Health and safety Flashcards
Difference between risk and hazard?
A hazard is something with the potential to cause harm to someone. The harm could be an injury or ill health.
Risk is the likelihood (whether high or low) of the harm being realised. Importantly, risk increases as the severity, likelihood or number of people affected by the harm increases
What is the CDP Regulation?
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM Regulations) (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/51/contents/made) are intended to ensure that health and safety issues are properly considered during a project’s development so that the risk of harm to those who have to build, use and maintain structures is reduced.
They were introduced in 1994 following publication of European Directive 92/57/EEC on minimum safety and health standards for temporary or mobile construction sites. The CDM Regulations were revised in 2007, and the latest revision came into force on 6 April 2015.
The latest revision resulted from:
• The perception that the regulations had been over-interpreted.
• A belief that the coordination function in the pre-construction phase was often a bureaucratic add-on that was not always embedded in the project, resulting in additional costs with little additional value.
• The persistence of unacceptable standards, particularly on smaller sites.
What is the RICS guidance on Surveying safely: health and safety principles for property professionals’?
This guidance note sets out basic, good practice principles for the management of health and safety for RICS-regulated firms and RICS members. RICS members also need to consider the legal jurisdiction in the country where they work. Guidance in regard to local jurisdiction
relating to health and safety is set out in associated RICS jurisdictional guides and this global guidance note should be used in conjunction with the appropriate jurisdictional guide and the associated professional statement. This guidance note is for RICS members and other professionals who are involved with the property industry. This guidance note sets out principles for health and safety practices for those engaged in the built environment as property professionals and includes health and safety responsibilities:
• at a corporate level (whether the RICS-regulated firm is large or small) and
• at the level of the individual RICS member.
It covers property-related businesses and identifies the moral, ethical and practical issues that confront RICS regulated firms and RICS member
What individual responsibilities does the RICS Surveying Safety note provide?
• Individuals employed by RICS-regulated firms have a direct responsibility to ensure that corporate health and safety policies and procedures are practised effectively and competently. It is therefore essential that individuals have the necessary skills, knowledge, training and experience to carry out these tasks.
• When individuals encounter or anticipate an activity, task or procedure that may lead to the harm of people, property or the environment, practicalities necessitate that the responsibility to act appropriately remains with the individuals directly concerned.
• Risk Assessment does not imply that every risk or event can be foreseen, but it is the first step towards minimising potentially dangerous events and putting in place appropriate risk controls. Sometimes, however, events overtake planning; these situations will have to be addressed by those immediately affected by them.
Individual responsibilities include:
1. Performance - Being competent to perform their work safely (including understanding the limits of their competence (skills, knowledge, and experience))
2. Control - Able and prepared to work within accepted or designated systems of work
3. Adaptability - Able to recognise and adapt to changing circumstances at all times
4. Vigilance - Remaining vigilant, at all times, for their own safety and that of colleagues and others
5. Awareness - Able to recognise their own abilities and limitations
6. Teamwork - Being an effective member of a team
What corporate responsibilities does the RICS Surveying Safety note provide?
Organisational responsibilities include:
1. Everyone having, or being capable of developing, the job skills and competence to meet the demands of their work activities.
2. Training Including providing knowledge about the potential hazards in a working environment
3. Providing staff with information about the risks and control measures associated with their working environment. This information may be generic in nature or it may relate to specific sites.
4. Providing staff with equipment that is suitable for the purposes for which it is intended, and everyone understanding its use and limitations
5. Safe system of work - These ensure that work activities are undertaken safely.
6. Individuals must receive clear instructions, and receive supervision and expert support where necessary, relating to:
• The work activities required
• The operation of any equipment
• Appropriate safe systems of work
7. Supervision - Supporting staff with clearly defined lines of communication
8. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Providing individuals with appropriate personal protective equipment that meets appropriate specifications.
CDM
What is the significance of risk management in the workplace?
- Creates a safe and secure work environment for all staff and customers.
- Increases the stability of business operations while also decreasing legal liability.
- Provides protection from events that are detrimental to both the company and the environment.
- Protects all involved people and assets from potential harm.
- Helps establish the organization’s insurance needs in order to save on unnecessary premiums.
- Businesses invest in risk management systems to mitigate the risk of spending thousands of pounds in financial, legal and internal costs.
- Improve company’s brand image.
What is project health and safety?
According to RICS ‘Surveying safety’:
• individuals employed by RICS regulated firms have a direct responsibility to ensure that corporate health and safety principles are practised effectively.
• safe person concept: RICS considers the concept of a ‘safe person’ to mean that each individual assumes individual behavioural responsibility for their own, their colleagues’ and others’ health and safety while at work.
• Risk management is undertaken all the time both by businesses (in assessing threats to their successful operation) and individuals in their daily
What is CSCS card and why is it required?
Construction Skills Certification Scheme
• CSCS cards provide proof that individuals working on construction sites have the appropriate training and qualifications for the job they do on site. By ensuring the workforce are appropriately qualified the card plays its part in improving standards and safety on UK construction sites.
• Holding a CSCS card is not a legislative requirement. It is entirely up to the principal contractor or client whether workers are required to hold a card before they are allowed on site. However, most principal contractors and major house builders require construction workers on their sites to hold a valid car
What is PPE
PPE is equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
Why is PPE important?
Making the workplace safe includes providing instructions, procedures, training and supervision to encourage people to work safely and responsibly.
Even where engineering controls and safe systems of work have been applied, some hazards might remain. These include injuries to:
• the lungs, eg from breathing in contaminated air
• the head and feet, eg from falling materials
• the eyes, eg from flying particles or splashes of corrosive liquids
• the skin, eg from contact with corrosive materials
• the body, eg from extremes of heat or cold
PPE is needed in these cases to reduce the risk.
What is Mace PPE minimum standards?
- Safety helmet
- Protective Eyewear
- Protective gloves
- Safety footwear
- high visibility jacket or vest
What is the HSE?
Health and Safety Executive HSE - HSE is the national independent regulator for work-related health, safety and illness, working in the public interest to reduce work-related death and serious injury in the workplace. It is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) reporting to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is governed by a Board and the Senior Management Team.
HSE’s role now includes shaping, reviewing and enforcing regulations and producing research and statistics.
What is the HSE role?
As a regulator, the HSE aim to prevent workplace death, injury or ill health by using a variety of methods to influence change and help people manage risks at work. These include:
• providing advice, information and guidance
• raising awareness in workplaces by influencing and engaging
• operating permissioning and licensing activities in major hazard industries
• carrying out targeted inspections and investigations
• taking enforcement action to prevent harm and hold those who break the law to account
How did you comply with Client’s safety requirements during covid-19 pandemic?
- working form home as much as possible
- site visit in line with covid guidance (2m distance, using one way system, covid test on entry) visiting site and client’s office only when absolutely necessary)
- online meetings instead of face to face meetings
- covid risk assessment
Are you aware of any other regulations applicable to H&S of the construction site?
- The Health and Safety at Work Etc Act - not exactly a regulation, but the act under which specific health and safety regulations are formed.
- The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations - known as CDM, these construction-specific regulations apply to every project no matter how big or small.
- The Health & Safety (First Aid) Regulations - every workplace needs first aid cover, but because construction is higher risk, first aid requirements are higher too.
- The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations - PPE is important in all workplaces, it’s your last line of defence against a hazard. PPE is a legal requirement under these regulations.
- The Manual Handling Operations Regulations - construction sites aren’t the only places you will find lifting and carrying, but they are certainly somewhere you need to think LITE.
- The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) - reporting injuries is a legal requirement in every industry, including construction.
- The Electricity at Work Regulations - construction work is where electrical systems get installed, maintained and updated. And there’s a set of regulations for that.
- The Gas Safety Regulations - if you’re working on gas, you need to know about gas safety. It’s the law.
- The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations - drills, saws, sanders, compactors, pumps, machinery. All vibration exposure needs to be within the legal limits of the control of vibration regulations.
- The Control of Noise at Work Regulations - too much noise is bad for you, so if you’re carrying out noisy work on your site, check the noise action levels and legal limits.
- The Health & Safety Signs and Signals Regulations - you’ll find different types of signs on construction sites, warning you of dangers and telling you what to do.
- The Confined Spaces Regulations - confined spaces are dangerous places, and you might find yourself needing to work in one on a construction site. If you do, the confined spaces regulations will apply.
- The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations - often shortened to PUWER, these regulations require that equipment is safe, suitable, maintained, inspected and installed correctly.
- The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations - often shortened to LOLER, all lifting operations involving lifting equipment must use suitable equipment, be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out safely.
- The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations - this set of regulations apply to every workplace, and every employer, requiring work to be planned, risk assessed, organised and controlled.
- The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order - fire safely laws apply to every workplace, including construction sites. Here are 13 fire prevention tips to get you started.
- The Control of Asbestos Regulations - asbestos is constructions biggest killer, and while asbestos use is now banned, asbestos can still be found in buildings across the UK. Training, surveys and safe removal are all legal requirements.
- The Control of Lead at Work Regulations - lead is another hazardous material found on construction sites that has its own legal requirements.
- The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations - not every hazardous material has its own regulations, but many hazardous substances are covered in this set of regulations, known as COSHH.
- The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations - known as DSEAR, these regulations place legal duties on employers and the self-employed to protect people from risks of fire, explosion and corrosion.
- The Working at Height Regulations - these regulations cover work at height which includes work or access to any place above or below ground level where a fall could cause injury.
- The Hazardous Waste Regulations - health and safety regulations don’t just apply to your work on the site, you also need to make sure your waste does not cause harm or damage.
- The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations - machinery supplied in the UK must meet health and safety requirements and, where necessary, be examined by an approved body. These regulations also cover CE marking.
- Ionising Radiations Regulations - construction workers can be exposed to ionising radiation from both natural (radon in soil) and manmade sources (industrial radiography, work at power plants etc).
- The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act - while this isn’t a regulation, this law means that companies can be found guilty of corporate manslaughter as a result of a gross breach of a duty of care.
