B10 Flashcards
Jan 20
See Jan 14 Jan 08 Jan 06
Employees are exposed to high levels of heat and steam from a manufacturing process.
(a) Identify TWO parameters that could be measured when making an assessment of the thermal environment.
(2)
(b) Outline ways of reducing thermal stress among employees during the manufacturing process. (8)
a) The thermal environment should be assessed in terms of the factors that contribute to heat stress, in particular the following should be measured: Any 2 from
• Air temperature - dry air temp
• Thermal radiation – heat given off by a warm object such as oven
• Relative humidity - % water vapour in air
• Air velocity - air movement velocity (m/s)
(b) Measures that can be used to minimise the risk of heat stress include:
• engineering controls - ie reduced heat output through process change or insulation
• shielding from radiant heat (barriers, screens)
• forced ventilation and air cooling / de-humidifiers
• providing lightweight ventilated “breathable” clothing / PPE
• providing drinks / hydration fluids (“isotonic”)
• “acclimatisation” - phased introduction to work area
• restricting work duration (job rotation, breaks etc)
• providing adequate numbers of employees to reduce work rate / exertion levels
• controlling work rate
• training in the signs and symptoms of heat stress
• pre-employment screening to identify people at risk
• providing health surveillance
Jul 19
(a) Identify FOUR environmental parameters that affect thermal comfort. (4)
(b) Identify THREE other parameters that affect thermal comfort. (3)
(c) Employees are at risk of heat stress when working in a manufacturing process that produces high levels of heat and steam. Some employees are more vulnerable to the effects of heat stress.
(i) Identify TWO reasons why some employees may be more vulnerable to heat stress. (2)
(ii) Outline controls measures that help reduce the risk of heat stress for all employees working in this manufacturing process. (8)
(d) Wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is a commonly used heat stress index.
Outline the purpose of WBGT. (3
(a) Environmental parameters include:
• ambient temperature
• radiant temperature which is not influenced by air currents
• relative humidity - % water vapour in air
• air velocity
(b) Non-environmental parameters: • Metabolic rate • Work rate (level of exertion) • Clothing index • Duration of exposure • Level of hydration • Alcohol consumption
(c)
(i) Age, Weight, gender, medical conditions
(ii) Control measures include:
• Job rotation -Having an adequate number of employees, so the work rate or physical activity levels do not significantly increase the risk of heat stress.
• Allowing acclimatisation of individuals to the work environment
• Use of mechanical/automated systems to reduce exertion
• Pre-employment screening to identify vulnerable individuals
• Ongoing health surveillance of individuals working in this environment.
• Suitable light weight/breathable clothing
• Regular breaks
• Availability of cool drinks
• Provision of information and training on health risks, symptoms and precautions
• Measures to prevent people being locked in
• Alarm system activated from within
• Monitoring via CCTV
• Procedures for lone working in place
(d) WBGT provides a single number representation of the severity of a thermal environment, which can then be compared to standards and can be helpful when risk assessing a thermal environment.
Jul 19
Provision of sufficient lighting levels is necessary in all workplaces and these levels of illuminance can be measured.
(a) Identify the unit of measurement typically used for illuminance. (1)
(b) Outline what could affect levels of illuminance measured in a workplace. (10)
In addition to sufficient lighting, a workplace should have lighting that is suitable for the work being carried out. (c) Explain other key features of the lighting design that should be considered when providing suitable lighting for an:
(i) operating theatre in a hospital; (5)
(ii) outdoor loading bay. (4)
a) Illuminance is measured in Lux
(b) Levels of illuminance affected by:
- Number of lights and wattage
- Height of light fittings
- Design of lighting – use of diffusers
- Position of lighting - Local or general lighting
- Room dimensions and layout
- Objects in the room causing shadows
- Amount of natural light due to the time of day/ season of year
- Presence/absence of reflecting surfaces
- Colour of reflective surfaces
(c)
(i) Other key features for operating theatre:
• Use of emergency lighting to allow for escape in emergency
• Standby lighting if main power system fails
• Use of head lamps by surgeons
• Lighting should be sealed/easily cleaned for infection control
(ii) Features for outdoor loading bay:
• Needs to be uniform across a wide area,
• Avoiding shadows and glare that may distract drivers or pedestrians
• Need to be suitable for outdoor use/waterproof
• May need to be activated by infra-red sensors.
• Local planning requirements may also need to be complied with, especially where large high-level
floodlights are installed.
Jan 19
The management company of a large, new shopping centre are planning first-aid provision for the centre. They already have in place a sufficient number of trained first-aid personnel.
Describe the first-aid equipment and facilities that could be included in these plans. (10)
Answer TBC
Jul 18
Forestry workers are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect them from hazards associated with the machinery they use. This PPE includes eye and head protection, gloves and protective clothing.
The workers are outdoors and being exposed to high levels of ultra-violet (UV), non-ionising radiation from the sun. This situation can lead to heat-related illness and health effects from exposure to the sun.
(a) Explain the importance of maintaining heat balance in the body. (4)
(b) Identify possible effects of heat-related illness. (4)
(c) Outline control measures to help reduce the risks from exposure to heat and non-ionising radiation hazards for the forestry workers. (12)
(a) maintaining a constant temperature in the body is important as many chemical processes within the body rely on a specific temperature. Some deviations from this temperature can be addressed through body responses such as sweating, shivering or an increased blood flow to the extremities, but if notaddressed a heat imbalance can result in a loss of concentration and dexterity and can increase the risk
of accidents
(b) Possible effects include: • Severe thirst • Inability to concentrate • Heat Rash • Increased core temperatures • Muscle Cramps • Severe thirst • Fainting • Heat Exhaustion • Heat Stroke • Death
(c) Measures to reduce risks from heat
• Sufficient supplies of drinking water
• Controlling work rate
• Provision of loose-fitting clothing
Measures to reduce risks from non-ionising radiation
• Use of sun cream with high SPF
• Provision of sun-glasses
• Provision of neck protection
• Skin inspection to identify early signs of skin changes/discolouration
Measures to reduce risk from both
• Job rotation
• Providing shaded areas for rest breaks
• Avoiding work in the hottest part of the day
• Training in the effects of exposure to these hazards and how to reduce the risks,
• Identifying those who may be susceptible and allowing time for acclimatisation to the working
environment
Jul 18
(a) Outline legal requirements for lighting in a workplace as required by the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. (2)
(b) Identify THREE symptoms associated with visual fatigue. (3)
(c) Employees in a large open-plan office with windows and artificial ceiling lights carry out work using display
screen equipment for a significant part of their working day. A number of employees are complaining that the lighting in the office is not suitable.
Consider what features of the lighting in the office might have led to these complaints. (5)
a) Lighting must be suitable and sufficient. Meaning that it must be appropriate for the range of tasks/activities being carried out. There should also be emergency lighting (powered from another source)where failure of artificial lighting can present a danger.
(b) Symptoms include (any 3 from)
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Poor concentration
• Blurred or double vision
• Irritation of the eyes
• Strain injuries due to poor posture (neck and back ache)
(c) Features which may have led to complaints:
• Flickering or glare
• Shadows caused by office dividers
• The position of the lighting in relation to the DSE,
• Reflections from windows or artificial light fittings in the screens of the DSE,
• Lighting levels being either too high or too low,
• Lighting ‘colour temperature’ not being suitable, ie an unsuitable balance of red and blue light.
Jan 18
(a) Outline the purpose of a heat stress index when assessing the thermal environment. (3)
The most widely used heat stress index in industry is the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index.
(b) (i) Identify the measurements that need to be taken to determine the WBGT index. (3)
(ii) Outline the principle of operation of the instruments that should be used to make EACH of the measurements identified in (b) (i). (7)
(c) A manufacturing process produces high levels of heat and steam.
Outline control measures that could help reduce heat stress among employees in this environment. (7)
Answer TBC
Jan 18 Jan 13
Outline the factors an employer should take into account when determining the provision of first-aid arrangements in the workplace. (10)
Factors include:
• The nature of the work and workplace hazards and risks;
• The nature of the workforce;
• The organisation’s history of accidents and where they occur;
• The need to train first-aid personnel in special procedures;
• How to provide training;
• The size of the organisation – number of employees;
• The needs of travelling, remote and lone workers;
• Work patterns 9 to 5, 24/7 ?;
• The distribution of the workforce around the site(s);
• The remoteness of the site from emergency medical services;
• Employees working on shared or multi-occupied sites;
• Annual leave and other absences of first-aiders and appointed persons;
• First-aid provision for non-employees.
Jul 17
‘Suitable and sufficient’ lighting in a workplace is necessary to protect the health and safety of workers.
(a) Identify adverse health effects that workers could experience as a result of unsuitable or insufficient lighting. (4)
(b) Explain how the following features of lighting could affect the safety of workers:
(i) low lighting levels; (2)
(ii) stroboscopic effects; (2)
(iii) colour effects. (2)
(c) Lighting surveys can assess levels of illuminance in a workplace.
Outline what could affect levels of illuminance that are measured in a workplace. (10)
(a)
Adverse health effects include (any 4 from) Headaches
Fatigue
Poor concentration
Blurred or double vision
Irritation of the eyes
Strain injuries due to poor posture (neck and back ache)
(i) People may not be able to see sufficiently well and may knock into or trip over obstacles or slip on floor. People may cut themselves or get their fingers caught in machinery or may not be able to see signage related emergency evacuation routes in order to escape from fire etc.
(ii) It may make a rotating machine such as a drill appear to be stationary causing somebody to become entangled. It could also trigger an epileptic seizure in some people.
(iii) This could lead to an electrician mixing up coloured wires and connecting equipment in a dangerous way. Under monochromatic light, colours may not be identifiable and a hazard may go unnoticed. It is also possible that different surfaces will have a different appearance under different colours of light.
(c) Levels of illuminance can be affected by:
• Number of lights and wattage
• Height of light fittings
• Design of lighting – use of diffusers
• Position of lighting - Local or general lighting
• Room dimensions and layout
• Objects in the room causing shadows
• Amount of natural light due to the time of day/ season of year
• Presence/absence of reflecting surfaces
• Colour of reflective surfaces
Jul 17
A residential care home for the elderly employs managers, cleaners, carers and drivers. The drivers use their own cars or a communal minibus to transport residents. The care home is about to review its smoking policy.
(a) Identify legislation that should be considered when reviewing the smoking policy. (2)
(b) Outline arrangements for BOTH smokers and non-smokers that will need to be included in the new smoking policy in order to comply with the legislation. (8)
(a) Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992,
The Smoke-free (Premises and Enforcement) Regulations 2006
The Prohibition of Smoking in Certain Premises (Scotland) Regulations 2006The Smoke Free Premises etc. (Wales) Regulations 2007
(b) Policy should include arrangements for:
No smoking signage will be required
Allocation of a designated area with signage where smoking is allowed for – Managers, carers and cleaners.
This/these areas should be located so as to not affect others by second hand smoke.
It may be decided to use Local Exhaust ventilation which will require maintenance and testing with records kept for 5 years
Drivers who are in their own vehicles would also be able to smoke in them but those in company vehicles would not.
It may be required that people sign out and in again when taking a smoke break.
Residents are effectively “in their own homes” and therefore banning smoking by residents is a lot more difficult issue to deal with. However, a resident’s freedom to smoke shouldn’t affect the health of other residents’ or employees’
The policy would also have to include arrangements for people using e-cigarettes. This area is not currently governed by legislation and therefore, the care home is able to determine their own policy in this regard.
Jan 17
In deep underground mines there are high temperatures and high levels of humidity. These conditions arise naturally from the surrounding earth as well as through mining processes.
(a) Identify specific health effects associated with working in these conditions. (2)
(b) (i) Explain how the working conditions can affect the health of the employees. (3)
(ii) Explain how the working conditions can affect the safety of the employees. (1)
(c) Outline practical measures to help reduce the risks associated with working in an environment with high temperatures and high levels of humidity. (14)
Answer TBC
Jul 16
(a) Outline the legal requirements for lighting in a workplace as required by the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. (2)
(b) Office workers carry out general administration in a large open plan office with windows and artificial ceiling lights. The employer intends to carry out a lighting survey using a light meter.
(i) Describe practical steps that should be taken when carrying out the lighting survey. (4)
(ii) The results of this lighting survey showed that the light levels measured were between 200 and 800 lux, with an average measurement of 500 lux.
Comment on these results. (4)
Answer TBC
Jul 14
Employees working in an open plan office have complained of symptoms of visual fatigue. The employer considers this may be as a result of poor lighting.
(a) Identify the symptoms associated with visual fatigue. (4)
The office is fitted with artificial lighting and has windows alongside one external wall. The employer decides to carry out an assessment of the lighting throughout the open plan office which involves measuring the levels of illuminance.
(b) Describe the equipment used to measure illuminance levels. (3)
(c) Explain the practical steps involved in making such measurements (5)
(d) Outline a range of factors that could affect the levels of illuminance measured. (8)
Answer TBC
Jan 14 Jan 08 Jul 06
A manufacturing process produces high levels of heat and steam.
(a) Identify FOUR parameters that could be measured when making an assessment of the thermal environment AND in each case give the name of an instrument that can be used to measure this parameter. (4)
(b) Describe each of the instruments you have stated in section (a) and describe how they can be used to measure these parameters. (8)
(c) Outline ways of reducing thermal stress amongst employees during the manufacturing process. (8)
a)+(b) The thermal environment should be assessed in terms of the factors that contribute to heat stress, in particular the following should be measured:
• ambient temperature - dry air temp (measured using an alcohol/mercury dry bulb thermometer or a digital thermometer - shielded). The liquid in the tube expands as the temperature rises and a reading obtained from a marked scale or digital display.)
• relative humidity - % water vapour in air (wet bulb thermometer - a thermometer with the bulb wrapped in a wetted cloth or sock; the water evaporates from the bulb causing it to cool. The bulb cools to below the ambient temperature giving a measured wet bulb temperature. (Can also use a shielded or whirling hygrometer / psychrometer)
• air velocity - air movement velocity (m/s) - (air movement causes evaporation from wet bulb thermometer so wet bulb temp is also an index of air velocity. Rotating vane anemometer or kata thermometer if v low velocities can also be used)
• radiant heat – oven, infra red, sun etc (globe thermometer - a mercury filled thermometer is encased at centre of a matt black painted copper sphere); used to measure radiant temperature - the radiant heat is absorbed without being influenced by air currents.
To obtain an index of heat stress, readings from a Wet Bulb Globe temperature (WBGT) device should be used to obtain a WBGT Index. This gives an indication of the likelihood of heat stress and allows an estimation ofwork: rest ratios to be determined. Other indices are the Predicted Sweat Rate index; the Heat Stress index and the Corrected Effective Temperature index.
Note: (a) need to identify both the parameter and the name of the instrument used to measure it
(c) Measures that can be used to minimise the risk of heat stress include:
• engineering controls - ie reduced heat output through process change or insulation
• shielding from radiant heat (barriers, screens)
• forced ventilation and air cooling / de-humidifiers
• providing lightweight ventilated “breathable” clothing / PPE
• providing drinks / hydration fluids (“isotonic”)
• “acclimatisation” - phased introduction to work area
• restricting work duration (job rotation, breaks etc)
• providing adequate numbers of employees to reduce work rate / exertion levels
• controlling work rate of equipment
• training in the signs and symptoms of heat stress
• providing health surveillance
• pre-employment screening to identify people at risk
Jan 14
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 requires suitable and sufficient washing facilities to be provided at readily accessible places.
(a) Outline the features of the washing facilities that determine if they are suitable. (7)
(b) Outline other welfare requirements of The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. (3)
(a) W(HS&W) Reg 21(2): washing facilities = wash basins and showers if work is strenuous / dirty (with thermostatic mixing valves to prevent scalding) shall not be suitable unless –
• they are provided in the immediate vicinity of every sanitary convenience
• they are provided in the vicinity of any changing rooms required by these Regulations
• they include a supply of clean hot and cold, or warm, (running) water
• they include soap or other suitable means of cleaning
• they include towels or other suitable means of drying
• the rooms containing them are sufficiently ventilated and lit
• they and the rooms containing them are kept in a clean and orderly condition
• separate facilities are provided for men and women, except where and so far as they are provided in a
room the door of which is capable of being secured from inside and the facilities in each such room are
intended to be used by only one person at a time
(b) R22: (wholesome) drinking water – readily accessible + cups fountain; R23: accommodation for clothing; R24: changing facilities; R25: rest and eating facilities
