Health And Safety Flashcards
What is the HSE?
Health and safety executive
The national independent watchdog for work related health, safety, and illness
It acts in the public interest to reduce work related death and serious injuries across the U.K.’s workplaces
How does the HSE improve safety?
- ensures risks in the changing workplace are properly controlled
- helps businesses adapt to change in occupational health and safety law
How long should health and safety data be kept?
Health and safety data should be technically kept forever due to information such as asbestos exposure which could be required to monitor long-term illnesses
40 years for COSHH
What is a construction phase health and safety plan?
A plan developed during the construction phase by a contractor, to demonstrate how the building will be built from a safety perspective
What are the key principles of COSHH?
- The control of substances hazardous to health
- requires employers to prevent or reduce workers exposure to substances such as chemicals, dust, fumes, gases
What is corporate manslaughter?
An organisation can be guilty of corporate manslaughter if the activities of that company cause a persons death, and if this amounts to breach of relevant duty of care owed by the organisation
What is the biggest cause of long-term health issues in the construction industry?
Breathing in hazardous dust and fumes
Which type of accident kills the most construction workers?
Falls from height
What is the minimum height of the main guard rail on scaffolding?
950mm
What is the Beaufort scale? What does it measure?
Wind speed
What is the considerate constructors scheme?
A non-for-profit independent organisation to improve the image of the industry
Aim to promote best practices in terms of site operations, delivery standards, and insures construction benefits the surrounding neighbourhood and community
What are the main assessment categories within the considerate constructors scheme?
Care about appearance
Respect the community
Protect the environment
Care about safety
Value their workforce
When are visitors or workers most likely to have an accident on a construction site?
When they first start on that site; they are unfamiliar with the site
When you last visited a construction site, what considerations did you give to your own health and safety?
- Wearing PPE
- Attending site inductions
- Adhering to contractors site rules
- Reporting any issues to site management
You are going to complete a site valuation on your own.
What do you do before leaving the office?
- inform my manager where I’m going, who am I meeting, and suggest a time I would be due back in the office
- Ensure I have contacted the site manager to make them aware of my visit, and check I have the correct PPE to visit that site
What health and safety hazards have come across on your projects?
- Impact of site traffic
- Poor lighting
- Slips, trips & falls
- working at height
- noise
What legislation are you aware of with regards to health and safety?
- Health and safety at work act
- Management of health and safety at work regulations 1999
- COSHH regulation
- RIDDOR
What is the health and safety at work act 1974?
- The main legislation for health and safety in UK workplaces
- Outlines responsibilities of employers and employees to ensure working environments are safe
- Covers all workplaces; not just construction
- Insure employer must do everything within reason to provide a safe and healthy workplace
What is RIDDOR?
- The reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations (2013)
- Ensure employers correctly report and record injuries and incidents that happen at the workplace
- The regulation is important as employees responsible for negligence and bad practice
- Helps the HSE identify where and how risks are arising, so they can prevent similar occurrences happening
What would you do if you found an injured person on site?
- Raise the alarm and call for help
- Help if possible, but do not put myself in danger
What risks could be presented within our work environment in the office?
- Manual lifting
- Slips, trips and falls
- Burns, e.g. coffee machine
What risks could be presented within our work environment on site?
- Slips, trips and falls
- Asbestos
- Manual lifting
- Moving machinery
- Noise
- Working at height
Can you name some of the health and safety issues associated with an enclosed site?
- slips, trips and falls over stored materials
- Tight delivery entrances
- Equipment and machinery moving in close proximity
What is a prohibition notice and what happens if one gets served to the site?
- a prohibition notice is served to sites to tell the contractor to stop an activity for safety reason
- The site should not resume activity until action has been taken to remove or control the risk