29 CFR 1910.252: General requirements
The official text is on the eCFR. This page maps how the section is organized, quotes the paragraphs our ASP practice questions are built on, and gives free questions you can try. Text below is quoted from the eCFR, current as of 2026-10-14; the section was last amended 2017-01-01.
How 29 CFR 1910.252 is organized
- (a) Fire prevention and protection—(1) Basic precautions47 paragraphs
- (b) Protection of personnel—(1) General—(i) Railing42 paragraphs
- (c)62 paragraphs
- (d) Industrial applications—(1) Transmission pipeline—(i) General9 paragraphs
Paragraphs our practice questions cite most
Counted across the 8 live PassCited questions built on this section. This reflects our question bank, not the real exam.
“(x) Noncombustible walls. If welding is to be done on a metal wall, partition, ceiling or roof, precautions shall be taken to prevent ignition of combustibles on the other side, due to conduction or radiation, preferably by relocating combustibles. Where combustibles are not relocated, a fire watch on the opposite side from the work shall be provided.”
“(B) Designate an individual responsible for authorizing cutting and welding operations in areas not specifically designed for such processes.”
“(vi) Gas cylinder shutoff. In order to eliminate the possibility of gas escaping through leaks of improperly closed valves, when gas welding or cutting, the torch valves shall be closed and the fuel-gas and oxygen supply to the torch positively shut off at some point outside the confined area whenever the torch is not to be used for a substantial period of time, such as during lunch hour or overnight. Where practicable the torch and hose shall also be removed from the confined space.”
“(iv) Hazard communication. The employer shall include the potentially hazardous materials employed in fluxes, coatings, coverings, and filler metals, all of which are potentially used in welding and cutting, or are released to the atmosphere during welding and cutting, in the program established to comply with the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) (§ 1910.1200). The employer shall ensure that each employee has access to labels on containers of such materials and safety data sheets, and is trained in accordance with the provisions of § 1910.1200. Potentially hazardous materials shall include …”
“(ii) Airline respirators. In circumstances for which it is impossible to provide such ventilation, airline respirators or hose masks approved for this purpose by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under 42 CFR part 84 must be used.”
Free practice questions on 29 CFR 1910.252
Question 1
A welder needs to weld a bracket onto a steel wall panel in a plant area not designed for hot work. The panel is bare, uncovered sheet steel. On the other side of the wall, a stack of cardboard cartons sits against the panel. The supervisor cannot relocate the cartons before the job must start. Which action does the standard require for this job to proceed?
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Answer: A. Provide a fire watch on the opposite side of the wall from the work
Welding on a noncombustible metal wall is allowed when ignition of combustibles on the far side is prevented, preferably by relocating them. If they stay, a fire watch must be posted on the opposite side from the work. The prohibition on welding applies to walls with combustible coverings or combustible sandwich panels, not to bare metal walls.
Answer A rests on
29 CFR 1910.252(a)(2)(x)(opens ecfr.gov in a new tab)“If welding is to be done on a metal wall, partition, ceiling or roof, precautions shall be taken to prevent ignition of combustibles on the other side, due to conduction or radiation, preferably by relocating combustibles. Where combustibles are not relocated, a fire watch on the opposite side from the work shall be provided.”
Question 2
A maintenance crew at a food-processing plant needs to weld a bracket onto a steel roof support. The support is in a mezzanine storage area that has never been designated for cutting or welding. The area has stacked cardboard packaging. The maintenance supervisor says the welder is experienced and can simply start, since no one else is available to review the job. Under the standard, what must happen before the welding proceeds?
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Answer: D. The individual management has designated to authorize cutting and welding in areas not specifically designed for such work must authorize the operation
The standard requires management to designate an individual responsible for authorizing cutting and welding in areas not specifically designed for such processes, and this mezzanine is such an area. The supervisor's responsibility for safe handling of the equipment and process does not replace that authorization, and nothing in the standard lets the welder self-authorize.
Answer D rests on
29 CFR 1910.252(a)(2)(xiii)(B)(opens ecfr.gov in a new tab)“Designate an individual responsible for authorizing cutting and welding operations in areas not specifically designed for such processes.”
Question 3
A welder must cut brackets inside a small ballast tank, which is a confined space. The tank has no openings that allow mechanical ventilation to be set up, so adequate ventilation to prevent toxic accumulation cannot be provided. Air monitoring shows the atmosphere is not immediately hazardous to life. Which respiratory protection approach does the standard require for the welder?
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Answer: D. A NIOSH-approved airline respirator or hose mask
Ventilation is impossible here, so the standard requires airline respirators or hose masks approved by NIOSH. The self-contained or combination apparatus is reserved for areas immediately hazardous to life, which this tank is not. Oxygen must never be used for ventilation.
Answer D rests on
29 CFR 1910.252(c)(4)(ii)(opens ecfr.gov in a new tab)“In circumstances for which it is impossible to provide such ventilation, airline respirators or hose masks approved for this purpose by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under 42 CFR part 84 must be used.”
Where it shows up in exam prep
Find out which regulations you'd miss
Other Part 1910 sections
- 29 CFR 1910.1020: Access to employee exposure and medical records
- 29 CFR 1910.1030: Bloodborne pathogens
- 29 CFR 1910.1053: Respirable crystalline silica
- 29 CFR 1910.106: Flammable liquids
- 29 CFR 1910.119: Process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals
- 29 CFR 1910.120: Hazardous waste operations and emergency response
This is a study aid, not legal advice or an official interpretation. Always check the current eCFR text. Original practice questions, not real exam items. PassCited is not affiliated with or endorsed by BCSP.