Health and Safety Flashcards
What is the RICS guidance note in relation to Health and Safety?
The RICS Guidance note is ‘Surveying Safely - Health and Safety Principles for property professionals’ 2nd edn 2018 (effective 2019).
What does the the RICS Guidance note is ‘Surveying Safely’ set out?
Basic, good practice principles for the management and health and safety for RICS reg firms and members.
Sets principles for those engaged in the built environment as property professionals and includes health and safety responsibilities.
Sets it out on a corporate level and member level.
What is the structure of the Surveying Safely guidance?
- Personal responsibilities for RICS members and firms
- Assessing hazards and risks
- Workplace health and safety
- Occupation hygiene and health
- Visiting premises and sites
- Fire safety
- Residential property surveying
- Procurement and management of contractors.
In the Guidance note ‘Surveying Safely’, what must RICS Regulated firms ensure they provide?
- A safe working environment
- Safe work equipment
- Safe systems of work
- Competent staff
- Consider the safe person’s concept, whereby individuals have behavioral responsibility for their own, their colleagues and others’ health and safety while at work
- A requirement for up-to-date personal and corporate responsibilities for property professionals (including relevant law, employers liability insurance and public liability)
- Legal considerations and duties- for employees and employees to include advice on asbestos
- Advice on health, well-being and mental health
- How to address fire safety
- An audit template is provided to assist members
What other guidance is included in the note?
-Assessing hazards and risks (to include risk assessments)
- Property professionals place of work (emergency arrangements)
-Occupational health (stress and bullying)
-Procurement and management of construction work
-Visting premises and sites (including travel arrangements and PPE)
-Tell someone where you are going when leaving the office
-Wear appropriate PPE - High vis, goggles, protective boots, hard hat, ear defenders and gloves.
- Sign in and out when on site
-Do an induction on site.
-Consider whether safe to inspect alone, consider lone working arrangements.
-Wear non-slip sole shoes/boots when climbing a ladder
- Emphasis is placed on members having correct operational practices in place.
What is the Health & Safe at Work 1974 Act?
It is where there is a ‘Duty to every employer to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees.
Who is the Health and Safety at Work 1974 policed by?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
What happens if you do not adhere to the Health and Safety at Work 1974 act?
Fines and or/ imprisonment
What must businesses do to adhere to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974?
Report injuries or dangerous occurrences, must undertake, record and regularly review a risk assessment.
What is a hazard?
Something that has the potential to cause harm
What is a risk?
The probability/likelihood that someone will be harmed.
Where should H&S info be held on site?
In the Operations & Maintenance manual
What regulation is in place to deal with PPE?
The PPE at Work Regulations 2022
What does the PPE at work Regulations 2022 employers to do?
Ensure provision of the appropriate PPE for employees and contractors or any one visiting a site.
When must a risk assessment be carried out? I.e. number of employees
When a business employs more than 5 staff.
What is thought about in the risk assessment?
- Identify the hazards present
- Identify the people at risk from the hazard
- Evaluate the risk, and consider the likelihood and severity of any accidents. Existing precautions should be identified and evaluated.
- Record the findings on a suitable form
- Review the risk assessment regularly
- Advise all those affected of the outcome of the risk assessment and methods of work and precautions to minimise or eliminate risk.
What is a method statement?
It is a document that details the way a work task or process is to be completed.
What does a method statement include?
It outlines the hazards involved in a task and includes a step-by-step guide on how to do the job safely. It details which control measures have been introduced to ensure the safety of anyone who is affected by the task or process.
What is public liability insurance?
It is a type of insurance which provides financial protection to business owners facing legal action from third parties due to injuries, death or property damage.
When should I obtain a copy of the contractors all risks and public liability insurance?
Before any work is commenced.
What four points must a H&S policy include?
- Setting out the organisations commitment to H&S
- Details of the organisations H&S structure, including roles and responsibilities
- A risk assessment setting the risks within the workplace and the preventative measures in place
- Details of the planning, implementation of the H&S policy and control measures.
What is the ‘Six Pack’ of H&S Regulations?
Introduced in 1993, it is a group of 6 regulations that clarify how employers must comply with their duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
What are the six regulations?
- Management of Health and Safety at Work
- Display Screen Equipment
- Manual handling operatives
- Personal Protective Equipment at Work
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment
- Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare.
What does the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulation 2013 (RIDDOR) cover? and what are the trigger dates?
Covers the requirement to record any accidents.
The trigger date for reporting injuries is over 7 days of incapacitation.
An injury must be reported to HSE with 15 days from the date of the accident.
All employer must also keep a record of all 3-day plus injuries.
Info to be kept in an accident book and kept a minimum of 3 years from the accident.
What does the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 relate to? and the penalties?
It relates to the gross breaches of a duty of care by a corporate body leading to a person’s death.
The penalties range from an unlimited fine, imprisonment and disqualification as a company director by a member of the ‘senior management team’.
What is the Fire Risk Management Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005?
- It is based on a risk assessment, with the emphasis on fire prevention
- Ensures fire precautions should be in place following risk assessment
- Need for good record keeping such as a risk assessment, fire policy and fire procedures and staff training
- Regular review of assessments required and recorded
Who is the ‘responsible person’?
The employer, occupier who controls the property or owner if vacant.
What fire precautions can be put in place?
- Fire detection and warning alarms
- Firefighting equipment
- Safe exit routes
- Personal emergency evacuation plan
- Emergency lighting
- Signage
- Fire exit doors
What Building Regulations cover fire precautions
Part B
What does the building safely act 2022 do
It intends to enhance regulations for building safety and ensure residents have a stronger voice in ensuring safety in buildings.
What does the Occupiers Liability Act 1957 cover
The liability of occupiers and others for injuries caused to lawful visitors. Occupiers and landlords have a duty of care to all visitors.
What does the Smoke-free (premises and enforcement) regulations 2007 do
Prevents anyone from smoking indoors in public places
What is asbestos
It is a insulating material which causes serious health problems and fatal diseases
What happens when asbestos is disturbed
Can release very small toxic fibres which can lodge in the lungs and cause illness
How many properties are likely to still contain asbestos and how many deaths does it cause p.a
4,000,000 homes and 5,000 deaths p.a
How many types of asbestos are there and what colours
3, white, blue and brown
When was white asbestos banned? And when was brown and blue banned
1999, 1985
What is the legislation for asbestos
The control of asbestos regulations 2012
Who is the duty holders
Either the occupier of holding a repairing lease or landlord
What are the two types of asbestos surveys?
Management survey: to locate and assess the asbestos. No sampling done
Demolition survey: samples analysed and recommendations made regarding the management
What must be produced and updated regularly
An asbestos register
What are the 5 steps to take with asbestos?
- Assess whether the premises contains asbestos
- Assess the risk and produce an asbestos management plan
- Produce an asbestos register
- Make the register available to all relevant parties that might disturb it
- Review the register regularly (HSE suggest every 6 months)
What punishment does the Health & Safety (Offences) Act 2008 give
Fines of max £20,000, prison for 10 years
What Professional Standard contains a comprehensive overview of the law and industry guidance on asbestos
RICS Professional Standard - Asbestos 2021
What does the RICS Professional Standard - Asbestos 2021 contain
Details on common asbestos materials I.e insulation, cement sheets, floor tiles
How to commission an asbestos survey
Suggested contents of an asbestos management plan
Who are the Construction (Design and management) regulations 2015 policed by
HSE and they can prosecute or issue fines
What do the Construction (Design and management) regulations 2015 do
Aim to improve the management and coordination of H&S at all stages of a construction project
How many duty holders are there in CDM
3, the client, principal designer and principal contractor
Who is the onus on to ensure CDM arrangements
The client
What is required for all projects
A construction phase plan to ensure safety is considered at the design stage of a project by the principal contractor
When should the HSE (F10 form) be notified
If a project lasts longer than 30 construction days with 20 or more workers working simultaneously on site, more than 500 person days of construction work or involves demolition
What are the statutory obligations of a commercial property owner?
- asbestos management
- contamination
- equality act 2010 compliance
- EPC
- fire safety
- H&S
- Legionnaires disease
- occupiers liability
- pat testing
- waste management
