collapse and bury you
- The trench may be too dark to read
- The trench may get too warm
Show answer
Answer: B. The sides can collapse and bury you
Even a small fall of soil can crush or suffocate a worker. Trench sides must be supported or battered back.
Question 10 of 20
Why should spoil heaps, materials and machines be kept back from the edge of an excavation?
- Their weight can make the sides collapse
- So the spoil dries out faster
- So the trench can be photographed
- So people can sit on the edge
Show answer
Answer: A. Their weight can make the sides collapse
Loads near the edge increase the risk of collapse. Keep them back and use stop blocks for vehicles.
Question 11 of 20
How can the sides of a trench be made safe?
- Support them with shoring or trench boxes, or slope them back
- Cover them with plastic sheeting to keep the soil dry and firm
- Work quickly so the sides have no time to fall in
- Spray them with water to hold the soil together
Show answer
Answer: A. Support them with shoring or trench boxes, or slope them back
Support or batter the sides so they cannot collapse on workers.
Question 12 of 20
When should an excavation be inspected?
- Before work starts each shift
- Only if someone complains
- Once a year
- Only on the day it is dug
Show answer
Answer: A. Before work starts each shift
A competent person should inspect the excavation before work each shift and after anything that could affect it, such as heavy rain.
Question 13 of 20
What should you think about first when planning work at height?
- How quickly the job can be done
- Which ladder is the cheapest to buy or hire
- Whether the work at height can be avoided
- Whether a harness will fit the worker
Show answer
Answer: C. Whether the work at height can be avoided
Avoid work at height if you can. If not, prevent falls with safe equipment, then minimise the distance and consequences of a fall.
Question 14 of 20
What should be fitted to the open edges of a working platform?
- A warning sign only
- Guardrails and toe boards
- Nothing, if the platform is wide
- A rope tied loosely
Show answer
Answer: B. Guardrails and toe boards
Guardrails stop people falling, and toe boards stop tools and materials falling on people below.
Question 15 of 20
What angle should a leaning ladder be at?
- Straight up, flat against the wall (90°)
- 1 unit out at the base for every 10 units up
- 1 unit out at the base for every 4 units up (about 75°)
- 1 unit out at the base for every 1 unit up (about 45°)
Show answer
Answer: C. 1 unit out at the base for every 4 units up (about 75°)
The 1 in 4 rule gives a safe angle of about 75°.
Question 16 of 20
A ladder is used to reach a working platform. How far should it extend above the landing?
- About 10 centimetres
- About 1 metre
- About 5 metres
- It should stop below the landing
Show answer
Answer: B. About 1 metre
Extending about 1 metre above the landing gives you a handhold when stepping on and off.
Question 17 of 20
A scaffold board or guardrail is in your way. What should you do?
- Remove it for the rest of the day and tell no one
- Ask a labourer to move it out of your way
- Ask your supervisor; only a scaffolder may alter it
- Move it yourself and put it back later in the day
Show answer
Answer: C. Ask your supervisor; only a scaffolder may alter it
Unauthorised changes can make a scaffold unsafe for everyone who uses it.
Question 18 of 20
Why are fragile roofs, such as old cement sheets or roof lights, so dangerous?
- They are always very hot to touch
- They can give way under your weight
- They are too slippery to paint
- They make too much noise in rain
Show answer
Answer: B. They can give way under your weight
Falls through fragile roofs are often fatal. Do not walk on them; use proper platforms and protection.
Question 19 of 20
You see a workmate taking a dangerous short cut. What is the right response?
- Speak up or tell your supervisor, so it can be stopped
- Copy the short cut so the job gets done faster
- Say nothing, as it is not your job to check others
- Take a photo of it to post on social media
Show answer
Answer: A. Speak up or tell your supervisor, so it can be stopped
Behaviour-based safety means everyone looks out for unsafe acts and speaks up before someone is hurt.
Question 20 of 20
Why does horseplay on site matter?
- It is only a problem for managers and supervisors
- It slows down the tea break for everyone else
- It can cause serious accidents and is forbidden by law
- It is allowed on site as long as no one is hurt
Show answer
Answer: C. It can cause serious accidents and is forbidden by law
Section 13 of the 2005 Act forbids improper conduct or behaviour likely to endanger anyone.

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