4 - Health and safety Flashcards
What health and safety legislation are you aware of?
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
CDM Regulations 2015
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1991
Control of substances hazardous to health regulations 2022
Working at height regulations 2005
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
How would you ensure you comply with this legislation?
-Remain updated with the relevant legislation
-Follow safe systems of work
-Wear the correct PPE
-Prepare or contribute to method statements, risk assessments
-Adhere to site rules
-Discuss and review health and safety at prestart, progress and contract meetings
-Report issues to site management
-Ensure relevant preconstruction information is in place prior to works commencement, i.e CPP, asbestos
What are the penalties under current health and safety legislation?
Sanctions can include fines, imprisonment, disqualification
Reputational risk
Is it a criminal offence to breach the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
Yes, it is a criminal offence
Tell me about your employer’s health and safety policy
The health and safety policy aims to make a safe place for customers and employees, while complying to relevant legislation as a minimum.
Covers:
Roles and responsibilities
Risk assessments
Working with contractors
Occupational health Communicating h&s
Fire safety
Training and competency
As staff:
Take reasonable care for H&S of self and others
Comply with information and training
Cooperate with LAH to meet H&S obligations i.e. following RA’s and safe systems of works
Report any incidents including near misses
What are your health and safety duties as an individual surveyor?
Take responsibility of myself and those under my duty of care including the public, colleagues.
Report actual or perceived health and safety breaches
Wear PPE
Undertake training
Carry out personal RA and report any perceived or actual risks to my employer
What guidance for the RICS produce about H&S?
Surveying Safely Guidance Note, 2nd edition
When was surveying safely last updated?
November 2018, published Jan 2019
What are the key changes of surveying safely?
Introduction of the ‘safe person’ concept - each individual assumes responsibility for themselves, colleagues and others H&S while at work.
Greater emphasis of individuals competence at work including their responsibility to ensure the use of safe work equipment and safe systems of work for themselves and others.
What must Regulated Firms provide?
A safe working environment
Safe work equipment
Safe systems of work
Competent staff
What happened in the case of Suzy Lamplugh
An estate agent who disappeared during the course of her work as an estate agent
Why is the case of Suzy Lamplugh important for surveyors?
Highlights importance of ensuring responsibility for own health and safety, and others under your care, keeping safe on site
What is personal protective equipment?
Equipment to protect against h&s risks including hard hats, steel toe cap boots, hi-vis, gloves
What is a risk assessment?
Examining what in your work has the potential to cause harm so you can judge/assess whether you have taken sufficient precautions to prevent harm.
What is a risk?
The likelihood of harm being realised
What is a hazard?
A source or situation that has the potential to cause harm including human injury, ill-health, damage to property or damage to the enviornment
How would you undertake a risk assessment before attending site?
Identify hazards
Decide who may be harmed and how
Evaluate risk and decide on precautions
Record and implement
Advise those who could be affected with the outcome and control measures implemented
Dynamically assess on site
What is asbestos
A hazardous material harmful to health historically used in building materials
What legislation are you aware of in relation to asbestos?
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
What do you understand by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
Imposes a legal duty to manage if present or presumed to be present
Breach of the regulations can result in penalties of unlimited fine, or up to 2 years in prison
What is a duty holder?
Duty holders are the persons or organisations who play a key role in certain stages of a building’s life cycle. Duty holders may be the entities who commission, design, build and manage buildings — and do so in compliance with building regulations.
These entities are to be held accountable for the health and safety standards of the building and are responsible for the planning, management and monitoring of building regulations. .
How does asbestos cause lung damage?
If disturbed releases fibres into the atmosphere which if inhaled can lead to cancer
What are the two types of asbestos survey
Management Survey
Refurbishment and Demolition
When was asbestos banned?
1999
What is an asbestos survey/ management plan?
A document to register and detail how asbestos will be managed in a property and what activities will be engaged to ensure people remain safe from asbestos exposure
Explain the key principles of the new RICS guidance relating to asbestos
RICS Guidance Note Asbestos: Legal Requirements and Best Practice for Property Professionals and Clients 4th Edition
Surveyors should have asbestos awareness training
Duty to manage asbestos (non-domestic premises)
Minimise the risk of asbestos (domestic)
Ensure asbestos register is available assessing asbestos present and making information known to anyone likely to disturb the asbestos
What is occupational health?
The effect of work on health, and the impact of health on work
Why is occupational health important?
To ensure a safe and healthy workplace for employees.
Involves identifying and addressing potential health hazards and risks from work-related activities
What are the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015?
the main set of regulations for managing the health, safety and welfare of construction projects.
Applies to all building and construction work
Ensures effective planning during design stage, and provides guidelines for actual construction work
When was CDM 2015 last updated?
2015
What changes were made to CDM in 2015?
Simplified structure, more linear
CDM coordinator replaced with Principal Designer
Clients and Principal Designers having additional duties, which used to be completed by the CDM Coordinator.
What is a notifiable project?
When a project exceeds 30 working days and has more than 20 workers on a project at the same time,
or if the project will be more than 500 person days
Tell me abut when you have used PPE on an inspection?
I wear PPE on all live sites, including steel toe cap boots and Hi-Vis. On the Horn Lane external decoration I project when on the scaffold I wore the above, plus hard hat.
What does the HSE do?
Health and safety regulator in the UK for workplace h&s
Who is the regulator for your area?
HSE - Health and safety executive
What is working from heights?
Working in any place where a fall a distance liable to cause injury to themselves, and can be at any height
What is a CSCS card?
Construction skills certification scheme
To prove that individuals working on site have the correct knowledge and skills to do so, improving standards and safety.
Explain how you ensure your personal safety on site?
- Sign in and out
- PPE - hi-vis, steel toe cap boots, hard hat
- Lone working device or working in pairs
- Inducted by site team/follow site rules
- Ensure I have sight of scaffold sign off before use of scaffold
- Personal RA
- Inform people where I am going and what time
- Report perceived threats to H&S
- Undertake staff training
Tell me something you understand from reading Surveying Safely
Provides an overview of best practice H&S measures for surveyors
Personal responsibility for myself and anyone under my supervision incl:
-comply with employer policy and procedures
-report breaches of H&S in good time
-carry out personal RA
-wear PPE
-undertake staff training
What would you do if you susepced asbestos existed on a site inspection?
- Stop works immediately, and ensure area is safe
- Report matter to the site manager, and if appropriate notify HSE
- Asbestos to be tested by a competent contractor
Why might tagging be used on scaffolding?
Record scaffold inspections
On an electricity site, would you wear steel toed boots - if not why
As long as steel toe is not exposed and safety sole is not degraded/comproimised
Which is the most common type of asbestos?
chrysotile
used in industrial and commercial application, usually white
Which is the most common type of asbestos?
chrysotile
used in industrial and commercial application, usually white
What are the requirements of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)?
- Place duties on people and companies who own, operate or have control over lifting equipment.
- All lifting operations must be properly planned by competent persons, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.
- Lifting equipment to be fit for purpose and appropriate for the task
- Maintain records of examinations and defects and report to person responsible for equipment and relevent enforcing agency
How often should a lift be inspected under LOLER?
Every 6 months, for lifting equipment and any associated accessories used to lift people
Commercial road - what was your role in relation to H&S
Project Surveyor for the project
* approved and contributed to contractor CPP, RAMS
* wore PPE
* followed site rules
* discuss H&S at site and progress meetings
* Monitor h&s during site investigatations and report issues to the site manager
Commercial road - did CDM apply, if so, how and why
- CDM applicable to all construction projects to ensure project is safe
Commercial road - how did you ensure safe working practices were used on site?
- Reviewed and commented on CPP, RAMS
- CPP - ensured lone working strategy was reviewed
- Checked site safety during H&S, welfare, PPE and ensure items were reported and actioned
*TT
Commercial road - explain how you overcame the issue of improper PPE use?
- Immediately reported to the site manager
- Instructed contractor to carry out TT on PPE
- Advised contractor to record as a near miss
- Reviewed at project meeting
Commercial road PPE - how did you avoid a reoccurence of this issue?
- Toolbox talks
- Continued to monitor on future site inspections
- Reported and discussed at contract meeting
What hazardous materials have you come across in your work?
- Asbestos
- Dust
- Solvents
Tell me about any specific precautions you would take when inspecting a dillapidated property
- PPE
- Robust, durable clothing
- Torch
- Undertake dynamic RA
- Utilise functions of lone working device
- Note exit points
- Be aware of dangling wires, smell of gas
Do you think you have a duty of care to keep a property secure even if there is no express provision in your contract?
Yes
- Secure the site on arrival
- And review security after leaving
What case law relates to duty of care to keep property secure (even if not expressed in contract)?
Rushbond Plc v The JS Design Partnership LLP [2021]
Architect on arrival turned off alarm and entered through side door not locking door behind him. Locked up after he finished, but during the inspection vandals had entered, hid inside and later caused a fire. Findings: arguable that the surveyor owed a duty of care to the building owner to take reasonable precautions as to security.
What case law relates to duty of care to keep property secure (even if not expressed in contract)?
Rushbond Plc v The JS Design Partnership LLP [2021]
Architect on arrival turned off alarm and entered through side door not locking door behind him. Locked up after he finished, but during the inspection vandals had entered, hid inside and later caused a fire. Findings: arguable that the surveyor owed a duty of care to the building owner to take reasonable precautions as to security.
What changes were brought in by the Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022?
Extend employers’ and employees’ duties regarding personal protective equipment (PPE) to limb (b) workers.
Tell me about your understanding of the Equality Act 2010
Protect rights of individuals from harassment, bullying and victimisation in the workplace and wider society
Tell me about how you ensure good health and safety practices while on site?
- Comment on/contribute to CPP and RAMS before starting on site
- Prestart meetings and contract meetings to establish requirements with contractor
- Lead by example - i.e. PPE, adhere to site rules
- Report issues to site mgt
- H&S reporting - lessons learned and improvements
Which BSI competence requirement (PAS) relates to the management of safety in residential buildings?
PAS 8673
Tell me about your understanding of fire safety?
Practices to prevent destruction by fire/ fire precautions.
Prevent or reduce the likelihood of a fire breaking out and if a fire does occur, to reduce its spread and intensity
Fire safety measures include those that are planned during the construction of a building or implemented in structures that are already standing and those that are taught to occupants of the building.
What is the key fire safety legislation?
- The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) *is the main piece of legislation governing fire safety in buildings in England and Wales. *
- Fire Safety Act 2021
- Approved Document B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations
Explain what RIDDOR is?
Reporting of injury, disease, dangerous occurences regulations
It requires companies and all those deemed ‘responsible persons’ to both report and maintain records of any workplace accidents or work-related injury.
Explain any recent changes to Part B that you aware of?
Introduces new rules for external walls and balconies for new blocks of flats between 11 metres and 18 metres in height.
Sets clearer, stronger standards which will set limits on the combustibility of materials used in the external walls of buildings.
This will mean that lower risk developments between 11-18m meet necessary safety standards, while allowing designers and developers flexibility to use environmentally friendly materials.
Provision for sprinklers in all new blocks of flats over 11 metres in height
What is COSHH
Control of substances hazardous to health
The regulations place duties on employers to reduce the risks to employees’ health by preventing or adequately controlling exposure to hazardous substances.
Explain your understanding of the Fire Safety Act 2021
The Fire Safety Act 2021 was a product of the Fire Safety Bill, following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017
It amends the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (Fire Safety Order)
Aim: To help residents to feel safe in their homes and to prevent similar tragedies to the Grenfell Tower fire occurring.
Applies to: Any building containing two or more sets of domestic premises, e.g., a block of flats. This is likely to include approximately 1.7m residential properties in England and Wales.
Under the amendments, all Responsible Persons will be required to assess, manage and reduce fire risk associated with the above elements of a building
What is the role of the Building Safety Regulator?
The Regulator for high-rise buildings in England
- overseeing the safety and standards of all buildings
- decision points during design and construction
- helping and encouraging the built environment industry and building control professionals to improve their competence
- leading implementation of the new regulatory framework for high-rise buildings
Explain your understanding of the Building Safety Act 2022
Gives residents and homeowners more rights, powers, and protections – so homes across the country are safer.
- Introduces Building Safety Regulator
- New building control regime for higher-risk buildings, those at least 18m in height or
having at least 7 storeys. - Management of Safety in Higher Risk Buildings - registering high rises with BSR, and having clear lines of responsibility
- The Act eradicates the idea that leaseholders should be the first port of call to pay for historical safety defects.
