Health and Safety Flashcards
What is the major legislation for H&S?
Health and Safety at Work Act (1974)
Who are the HSE?
Health and Safety Executive
- Responsible for maintaining, regulation and enforcing H&S in the UK
What are the key requirements under the 1974 Act?
How do I comply with the Act?
- Must report all injuries and dangerous occurrences
- Must undertake, record and regularly review risk assessments
- Detailed H&S info must be kept on site - O&M manuals
Is it a criminal offence to breach the 1974 Act?
Yes - policed by the HSE
What are the current penalties under the Act?
Fines and imprisonments - policed by the HSE
- Magistrates court - up to £20k fine
- Crown Court - unlimited fine
- Community order
- Compensation order
- Remedial order
What is a hazard?
Anything with the potential to cause harm
What is a risk?
The probability/likelihood that someone will be harmed
What are my H&S duties as a surveyor?
- Ensure H&S of myself and others around me
- Undertake and review risk assessments
- Ensure H&S compliance of LL property
- Identify and control hazards and risks
What guidance does the RICS provide on H&S?
RICS Guidance Note - Surveying Safely - Health and Safety for Property Professionals (2nd Edition) 2018
What is the main aim of the guidance note?
Set out the basic, best practice principles of the management of Health and Safety for RICS regulated firms and members
When was surveying safely last updated/
2nd Edition 2018
- Effective Feb 2019
What do you understand from Surveying Safely?
The basic, best practice principles for the management of H&S by property professionals
- Personal and corporate responsibilities
- Assessing and managing risk
- Fire safety
- H&S when visiting site
- Legal considerations - asbestos
- Advice on Health, Wellbeing and mental health
What were the key changes made to surveying safely?
- Introduced the safe person concept
- Provided requirement on what RICS firms must provide
- Greater emphasis on competence
What must RICS firms provide under the guidance note?
- Safe working environment
- Safe working practices
- Safe systems of work
- Competent staff
What is the safe person concept?
Each individual assumes individual behavioural responsibility for their own, their colleagues and others H&S while at work
What does the guidance note require for visiting site?
- Undertake relevant H&S risk assessment
- Diarise and tell people when are going, have left site etc
- Take relevant equipment - PPE, Phone, files etc
- Sign in and out of the building
- Consider whether it is safe to inspect alone
What is PPE?
Personal Preventive Equipment
- Protective, clothing, equipment, helmet etc designed to protect from injury or infection
What is a risk assessment?
Systematic process of evaluating the projected risks involved in a project or undertaking
When is it a legal requirement for a firm to produce a risk assessment?
All organisations with 5 or more staff
What is included in a risk assessment?
- Identification of hazards present
- Identify individuals at risk
- Identify risk and likelihood of accident - review control measures in place
- Record findings in a suitable format
- Review assessment regularly
- Inform those affected of outcome and methods in place to reduce risk
What is a risk assessment?
Document detailing how work or task is to be completed - prior approved
- Identify risks and how the job will be done safely
- Details control measures to ensure safety
What is public liability insurance?
Required from contractors prior to work commencing - protects against claim from 3rd party following an accident
What is a written health and safety policy document and when is it required?
Required for firms with more than 5 employees
Must contain
- Policy setting out firms H&S commitment
- Details of H&S structure
- Workplace risk assessment
- Details of planning implementation of H&S policy
What are the 6 pack of H&S regulations?
6 regulations introduced in 1993
1) Management of H&S at work
2) Display screen monitoring
3) Manual handling operations
4) PPE at work
5) Provision and use of work equipment
6) Workplace health and safety welfare
What is RIDDOR?
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (1995)
What is required under RIDDOR?
Employers and those in charge of workplaces must report certain accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences
When do you need to report under RIDDOR?
- Death
- Hospitalisation
- Where someone in incapacitated for 7+ days
- Over 3 day incapacitation must be recorded
- Certain occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences - held on HSE website
What key fire safety legislation is there?
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- Fire Safety Regulations (2022)
What is my understanding of fire safety legislation?
What is required under the Fire Safety Order 2005?
- Fire Risk Assessment carried out annually
- Fire policies and procedures must be put in place - e.g. training
- Fire precautions in place - alarms, doors, emergency lighting
- Responsible person - employer, occupier, or owner if vacant
Who is the responsible person?
Employee, occupier or owner of property
What is occupational health?
Maintaining the well being of employees - preventing and removing ill health
- Having systems in place which keep staff with health issues at work
Why is occupational health important?
Ensure health of those at work
- Maintain productivity and staff morale
What is COSHH?
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (2002)
- Eg regulation - not to use prohibited substances unless required for certain circumstances
What hazardous materials have I come across?
- Asbestos
- Pigeons nesting in roof - feathers and excrement
Talk me through your use of Quooda and Meridian?
Allows me to track compliance of all H&S docs for each property and track risk compliance following a risk assessment
- Linked to my email - get alerts in run up to a document becoming uncompliant
What are RAMS?
Risk Assessment Method Statement
- Completed after a risk assessment
- Contain details of hazard and guide to working around it
What issues have you come across on identification of RAMS?
Not site specific and didn’t properly address risks - requested updated RAMS
What is the difference between RAMS and Risk Assessment?
RA - assess risks and likelihood of occurrence
RAMS - details of how to manage risks and work around them