H&S Guidance Flashcards
1
Q
L5
A
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
- Reinforces REACH and CLP alignment – especially classification, labelling and the requirement to use up-to-date SDSs.
- Regulation 7 outlines specific enhanced controls for carcinogens, mutagens, and asthmagens – including enclosed systems, hygiene measures, and ALARP requirements.
- Schedule 2A provides 8 principles of good control practice – critical reference for enforcement and inspection prep.
- Regulation 9 introduces strict standards for LEV testing – includes examination frequency and documentation.
- Regulation 11 requires health surveillance where there is a known link between substance and identifiable disease, even without symptoms.
- Schedule 3 details containment levels and controls for biological agents (Group 2–4) – useful across healthcare, waste, and research sectors.
2
Q
L8
A
Legionnaires’ disease: The control of legionella bacteria in water systems
- Dutyholders must: assess risk from water systems; implement a written scheme with control measures; appoint a competent person; monitor and maintain controls; and keep records of actions and findings.
- Specific duties extend to employers, landlords, service providers, and those in control of premises – including ensuring competency of consultants and contractors.
- All parts of a water system must be assessed, including deadlegs, infrequently used outlets, spa pools, humidifiers, and pipework – not just obvious plant like cooling towers.
- Systems must be maintained to avoid growth conditions: stagnant water, temps between 20–45 °C, and presence of nutrients like scale, rust, biofilms or sludge.
- Written schemes must detail control measures, safe operation, system schematics, monitoring frequency, and actions if limits are breached.
- Regulation 11 COSHH may trigger health surveillance if risk of infection is foreseeable – important in high-risk premises (e.g. care homes, leisure centres).
- External suppliers must declare limitations in expertise and flag deficiencies in the client’s water system or written scheme.
3
Q
L22
A
Safe Use of Work Equipment
- PUWER applies to all work equipment – from hand tools to complex installations – regardless of ownership, including shared premises and long-term hires.
- Dutyholders include not just employers but anyone with control over equipment (e.g. site managers, hirers, landlords, facilities contractors).
- Covers design, selection, inspection, maintenance, and modification – Regs 4–6 are key for suitability, condition, and inspection intervals based on environment, intensity, and deterioration risk.
- Regulation 6 requires post-installation inspection for location-dependent safety and re-inspection after exceptional circumstances (e.g. damage, reassembly, adverse weather).
- Regulation 7 restricts use of high-risk equipment to trained/designed personnel and mandates task-specific training for repair/maintenance.
- Regulation 8–9 reinforce that info, instructions, and training must be task-specific, accessible (inc. for non-English speakers), and reflect foreseeable abnormal conditions.
- Specific technical guidance covers guarding, start/stop/emergency controls, isolation, energy sources, marking, warnings, and operator presence detection.
- Detailed mobile work equipment rules (Regs 25–30) include seat restraints, stability, ROPS, and visibility aids – especially critical in construction, logistics, and leisure settings.
4
Q
L23
A
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (Guidance on Regulations)
- Introduces updated use of HSE’s MAC, V-MAC, RAPP and ART tools – enabling proportional, task-specific assessment rather than default full assessments.
- Emphasises ergonomic, systems-based risk reduction: task, load, environment, and worker-specific factors must all be assessed in combination (Schedule 1).
- Reinforces inclusion of psychosocial factors (e.g. pace of work, job control) as risk contributors – particularly relevant in high-pressure environments.
- Regulation 4 hierarchy: (1) avoid manual handling, (2) assess unavoidable risks, (3) reduce risks through redesign, mechanical aids, training, and information on loads.
- Information must include load weight and off-centre gravity where relevant – labelling obligations apply across supply chains (not just to direct handlers).
- Specific guidance included for moving people (dual-level: generic + individual assessment) – essential for social care, education, and health sectors.
- Recommends dynamic risk assessment training for roles involving unpredictable handling conditions (e.g. emergency services, field delivery, outdoor maintenance).
- Appendix outlines filter method to triage whether detailed assessment is required – reducing admin burden where risk is low and conditions are favourable.
5
Q
L24
A
Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare
- Regulation 2(3) establishes a critical principle: any requirement for “suitability” includes accessibility and use by disabled persons – this applies across doors, stairs, washrooms, seating, etc.
- Regulations apply beyond just traditional workplaces: also cover common parts of shared buildings, private roads, temporary sites, and many facilities in agriculture, education, and hospitality.
- Regulation 5 mandates formal maintenance systems for safety-related workplace infrastructure – including powered doors, window restraints, emergency lighting, and anchorage points.
- Regulation 6 sets minimum ventilation rate of 5–8 L/s per person and introduces duty to avoid air contamination via poor siting of intakes – relevant for HVAC design and Legionella risk management.
- Regulation 7 gives indoor temperature thresholds (16°C standard, 13°C for physical work) and requires adjustments for processes requiring low temps (e.g. chilled storage), referencing CIBSE design data.
- Regulation 10 sets a space benchmark of 11 m³ per person (not counting ceiling over 3m), but clarifies that layout and nature of work may require greater unoccupied space.
- Regulation 12 requires drainage and slip prevention in wet work areas; sets specific duties for floor gradients, trip hazards, snow/ice control, and real-time spillage response.
- Regulation 17 (traffic routes) outlines employer duties to separate vehicles and pedestrians, ensure visibility, and provide adequate signage – overlapping CDM and workplace transport requirements.
- Regulation 25 introduces specific provisions for rest/eating areas, including standards for comfort, protection from tobacco smoke, and adaptations for pregnant/nursing workers.
6
Q
L74
A
First Aid at Work: The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981
- 2024 update clarifies that employers must consider mental health when carrying out first-aid needs assessments – including training for recognition and support.
- Replaces “catastrophic bleeding” with “life-threatening bleeding” and includes guidance on haemostatic dressings, wound packing, and tourniquets for high-risk sectors (e.g. agriculture, forestry, remote work).
- Needs assessments must account for: remote/lone working, hazardous substances, multi-occupied sites, staff with chronic conditions (e.g. diabetes, epilepsy), and public-facing roles.
- Strong focus on proportionality: small low-hazard sites may need only appointed persons; high-risk or large workplaces may require FAW-qualified first-aiders and first-aid rooms.
- Appendix 4 identifies when additional training is required – e.g. hydrofluoric acid exposure, hypothermia, oxygen administration, drowning, major trauma, or paediatric first aid.
- Employers must verify training provider competence; HSE no longer approves providers (Reg. 3(2)).
- Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are covered under PUWER – employer must provide information, instruction, and maintain access.
- First-aid provision for non-employees (e.g. customers, visitors, pupils) is strongly recommended and may require enhanced skills and insurance cover.
- Regulation 4 requires employers to inform all staff of first-aid arrangements; induction training and prominent notices are recommended.
