Health and Safety (L1/L2)

Question 1

Name the RICS Guidance Note relating to Health and Safety

Answer 1

Surveying Safely, 2nd Edition, 2018. Effective from 1st February 2019

Question 2

Describe the purpose of the Guidance Note

Answer 2

This guidance note sets out basic, good practice principles for the management of health and safety for RICS-regulated firms and RICS members.

Question 3

Describe the contents of the RICS guidance note

Answer 3

1. Personal responsibilities for RICS members and firms
2. Assessing hazards and risks
3. Workplace health and safety,
4. Occupational hygiene and health,
   5 Visiting premises and sites
5. Fire safety
6. Residential property surveying
7. Procurement and management of contractors

Question 4

Describe the corporate responsibilities for H&S under RICS guidance

Answer 4

RICS regulated firms must ensure they provide a safe working environment, safe work equipment, safe systems of work, competent staff. Should have management process designed to identify foreseeable risks and should put in place means to reduce risks to acceptable levels

Question 5

Describe personal responsibilities for RICS Members

Answer 5

individuals have a direct responsibility to ensure that health and safety policies and procedures are practised effectively and competently.

Question 6

Describe the safe person concept

Answer 6

that each individual assumes individual behavioural responsibility for their own, their colleagues and others health and safety whilst at work. The objective of a safe person is to ensure that the individuals who work in all environments are safe and remain healthy at all times.

Question 7

What is a risk assessment

Answer 7

risk assessments defined as carefully examining what in your work could cause harm so that you can judge whether or not you have taken enough precautions to prevent harm – manages hazard and risk.

Question 8

Describe the different stages of a risk assessment

Answer 8

1. Identify the hazards
2. Decide who may be harmed and how - employees/contractors
3. Evaluate the risks, considering likeliness and severity of any incidents and decide on precautions
4. Record finding and implement them
5. Review assessment regularly and advise all those affected of the outcome. If possible, eliminate risks

Question 9

Describe PPE

Answer 9

High-vis jacket, protective footwear, hard hat, protective goggles, gloves and ear defenders

Question 10

Describe the Hierarchy of Risk Controls

Answer 10

Risks should be reduced to the lowest reasonably
practicable level by taking preventative measures, in order of priority.
1. Elimination - redesign activity so hazard is removed
2. Subsitution - replace materials used / proposed process with a less hazardous one
3. Engineering Controls - use work equipment to prevent falls when working from height
4. Adminstrative Controls - Identifying and implementing procedures needed to work safely - the need for lone working or in daylight hours etc
5. PPE - after previous measures have been tried and are uneffective in controlling risks, PPE can be used

Question 11

How can you limit the risks when working at height

Answer 11

• Aim to do as much work as possible on ground level
• Make sure ladders are fully secured before climbing, check the ladder for condition and signs of wear/tear
• Check that the equipment is safe, suitable and strong enough

Question 12

Describe CJ’s Lone Working Policy

Answer 12

• Record whereabouts in outlook diary including where you are, client name and the time you are expected back
• Charged mobile phone
• Mark Grangers keys are in my desk – emergency phrase in situations
• Escalation Procedure – if someone is concerned about your non return, try to contact on mobile at least 4 times, if no contact within 90 minutes, should call the CJ office contact, as last resort, call police
• Escalation Procedure – check outlook, mobile, try other numbers left in diary, check team/if gone home early. Arrange visit to site if safe to do so. Contact the police

Question 13

Describe the main aspects of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

Answer 13

Section 2 – duty on employers to ensure, so far as practicable, the health, safety and wellbeing of all employees at work
Section 3 – ensure health and safety of any non employees who may be affected by the conduct of their undertaking
Section 7 – employees have the reasonable duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety, must protect health and safety of others and anyone else impacted by their actions
Section 33 – Duty on senior members of staff and provides that they may be prosecuted if it is found that an offence committed by the company was committed with their consent or was attributable to their neglect.

Question 14

What are the Corporate Requirements

Answer 14

Appropriate line management structure to monitor and manage health & safety, i.e. lead from the top with a policy statement
Clear accountability, policies and procedures
Risk assessment
Staff training
Adequate resources provided
Insurance in place

Question 15

What should company policy and procedures include?

Answer 15

Providing a safe place of work relating to ventilation, heating, lighting and welfare facilities etc.
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences
Minimising risks relating to monitors and workstations
Providing personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Health & safety induction
Safe electrical systems
Hazardous substances
Fire risk assessment
Working hours
Lone working
Asbestos

Question 16

What is a method statement

Answer 16

– a document that details the way a work task or process is to be completed. It should outline hazards involved and include a step by step guide on how to do the job safely. It must detail which control measures have been introduced to ensure the safety of anyone who is affected by the process

Question 17

Describe the ‘six pack’ of H&S regulations

Answer 17

• Management of Health and Safety at Work
• Display Screen Equipment
• Manual Handling Operations
• PPE at Work
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment
• Workplace Health Safety and Welfare

Question 18

Fire Risk Management Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Answer 18

• Based on a risk assessment with emphasis on fire prevention
• Applies to non-domestic property in England & Wales
• The ‘Responsible Person’ is the employer, or occupier who controls the property, or if property vacant,
the owner
• Must be fire precautions in place following risk assessment
• Need for good record keeping- risk assessment, fire policy & fire procedures and staff training
• Regular review of assessments required and recorded
- Reasonable fire precautions measures could include a fire detection and warning alarm system, firefighting
equipment, safe exit routes, a personal emergency evacuation plan, emergency lighting and
signage and suitable fire exit doors

Question 19

Describe the Hackitt Review

Answer 19

led by Dame Judith Hackitt, reported in May 2018. This Independent Review of
Building Regulation and Fire Safety, called ‘Building a Safer Future’, made over 50 recommendations for
changes to the current system to ensure more robust regulatory system
• Proposals include upgrading building standards and guidance, a new regulatory body (a single joint
competent authority) to regulate and check fire and structural safety in high rise residential buildings
and involving residents in fire safety procedures and concerns and clear responsibilities for on-going
life safety management for buildings

Question 20

New legislation related to Grenfell Tower

Answer 20

• Grenfell: There is now a ban on the use of combustible cladding on residential buildings over 18 metres tall since Sept 2018.

Question 21

Describe RIDDOR - (RIDDOR, updated 2013- reporting of injuries, diseases, and dangerous occurrences regulations 2013)

Answer 21

• RIDDOR puts duties on employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises (the Responsible Person) to report certain serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences (near misses).
• Trigger date for reporting injuries is over 7 days incapacitation
• Such injuries must be reported to HSE within 15 days
• All employees must keep a record of all 3 plus injuries – accident book which must be kept for minimum of 3 years after an occupation accident

Question 22

Describe the Occupiers Liabilities Act 1957

Answer 22

• Act regulates the liability of occupiers and others for injuries caused to lawful visitors as well as damage caused to any goods, as a result of ‘dangers due to the state of the property or to things done or omitted to be done there’
• A common duty of care is imposed to lawful visitors
• Duty on those who are in occupation/control the premises is to take such care as in all the circumstances of the case is reasonable to see that the visitor will be reasonably safe in using the premises

Question 23

Describe legislation relating to Asbestos

Answer 23

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012

Question 24

Name three types of asbestos

Answer 24

Brown (amosite), blue (crocidolite) and white (chrysotile) asbestos – all illegal since 1999

If left undamaged/undisturbed, poses no risk to health. If disturbed, an release very small toxic fibres which can lodge on the lungs and cause illness

Question 25

Describe asbestos surveys

Answer 25

Perform an assessment to manage the risks (find out if asbestos present, what type it is and assess its condition)
Then assess risk exposed from asbestos
If found we have two options – can leave in situ or remove it
If in poor condition: removal is important – asbestos removal is a licensed activity and must only be done by licensed contractor

Question 26

Describe difference between Hazard and Risks

Answer 26

• Hazard refers to anything that has the potential to cause harm whereas the risk is the probability that someone will be harmed

Question 27

Precautions when undertaking residential inspections

Answer 27

• Inspect in daylight hours
• Do not inspect alone
• Have phone charged and details of the inspection / contacts within work diary
• Notify members of team when back from inspection if not going back into the office