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CRLB Rhode Island (RI) Underground Utility
Contractor Exam | Latest Verified Questions and
Detailed Answers
OVERVIEW DESCRIPTION
This comprehensive set of multiple-choice questions is designed for the Rhode Island
Underground Utility Contractor Exam, an open-book, multiple-choice assessment
regulated by the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board (CRLB) and
administered by PSI or a similar board-approved testing center. The exam evaluates
practical knowledge and safety competency in the installation, repair, and maintenance
of water, sewer, and storm drainage systems outside of buildings, with emphasis on
OSHA excavation safety standards (29 CFR 1926), Rhode Island Dig Safe law, trenching
and shoring methods, soil analysis, backfilling and compaction procedures, pipe
materials (including ductile iron and concrete), plan and profile interpretation, and
fundamental site mathematics such as volume calculations and slope determination.
QUESTION 1
According to OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P, a “competent person” for excavation work is
defined as a person who:
A) Holds a civil engineering degree
B) Has at least 10 years of field experience
C) Is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards and has authorization to
take prompt corrective measures
D) Has completed a 40-hour HAZWOPER course
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: OSHA defines a competent person as one who can recognize
hazards and has the authority to immediately correct them. Formal education or years of
experience alone do not meet the definition.
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QUESTION 2
Under the Rhode Island Dig Safe law, how many hours’ notice (excluding weekends and
state holidays) must an excavator provide to the one-call center before beginning
excavation?
A) 24 hours
B) 48 hours
C) 72 hours
D) 96 hours
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: Rhode Island law requires at least 48 hours’ notice prior to
excavation, excluding weekends and legal holidays, to allow marking. Other states may
require 72 hours but RI is 48.
QUESTION 3
In a trench excavation in Type C soil, what is the maximum allowable simple slope for
employee protection?
A) 3/4 horizontal to 1 vertical (53 degrees)
B) 1 horizontal to 1 vertical (45 degrees)
C) 1.5 horizontal to 1 vertical (34 degrees)
D) Vertical sides (90 degrees)
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Type C soil is the least stable; OSHA requires a slope of 1.5H:1V
(34°) unless other protective systems are used. Type B allows 1:1, Type A 3/4:1.
QUESTION 4
When a trench box (shield) is used in an excavation deeper than 4 feet, the top of the
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shield must:
A) Be level with the top of the trench
B) Extend at least 2 feet above the vertical trench face or sloped surface to prevent
material from falling in
C) Be flush with the ground surface
D) Extend 6 inches above the trench edge
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: OSHA requires shields to extend at least 2 feet above the trench
face or sloped side to keep soil and debris from rolling or falling into the excavation and
injuring workers.
QUESTION 5
Under RI Dig Safe regulations, the “tolerance zone” when hand digging around a
marked underground facility is:
A) 12 inches from the facility’s edge
B) 18 inches from the outside diameter or marked line
C) 24 inches from the marked line
D) 6 inches on each side
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: Rhode Island defines the tolerance zone as 18 inches on either side
of the marked facility. Hand digging or non-mechanical methods must be used within
this zone.
QUESTION 6
What is the minimum lateral travel distance between access ladders in a trench that is
more than 4 feet deep?
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A) 50 feet
B) 25 feet
C) 100 feet
D) 15 feet
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: OSHA requires a ladder every 25 feet of lateral travel in trenches
deeper than 4 feet, so no worker has to travel more than 25 feet to reach a safe exit.
QUESTION 7
Which of the following soil types is considered the most stable under OSHA
classification?
A) Type C
B) Type B
C) Type A
D) Solid Rock
CORRECT ANSWER: D
EXPERT RATIONALE: Stable rock is not classified as Type A, B, or C; it is more stable than
any soil type and needs no sloping or benching if verified by a competent person.
QUESTION 8
When a trench is dug in previously disturbed soil, it must be classified as what soil type
unless testing proves otherwise?
A) Type A
B) Type B
C) Type C
D) Solid Rock
CRLB Rhode Island (RI) Underground Utility
Contractor Exam | Latest Verified Questions and
Detailed Answers
OVERVIEW DESCRIPTION
This comprehensive set of multiple-choice questions is designed for the Rhode Island
Underground Utility Contractor Exam, an open-book, multiple-choice assessment
regulated by the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board (CRLB) and
administered by PSI or a similar board-approved testing center. The exam evaluates
practical knowledge and safety competency in the installation, repair, and maintenance
of water, sewer, and storm drainage systems outside of buildings, with emphasis on
OSHA excavation safety standards (29 CFR 1926), Rhode Island Dig Safe law, trenching
and shoring methods, soil analysis, backfilling and compaction procedures, pipe
materials (including ductile iron and concrete), plan and profile interpretation, and
fundamental site mathematics such as volume calculations and slope determination.
QUESTION 1
According to OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P, a “competent person” for excavation work is
defined as a person who:
A) Holds a civil engineering degree
B) Has at least 10 years of field experience
C) Is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards and has authorization to
take prompt corrective measures
D) Has completed a 40-hour HAZWOPER course
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: OSHA defines a competent person as one who can recognize
hazards and has the authority to immediately correct them. Formal education or years of
experience alone do not meet the definition.
,2|Page
QUESTION 2
Under the Rhode Island Dig Safe law, how many hours’ notice (excluding weekends and
state holidays) must an excavator provide to the one-call center before beginning
excavation?
A) 24 hours
B) 48 hours
C) 72 hours
D) 96 hours
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: Rhode Island law requires at least 48 hours’ notice prior to
excavation, excluding weekends and legal holidays, to allow marking. Other states may
require 72 hours but RI is 48.
QUESTION 3
In a trench excavation in Type C soil, what is the maximum allowable simple slope for
employee protection?
A) 3/4 horizontal to 1 vertical (53 degrees)
B) 1 horizontal to 1 vertical (45 degrees)
C) 1.5 horizontal to 1 vertical (34 degrees)
D) Vertical sides (90 degrees)
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Type C soil is the least stable; OSHA requires a slope of 1.5H:1V
(34°) unless other protective systems are used. Type B allows 1:1, Type A 3/4:1.
QUESTION 4
When a trench box (shield) is used in an excavation deeper than 4 feet, the top of the
,3|Page
shield must:
A) Be level with the top of the trench
B) Extend at least 2 feet above the vertical trench face or sloped surface to prevent
material from falling in
C) Be flush with the ground surface
D) Extend 6 inches above the trench edge
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: OSHA requires shields to extend at least 2 feet above the trench
face or sloped side to keep soil and debris from rolling or falling into the excavation and
injuring workers.
QUESTION 5
Under RI Dig Safe regulations, the “tolerance zone” when hand digging around a
marked underground facility is:
A) 12 inches from the facility’s edge
B) 18 inches from the outside diameter or marked line
C) 24 inches from the marked line
D) 6 inches on each side
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: Rhode Island defines the tolerance zone as 18 inches on either side
of the marked facility. Hand digging or non-mechanical methods must be used within
this zone.
QUESTION 6
What is the minimum lateral travel distance between access ladders in a trench that is
more than 4 feet deep?
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A) 50 feet
B) 25 feet
C) 100 feet
D) 15 feet
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: OSHA requires a ladder every 25 feet of lateral travel in trenches
deeper than 4 feet, so no worker has to travel more than 25 feet to reach a safe exit.
QUESTION 7
Which of the following soil types is considered the most stable under OSHA
classification?
A) Type C
B) Type B
C) Type A
D) Solid Rock
CORRECT ANSWER: D
EXPERT RATIONALE: Stable rock is not classified as Type A, B, or C; it is more stable than
any soil type and needs no sloping or benching if verified by a competent person.
QUESTION 8
When a trench is dug in previously disturbed soil, it must be classified as what soil type
unless testing proves otherwise?
A) Type A
B) Type B
C) Type C
D) Solid Rock
