Health and Safety

Question 1

1. What is the summary of your employer’s H&S policy?

Answer 1

a. Work to healthiest and safest manner, duty of employee to exercise personal responsibilities. Duties are detailed in Safety at Work Act 1974

Question 2

2. If you noticed something untoward on site, or asbestos, what would you do?

Answer 2

a. I would immediately notify the person in charge on site of this so they can take prompt and effective action.

Question 3

3. What is a hazard?

Answer 3

a. Something that can cause harm.

Question 4

4. What is a risk?

Answer 4

a. Probability that the hazard occurs.

Question 5

5. What CSCS certification do you require as a QS? How often do you have to renew your CSCS card?

Answer 5

a. Professionally Qualified Person card
b. 5 years renewal

Question 6

What do you get once you get chartered?

Answer 6

PQP Professionally Qualified Persons Card

Question 7

6. What does CSCS stand for?

Answer 7

a. Construction skills certification scheme

Question 8

7. What is its purpose, why is it important for us to have one?

Answer 8

a. Proof that someone has relevant training and qualifications to be on a construction site, makes you aware of H&S issues.

Question 9

8. When does a firm need a H&S policy?

Answer 9

a. When they have 5 or more employees

Question 10

9. What are the CDM regulations? And what is their purpose?

Answer 10

a. Construction Design & Management 2015
b. Helps plan works to manage risks. Communicates information efficiently to those that need to know.
c. Improve safety on construction sites by setting regulations, more onus on client.

Question 11

10. Who are the duty holders, and what are their roles?

Answer 11

a. Client - sign off F10, ensure competent appointments, ensure PCI is done.
b. Designer – prepares design, specs or design calcs. Duty to eliminate risks.
c. Principal Designer - advise client, prepare PCI, collate H&S file, pre-construction H&S
d. Principal Contractor - Construction phase plan, display F10 (more than 1 contractor)
e. Contractor - Construction phase plan, display F10, mitigate risk in construction.
f. Worker – individuals actually carrying out work, must cooperate and not endanger others or themselves.

Question 12

11. What is an F10, and when is it needed?

Answer 12

a. A form submitted to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on notifiable projects.
b. Needed on projects that exceed 500 person days OR on project more than 30 days and when there could be 20 or more people on site at any one time.

Question 13

12. What is included on an F10?

Answer 13

a. Site information, health and safety plans, key dates, contact details, number of people on site.

Question 14

13. Are you as a QS responsible under the CDM’s?

Answer 14

a. If we prepare specs or working methods, we will be deemed designers, and thus must comply with CDM obligations.

Question 15

14. What is RIDDOR?

Answer 15

a. RIDDOR - Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations

Question 16

15. What is the Building Safety Act

Answer 16

a. Aware that it was updated in October 2023
b. Assuring the safety of higher-risk buildings, both in construction and occupation. Improving the competence of the people responsible for overseeing, managing, and delivering works to higher-risk buildings. Ensuring clearer standards and guidance.
c. Legal act

Question 17

16. What is a high-risk building?

Answer 17

a. At least 2 residential units AND
b. 18 metres in height / at least 7 storeys

Question 18

17. What are the building regs?

Answer 18

a. They are approved documents under the safety act
b. Loads of different guidance documents, constantly being updated

Question 19

18. What are your duties as a QS under the CDM regulations 2015?

Answer 19

a. Quantity Surveyors are classed as designers, and therefore fall under the CDM regulations, and share those responsibilities.
b. Responsibility is planning, managing and co-ordinating construction work

Question 20

19. What are the 3 methods of asbestos management?

Answer 20

a. Asbestos Management plan
b. Remove
c. Encapsulate

Question 21

20. What types of asbestos test are there?

Answer 21

a. Presumptive, and visually inspect.
b. Sampling, determine the extent.
c. Intrusive, access to all areas

Question 22

21. What do you include in RAMS?

Answer 22

a. Risk assessment and method statement.
b. What risks and hazards are present on and off site, and how they will be mitigated
c. How works will be undertaken and managed on site in relation to health and safety and logistics.

Question 23

22. What is RICS publication on executing professional role safely (guidance)?

Answer 23

a. Surveying Safely 2nd edition 2019 (Professional Standard)

Question 24

23. What does RICS Surveying Safely set out?

Answer 24

a. Contains good practice principles for the management of health and safety. sets out principles for those engaged in the built environment as property professionals and includes health and safety responsibilities.

Question 25

24. What is RAAC?

Answer 25

a. Reinforced autoclaved concrete. It is a lightweight concrete, it posed many safety concerns when discovered in schools.

Question 26

You attended Asbestos awareness course, when was it banned, and what are the key hazards?

Answer 26

1999. Damage to lungs and skin, asbestosis, mesothelioma, skin cancer.

Question 27

What are the 2 asbestos management surveys?

Answer 27

Management Asbestos Survey
Refurbishment and Demolition Asbestos Survey

Question 28

Why and when was the Building Safety Act updated?

Answer 28

Updated in October 2023, following the Grenfell tower tragedy. Includes new duty holders

Question 29

What is an accountable person?

Answer 29

Someone under the Building Safety Act who manages or looks after the common areas of that building, e.g. landlord