Health and Safety

Question 1

What are the key implications of the CDM 2015 regulations?

Answer 1

1. There is more focus on clients to put in place arrangements to ensure health and safety.
2. Clients can no longer assign their legal obligations to agents.
3. There must be a declaration of how long contractors will be given to plan and prepare for construction work.
4. Clients are deemed to assume the role of principle contractor for any period during which other appointments aren’t made.

Question 2

What items would you expect to find in the pre-construction information?

Answer 2

1. Project description
2. Environmental restrictions
3. Significant design and construction hazards
4. Health and safety file requirements
5. Site plan/ outline
6. Any other key project specific information

Question 3

What would you find in the construction phase plan?

Answer 3

1. Project description
2. Processes for management of the works including site inductions, training, communication, welfare facilities, design coordination, site rules and emergency procedures.
3. 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.

Question 4

What would you find in a health and safety file?

Answer 4

1. H&S information that is useful for the planning of future works or maintenance.
2. This comprises:
   - A brief description of the work carried out.
   - Any residual hazards which remain and how they have been dealt with e.g. surveys or information concerning asbestos, contaminated land, water bearing strata and brief services.
   - Key structural principles e.g bracing and substantial sources of energy.
   - Hazardous materials used e.g. 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.

Question 5

What is an F10?

Answer 5

A form used to notify the HSE of a project.

Question 6

What should an F10 contain?

Answer 6

1. The address of the construction site.
2. The name of the local authority where the site is located.
3. A brief description of the project and the construction work it entails.
4. Contact details for the client and Principal Contractor.
5. Provide time allowed for by the client in weeks.
6. It should provide a planned start on site date, duration of construction phase and the number of people at work on site at anyone given time.

Question 7

When is a project notifiable under CDM 2015?

Answer 7

• last longer than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers working at the same time at any point on the project or
• exceed 500 person days

Question 8

What does RIDDOR stand for?

Answer 8

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013

Question 9

What does RIDDOR require?

Answer 9

The ‘responsible person’ to notify any death, reportable injury, disease or dangerous occurrence to the HSE. The responsible person is the employer or, for the self employed, the contractor or principal contractor.

Question 10

What incidents are reportable under RIDDOR?

Answer 10

1. Death and major injuries such as loss of consciousness or loss of a limb.
2. Occupational diseases.
3. Dangerous occurrences e.g. explosions, hazardous substances, structural collapse etc.
4. Gas incidents.

Question 11

What does COSHH stand for?

Answer 11

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

Question 12

What does COSHH do?

Answer 12

The regulations aim to avoid exposure to hazardous substances, or if not possible, to control exposure measures that are proportionate to the health risk.

Question 13

What PPE would you wear when visiting a site?

Answer 13

Hard hat
Boots
Googles
Gloves
Hi-vis vest
Ear defenders if required
Face mask if required

Question 14

What is a risk assessment?

Answer 14

1. An 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.
2. The law does not expect you to eliminate all risk, but you are required to protect people as far as ‘reasonably practicable’.

Question 15

What are the 5 steps to risk assessments?

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

What is the role of the HSE?

Answer 16

1. To prevent work-related death, injury and ill-health.
2. Provide support to the public and businesses with guidance, statistics and research.

Question 17

What are the powers of the HSE?

Answer 17

1. Inspectors can visit without notice, talk to workers, take pictures and samples.
2. To issue written or verbal information and advice.
3. Most inspections are planned to encourage good H&S practices.
4. Some inspections are to respond to a complaint or follow up an investigation.
5. To impose sanctions including stop and improvement orders.

Question 18

What accident kills the most operatives in construction?

Answer 18

Falls from height.

Question 19

What is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974?

Answer 19

1. The primary piece of legislation governing H&S in the UK.
2. 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.

Question 20

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

Answer 20

1. Secure the health, safety and welfare of people at work.
2. Protect others against risks to health and safety arising from work activities.
3. Control dangerous substances.
4. Control of emissions into the atmosphere.
5. Employers with 5 or more employees must have written health and safety documents detailing the organisations health and safety structure.