Health and Safety

Question 1

What are the duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974?

Answer 1

Employers have a duty of care towards employees.

Employees have a duty of of care towards themselves and each other.

Question 2

What are a client’s duties under CDM 2015?

Answer 2

Clients need to make suitable arrangements for managing the health and safety on a project.

They need to appoint other duty holders.

They need to ensure the roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.

Ensure that they appoint competent people with sufficient time and resources.

Ensure that relevant information is provided to the duty holders.

Ensure the PD and PC carry out their duties.

Ensure that a CPP is drawn up before works start by the PD.

Provide welfare facilities.

Notify HSE.

Question 3

What are the PD’s duties under CDM 2015?

Answer 3

Monitor the CPP.

Co-ordinate health and safety during the pre-construction phase.

Ensure all designers comply with their duties.

Identify and eliminate or control risks.

Prepare the H&S file.

Question 4

What are the PC’s duties under CDM 2015?

Answer 4

Prepare the CPP.

Ensure the contractors comply with H&S requirements.

Ensure welfare facilities are provided.

Provide a suitable site induction.

Prevent unauthorised access.

Question 5

What are the duties under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012?

Answer 5

The duty holder must take reasonable stps to find out if there are ACMs present, keep an up-to-date record of their location and condition and have an up-to-date asbestos management plan and share this with those doing works on the building.

Question 6

What is required for a risk assessment?

Answer 6

Identify all risks.

Rate the likelihood and severity of each risk.

Take action to eliminate or control the risk.

Record findings.

Review periodically.

Question 7

What is the CPP?

Answer 7

The CPP records arrangements for managing H&S risks on site.

Question 8

What would you check for on edge protection?

Answer 8

Evidence that the system has been inspected and certified within the last 12 months.

Obvious signs of damage/deterioration.

Sufficient height from the floor level to effectively act as a barrier to falling.

Question 9

To what works does CDM 2015 apply?

Answer 9

Applies to all construction work, including;

Maintenance and repair of existing structures
Erection of new structures
Maintenance of fixed plant and building services

Question 10

What are the main roles established under CDM 2015?

Answer 10

Client

(Principal) Designer

(Principal) Contractor

Question 11

What is the difference in CDM responsibility on residential projects?

Answer 11

Typically residential projects will see the CDM responsibilities absorbed by the contractor, as they are the informed professional.

Question 12

What does the Health and Safety file include?

Answer 12

Details of residual risks.

Access and Maintenance Strategies

Key Structural Principles

Hazardous materials

Fire strategy

Environmental information

MEP operation and maintenance

As-built drawings

Question 13

What is an F10 notification?

Answer 13

An F10 notification is the notice in writing submitted to the HSE, providing details about the project.

Once submitted, a copy of the F10 must be displayed on site.

Question 14

What makes a construction project notifiable to the HSE?

Answer 14

The HSE requires notice where a project;

Lasts over 30 days with more than 20 workers at any one time OR the project will last more than 500 person-days.

Question 15

To what buildings does the Building Safety Act provision apply?

Answer 15

All buildings.

The category of ‘Higher Risk’ Buildings is established which is defined as a building that is at least 18 metres in height or has at least 7 storeys.

Question 16

What new roles does the Building Safety Act create?

Answer 16

Building Safety Regulator
Accountable Persons
Building Control Officer

Question 17

What is the role of the Building Safety Regulator?

Answer 17

The HSE is the new Building Safety Regulator, whose primary functions are;

To oversee the safety and standards of all buildings.
To encourage the built environment industry to improve its competence.
To lead implementation of the new regulatory framework for high-rise buildings.

Question 18

What is the golden thread of information?

Answer 18

Information that is the single source of truth, kept digitally and securely, available to those who need it to do a job as and when required and presented in a manner than can be easily digested by the person who needs to use it.

Question 19

What is the role of the Accountable Person under the Building Safety Act?

Answer 19

The Accountable Person is the person in possession of the common parts of a building, who will be responsible to prevent any building safety risks occuring.

Question 20

What is the role of the National Regulator for Construction Products?

Answer 20

The Office for Product Safety and Standards is now responsible for the national regulation of construction products, to ensure ‘safe’ materials are being used.

Question 21

What does the Fire Safety Act 2021 require?

Answer 21

The Fire Safety Act 2021 made it law for external walls, and flat entrance and common fire doors to be included in fire risk assessments.

Question 22

To what buildings does the Fire Safety Act 2021 apply?

Answer 22

To all multi-occupied buildings.

Question 23

What additional duties are imposed under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999?

Answer 23

The duty on employers to undertake risk assessments to identify potential hazards involved in a work activity, with additional risk assessments conducted for young people and new and expectant mothers.

The duty on employers to appoint at least one competent person to oversee all matters of health and safety.

The duty on employers to provide adequate health and safety training, and not to give employees tasks beyond their competence.

To duty on employers to co-ordinate with other building occupiers to share H&S information.

Question 24

What is the purpose of the Defective Premises Act 1972?

Answer 24

The Defective Premises Act 1972 imposes a duty of care on building owners (or other responsible person) to ensure that the building is free from defects that may cause injury to those who might reasonably be affected by the defect.

Question 25

What does the Occupier’s Liability Acts of 1957 & 1984 impose?

Answer 25

A common duty of care to visitors and trespassers respectively.

Question 26

What is the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012?

Answer 26

Bringing together previous asbestos regulation, the Control of Asbestos Regulations imposes a ‘duty to manage’ the asbestos in buildings.

Question 27

When do you require a licenced contractor to carry out asbestos works?

Answer 27

Works are licensable where;

• worker exposure is not sporadic or low intensity
• the control limit (0.1 fibres per cubic centimetre of air) will be exceeded
• work is on asbestos coating
• work is on asbestos insulation (where work is more than 2 hours in a 7 day period, and no more than one hour continuosly).

Question 28

When is non-licenced asbestos work notifiable?

Answer 28

Consider the type of work you plan to do.

More friable materials will typically be notifiable non-licenced works as they release more fibres.

Asbestos bonded within a matrix can usually be treated as non-licenced, however if in poor condition it may become notifiable where there is a risk of increased exposure.

Question 29

What are the key elements of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974?

Answer 29

The duty on employers to manage and ensure the risks they present at a place of work to employees and the public are mitigated as far as practicable.

The duty on employees to take reasonable care for their own health and safety, and that of other workers and members of the public.

Question 30

What RICS document provides guidance on health and safety?

Answer 30

RICS Guidance Note ‘Surveying Safely - Health and safety principles for property professionals’