Health and Safety Flashcards
Explain your understanding of the term HSE?
HSE stands for the Health & Safety Executive.
The HSE is the UK national authority for managing work related health, safety and illness issues.
They act in the public interest to reduce work related injuries and incidents.
What kinds of incident are the causation of most deaths within the construction industry?
Falls from height.
What is the biggest cause of long term health issues in the construction industry?
Breathing in Hazardous Dust and Fumes.
What does the Beaufort Scale measure?
This is used to measure windspeed which is important when working on site.
When are visitors most likely to have an accident on a construction site?
When they first start on a new site.
What should you do first if you find an injured person on site?
Assess the situation first without putting yourself in immediate danger.
Call the emergency services if serious.
Raise the alarm and call for help.
Tell me about the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
The H&S at Work Act 1974 requires employers to ensure employee’s H&S and welfare at work.
This includes staff training, welfare provisions, safe working environments and provision of information.
A breach of this Act is a criminal offence.
Tell me about the control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Although it was banned in 1999, Asbestos may still be present in any house or building built before 2000.
So we must be mindful of the risks and advise our clients diligently.
Regulation 4, Imposes a legal duty to manage asbestos, if it is present or presumed to be present.
When was asbestos used?
From the late 1800’s to 1999, when it was banned.
What happens of you breach Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012?
A breach comes with an unlimited fine and up to two years imprisonment.
Where can common ACM’s be found?
Acoustic plaster, adhesives, ceiling tiles, cement pipes, decorative plaster, ducting, fire curtains and doors, fire proofing, pipe insulation, roof felt, textured paint, vinyl floor tiles and wall boards.
What would you do if you suspected a property contained asbestos?
I would commission an asbestos survey and report, which is a legal requirement.
If asbestos is present, an asbestos register should then produced and updated at least once a year.
A management plan should also be produced to state how the ACM’s will be managed, and reviewed at least every 6 months.
What are the types of asbestos surveys?
Management Survey - This records the location, amount, condition and type of ACM’s within a proerty.
Refurbishment/Demolition Survey - A more detailed survey that is fully intrusive, and usually requires the building to be vacated so that samples can be taken. This is required if any works are planned to the property.
What is the purpose of an Asbestos Refurbishment or demolition survey?
A refurbishment or demolition survey aims to ensure:
ACMs are removed, where required, before the work starts.
Nobody will be harmed by work on ACMs in the premises or equipment.
Such work will be done safely by an appropriate contractor
What is the purpose of an Asbestos Management survey?
The main aim of a management survey is to allow the dutyholder, to produce an asbestos register and an asbestos management plan.
It will help manage ACMs during normal occupation and use of a premises.
What is an asbestos management plan and what does it include?
An asbestos management plan sets out the procedures and arrangements to manage the risk from asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in a premises.
A plan should include:
Who is responsible for managing asbestos including deputies.
An asbestos register, including the site plan showing the location of ACMs and areas not inspected.
The schedule for monitoring the condition of ACMs.
How you will share your asbestos register with workers or contractors doing maintenance work.
Control arrangements to ensure that ACMs are not disturbed.
Emergency procedures if ACMs are disturbed.
What is an Asbestos register and what does it include?
The asbestos register is a live document which must always contain current information on the presence and condition of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).
It should include:
All known and presumed ACMs in a building.
The type of ACM.
How much asbestos there is and its condition, including dates of the original and last inspection.
The potential of each ACM to release fibres and likelihood of disturbance during the day-to-day running of the building.
Where asbestos is presumed to be located if unable to access areas.
How can Asbestos be removed?
When removal of Asbestos is required, it is catagorised as either, Licensable or Non-Licensable.
Licensed work
Involves high risk materials and must be carried out by a licensed contractor. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issues the specialist license.
Non-licensed work
Has lower risks and doesn’t require a license, but still requires training
Tell me about your understanding of Drones and the requirements for operation.
Anyone operating a small unmanned aircraft for commercial operation (i.e. for which he/she is receiving remuneration) requires permission to operate from the CAA.
Never fly more than 120m (400ft) above the surface.
Always keep your drone or model aircraft in sight.
Never fly in flight restriction zone unless you have permission.
Anyone flying a drone weighing 250g or more needs to pass a test and get a flyer ID from the CAA.
If you’re flying a drone or model aircraft that’s lighter than 250g, you can fly closer to people than 50m and you can fly over them, but you must not fly over crowds.
What is CDM 2015?
CDM stands for Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, a set of UK rules that aim to improve health and safety standards, management and coordination in the construction industry.
CDM applies to all building and construction work.
When is work notifiable under CDM?
A construction project is notifiable to the HSE via an F10 notification if: It’s scheduled to last longer than 30 working days AND has more than 20 workers working simultaneously; OR. The project exceeds 500 person days.
Who are the duty holders under CDM?
Client, Principal designer, Principal Contractor, Designer and Contractor.
What is the role of the Principal designer?
The principal designer is appointed by the client. This role may be appointed automatically on domestic projects.
The principal designer is required on any project with more than one contractor at any time (including subcontractors).
The principal designer is the designer in overall control of the pre-construction phase.
They make sure designers comply with designer duties and take charge of health and safety matters when planning the project.
What are the Principal designers responsibilities?
Plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase of a project.
Identifying, eliminating or controlling foreseeable risks.
Ensuring designers carry out their duties.
Prepare and provide relevant information to other duty holders.
Liaise with the principal contractor to help in the planning, management, monitoring and coordination of the construction phase.
Prepare the health and safety file.
Who are designers under CDM?
Anyone who prepares or modifies a design for any part of a construction project is a designer under CDM.
What are the designers CDM responsibilities?
Must only accept an appointment on a project if you have the skills, knowledge, experience and capacity to fulfil the role.
Must only appoint someone on a project if they have the skills, knowledge, experience and capacity to fulfil the role.
Must cooperate with others involved in the project.
Report anything you are aware of on the project which is likely to endanger health or safety.
Provide information and instruction as required.
Tell us about the Work at Heights Regulations 2005, what are they for?
Working at height is any work that involves a risk of falling and causing personal injury.
The purpose of The Work at Height Regulations 2005 is to prevent death and injury caused by a fall from height.
Essentially, Duty holders must:
Avoid work at height where they can.
Use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls where they cannot avoid working at height.
Where they cannot eliminate the risk of a fall, use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall if one should occur.
Are you aware of any RICS Guidance on Health and Safety?
Yes, The RICS Guidance note, Surveying Safely: Health and Safety for property professionals.
This provides guiadance for survyeors on managing health and safety risks, and advises that:
Surveyors owe a duty of care to themselves, clients, colleague and third parties impacted by their works, and should understand their legal obligations.
Survyeors are required to conduct thorough risk assessments in all professional activities to identify, assess and mitigate risks.
Surveyors should plan and prepare adequately for site visits, and adopt safe working practicies, which include having the correct PPE and consider site specific hazards and emergency procedures.
Surveyors should be aware of lone working and have systems to make this safe.
Surveyors should communicate with contractors and keep a record of any RAMS.
What are the domestic client duties ?(CDM)
Though in scope of CDM 2015, their client duties are normally transferred to:
The contractor for single contractor projects
The principal contractor for projects with more than one contractor.
However, the domestic client can instead choose to have a written agreement with the principal designer to carry out the client duties.
What is a construction phase plan
in CDM?
The construction phase plan (CPP) records arrangements for managing significant health and safety risks associated with the construction of the project and is the basis for communicating those arrangements to those involved in the construction phase.
It outlines the health and safety arrangements and site rules taking into account any industrial activities taking place on site, and, where applicable, must include specific measures concerning any work involving the particular risks.
