Health and Safety Flashcards
What are the Health and Safety legislation are you aware of in the construction industry?
- Heath and Safety at Work Act 1974
- Construction (Design and Management) regulation 2015
- Working a Height regulation 2005
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002
Why was CDM 2015 introduced?
Ensure that health and safety issues are properly considered during a project’s development so that the risk of harm to those that have to build, use and maintain structures is reduced.
What is contained in a health and safety file?
- Information on the work being carried out.
- Hazards that have not been eliminated through the design and construction phases and how they have been addressed.
- Background information on the asset’s structure and form and any limitations – e.g., safe working loads for floors and roofs, the location of utility services, etc.
- Any hazardous materials used (e.g., paints, special coatings, etc.) that will prove useful when maintaining or removing these substances or working in affected areas.
- Information, including as-built drawings, including safe means of access to service areas.
What is RIDDOR?
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) require the ‘responsible person’ to notify any death, reportable injury,
disease or dangerous occurrence to the HSE (on-line or by phone for death and serious injuries). The responsible person is the employer or, for the self-employed,
the contractor or principal contractor.
Can you give me some examples of design and construction hazards?
- Working with heavy plant and machinery.
- Working with tools and equipment.
- Working with live electricity.
- Working at height.
Lifting operations.
Exposure and chemicals
What would you usually find in the pre construction information?
- Project description
- Client’s considerations and management requirements (hoarding, welfare facilities, traffic restrictions, permit to work, etc.)
- Environmental restrictions and existing on-site risks (site restrictions, previous H&S files, ground conditions, existing services, asbestos surveys, contamination, unsafe structures, etc.)
- Significant design and construction hazards (design risks assessments, suggested method statements, arrangement for coordination post contract design work and changes)
- Health and Safety File requirements
What H&S precautions do you take when going on site?
Ensure that I have PPE, ensure that I have had a site induction
Who do you inform that you are going on site?
- I sign in the attendance register and report to the site office to make them aware of my presence.
- I ensure my own company is kept updated on my whereabouts.
Are you aware on RICS Guidance on Health and safety
Surveying Safely, 2nd edition
What is the purpose of an F10?
A notification outlining the scope and duration of a construction project submitted to the (HSE) before a construction project can legally begin.
When does a project becomes notifiable to the HSE?
he construction is scheduled to last longer than 30 working days, and it will have more than 20 workers working at the same time at any point in the building project.
Or, if the construction work has more than 500 person days.
What are the duties of the principal contractor under CDM 2015
The principal contractor must:
- plan, manage, monitor and coordinate the entire construction phase
take account of the health and safety risks to everyone affected by the work (including members of the public), in planning and managing the measures needed to control them
- liaise with the client and principal designer for the duration of the project to ensure that all risks are effectively managed
- prepare a written construction phase plan (PDF) before the construction phase begins, implement, and then regularly review and revise it to make sure it remains fit for purpose
- take steps to prevent unauthorised access to the site
What is the duties of the principal design under CDM 2015?
- plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase. In doing so they must take account of relevant information (such as an existing health and safety file) that might affect design work carried out both before and after the construction phase has started
- help and advise the client in bringing together pre-construction information, and provide the information designers and contractors need to carry out their duties
work with any other designers on the project to eliminate foreseeable health and safety risks to anyone affected by the work and, where that is not possible, take steps to reduce or control those risks - ensure that everyone involved in the pre-construction phase communicates and cooperates, coordinating their work wherever required
- liaise with the principal contractor, keeping them informed of any risks that need to be controlled during the construction phase
What are the client’s duties under CDM 2015?
- Make suitable arrangements for managing a project, including making sure:
- other dutyholders are appointed as appropriate
- sufficient time and resources are allocated
What are the key implications of the regulations?
- There is more focus on clients to put in place arrangements to ensure health and safety.
- Clients can no longer assign their legal responsibilities to agents.
- There must be a declaration of how long contractors will be given to plan and prepare for construction work.
- Clients are deemed to assume the role of the principal contractor for any period during which other appointments aren’t made.
What would you find in the Construction Phase Plan?
- A Project description.
- Processes for management of the works including site inductions, training, communication, welfare facilities, design coordination, site rules and emergency procedures.
- Arrangements for controlling significant site risks such as handling of deliveries, working at height, deep excavations, preventing falls, site segregation, maintenance of plant and equipment, removal of asbestos, reducing noise and vibrations and manual handling.
What would you find in the H&S File?
H&S information that is useful for the planning of future works or maintenance.
This comprises:-
- A brief description of the work carried out.
- Any residual hazards which remain and how they have been dealt with for example surveys or other information concerning asbestos, contaminated land, water bearing strata and buried services.
- Key structural principles for example, bracing and sources of substantial stored energy.
- Hazardous materials used for example lead paint, pesticides, special coatings which should not be burnt off.
- The nature and location of significant services, including underground cables, gas supply equipment and fire-fighting services.
What is contained in an F10?
The address of the construction site.
- The name of the local authority where the site is located.
- A brief description of the project and the construction work it entails.
- Contact details for the client and Principal Contractor.
- It should give an indication of the time allowed by the client for the PC to plan and prepare for the construction work
- It should provide a planned date for the start of work, duration of construction phase and give a number of people at work on site at any one time.
What incidents are reportable?
- Death and major injuries such as loss of consciousness or loss of a limb.
-Occupational diseases. - Dangerous occurrences for example explosions, hazardous substances, structural collapse or collision etc.
- Gas incidents.
What does COSHH stand for?
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health.
- The regulations aim to avoid exposure to hazardous substances, or if not possible, to control exposure by measures that are proportionate to the health risk.
What does PPE stand for?
Personal Protective Equipment.
What PPE would you wear when visiting a site?
- Hard hat.
- Boots.
- Goggles.
- Gloves.
- Hi-vis vest.
- Ear defenders if required.
- Face mask if required.
Have you passed the CSCS test, how did it benefit you?
Yes (if applicable to the candidate) - it made me aware of health and safety issues to consider when
attending construction sites.
What does CSCS stand for?
Construction Skills Certification Scheme.
What is a risk assessment?
- A risk assessment is simply a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken sufficient precautions or should do more to prevent
harm. - The law does not expect you to eliminate all risk, but you are required to protect people as far as ‘reasonably practicable’.
What are the 5 steps to risk assessment?
- Step 1 - Identify the hazards.
- Step 2 - Decide who might be harmed and how.
- Step 3 - Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions.
- Step 4 - Record your findings and implement them.
- Step 5 - Review your assessment and update if necessary.
What is the role of the HSE?
- To prevent work-related death, injury and ill-health.
- Provide support to the public and businesses with guidance, statistics and research.
What are the powers of the HSE?
- Inspectors can visit site without notice, talk to workers, take pictures and samples.
- To issue written or verbal information and advice.
- Most inspections are planned to encourage good H&S practices.
- Some inspections are to respond to a complaint or follow-up an investigation.
- To impose sanctions including stop and improvement orders.
What is the RICS Surveying Safely publication?
The RICS guidance on personal safety at work.
* The document covers:-
1) General Statement - Employers/Employees have a duty of care under law of tort towards those who may be affected by their actions.
2) Safety of Employees - actions that must be taken by employers. Special duty of care towards young/trainees.
3) Workplace – Fire & First Aid provisions.
4) Hazards and Risk Assessment requirements.
5) Visiting Sites - PPE, Lone working, Access provisions.
6) During Site Visits - Key hazards assessments including structures, roofs and contamination.
7) Safety of you and others – Everyone is to take responsibility of their own health & safety.
o 8) Legal Duties - Criminal Liability and CDM guidance.
What other guidance is available?
- The HSE has published a similar guide ‘Health and Safety in Great Britain’ but it is more generic and not focused on construction.
- HSE Five Steps to Risk Assessments.
- Managing H&S in Construction – Approved Code of Practice (ACoP).
The construction industry is notorious for accidents and death on site and death; what measures are there to prevent this occurring?
There are various ways to prevent accidents on construction sites:-
1) Eliminate the risk of accidents occurring at the source for example assembly on the ground instead of working at height.
2) Planning & programming of works.
3) Allowing sufficient time for the works to be constructed effectively.
4) Carrying out risk assessments, method statements & educating workers.
5) Training inductions & CSCS qualifications.
6) Ensuring safe working sites and access & egress points.
Which accident kills the most operatives in construction?
Falls from height
What is the considerate contractors scheme?
- CCS was set up in 1997 & is responsible for improving the image of construction.
- It monitors all registered sites and ensures best practices are carried out in particular on items such as engaging with local communities and site cleanliness.
What is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974?
- This is the primary piece of legislation governing H&S in the United Kingdom.
- It places a statutory duty on all employers to provide and maintain equipment and systems of works that are safe and without risk to the health and safety of employees, or others who may be affected by their undertaking.
- The Act aims to:
o Secure the health, safety and welfare of people at work.
o Protect others against risks to health and safety arising from work activities.
o Control dangerous substances.
o Control of emissions into the atmosphere.
o Employers with 5 or more employees must have written health and safety documents detailing
the organisations health and safety structure.
