Skip to content
EXCELLENCE
Excellence Work
EXCELLENCE WORK

Build It Safely: The Construction Trades

0/15STARS
LEVEL 1 · 0/3LEVEL 2 · 0/3LEVEL 3 · 0/3LEVEL 4 · 0/3LEVEL 5 · 0/3START
0/15 stars lit

Learn the construction trades and how to work them safely: what carpenters, laborers, roofers and ironworkers do and earn, where the 1,034 construction deaths of 2024 came from, OSHA's Focus Four, fall protection from 6 feet, ladders at 4 to 1 and 3 feet past the landing, scaffolds and roof slopes, trenches from 5 feet down, struck-by hazards and nail gun triggers, 10 feet from power lines, PPE and who pays for it, heat illness and the 20% rule, silica dust and noise, reading a tape to the sixteenth, concrete in cubic yards, board feet and roof pitch, and the way in through registered apprenticeships and OSHA 10 and 30 cards.

3h 16m5 constellations
AT THE SUMMIT, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO

01Name the Focus Four and what kills construction workers

02Apply the fall protection, ladder and scaffold rules

03Know when a trench needs protection and how to get out

04Prevent heat illness, silica exposure and hearing loss

05Read a tape and work out concrete, board feet and pitch

Every lesson of Build It Safely: The Construction Trades

15 lessons in 5 levels, about 3 hours. Level 1 is free.

Level 1The Trades and the Way InFree · 3 lessons
  1. Who Builds ItKnow what carpenters, laborers, roofers and ironworkers do, what they earn and how fast their jobs grow.12 min
  2. Where the Danger IsKnow how many construction workers die on the job, from what, and OSHA's Focus Four.13 min
  3. Getting In: Apprenticeships and the OSHA CardKnow how registered apprenticeships and OSHA 10 and 30 cards work, and check level 1.13 min
Level 2Working at HeightMembership · 3 lessons
  1. Six FeetKnow when fall protection is required in construction, and what guardrails, covers and harnesses must do.13 min
  2. Ladder MathSet up and climb an extension ladder by OSHA's rules, with the 4-to-1 math.12 min
  3. Scaffolds and RoofsKnow OSHA's scaffold rules and roof slopes, and check level 2.14 min
Level 3Trenches, Machines and PowerMembership · 3 lessons
  1. TrenchesKnow when a trench needs a protective system, and how to get in and out safely.13 min
  2. Struck-By and Caught-InProtect yourself from falling objects, moving equipment and nail guns.13 min
  3. Power Lines and the Site WalkStay clear of electrical hazards, and check a whole site against level 3.14 min
Level 4Your Body on the JobMembership · 3 lessons
  1. PPE and the Hierarchy of ControlsRank hazard controls, know your PPE, and know who pays for it.12 min
  2. Heat: Water, Rest, ShadeBuild up heat tolerance, drink enough, and tell heat exhaustion from heat stroke.13 min
  3. Silica Dust and NoiseControl silica dust and noise, and check level 4.14 min
Level 5Measure, Calculate, BuildMembership · 3 lessons
  1. Read the TapeRead a tape to the sixteenth, convert feet and inches, and know nominal from actual lumber sizes.12 min
  2. Concrete, Lumber and Roof MathOrder concrete in cubic yards, count board feet, and work out roof pitch and squares.14 min
  3. The Build It Safely TestUse the whole path: the trades, the Focus Four, heights, trenches, power, health and site math.14 min
FREE

Level 1 is open.

Membership opens every other level of this path.

See membership
AFTER THE CORE

Keep going where this path leads.

Stay Safe and Well at WorkYour wider safety rights · 3h 04m
Math for Real LifeMore of the math on the job · 3h 26m