Health and Safety Level One Flashcards
What is the HSE?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the national independent watchdog for work-related health, safety and illness. It acts in the public interest to reduce work-related death and serious injury across Great Britain’s workplaces.
Define what service the HSE provides to improve safety?
- The HSE is there to protect people’s health and safety by ensuring risks in the changing workplace are properly controlled.
- The HSE help businesses adapt to changes in occupational health and safety law and practice
How long do you need to keep H&S data for?
Technically forever, we need to keep data on long term illness such as Asbestos
What is a Construction Phase Health & Safety Plan (CPH&SP)?
Developed during the construction phase by the contractor, the purpose is to demonstrate how the building will be built from a safety perspective.
What are the key principles of COSHH?
COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) requires employers to prevent or reduce workers’ exposure to substances including:
- Chemicals
- Fumes, gases, vapours and mists (paint, glue, welding, cleaning agents)
- Dusts (asbestos, silica).
- Biological agents and germs
What is corporate manslaughter?
An organisation is guilty of a corporate manslaughter offence if the way in which its activities are managed or organised causes a person’s death and if this amounts to a gross breach of a relevant duty of care by the organisation to the deceased
What is the Considerate Constructor’s Scheme?
It is a non-for-profit independent organisation founded in 1997 to improve the image of the industry. It encounters contractors and their supply chain to implement best practice.
-Aims to promote construction
-Aims to deliver the best practice in terms of site operations (cleanliness of site etc).
-Voluntary effort
-Delivering standards and benefitting the surrounding neighbourhood and community.
What are the main assessment categories within the Considerate Constructor’s Scheme?
There are 5 codes of considerate practice:
-Care about Appearance.
-Respect the Community.
-Protect the Environment.
-Care about Safety
-Value their Workforce
What is the biggest cause of long-term health issues in the construction industry?
Breathing in hazardous dust and fumes.
Historically, which type of accident kills the most construction workers?
Historically, which type of accident kills the most construction workers?
What is the minimum height of the main guard-rail on scaffolding?
950mm
The Beaufort Scale is important when working at height externally, what does it measure?
Wind Speed
When are visitors or works most likely to have an accident on a construction site?
When they first start on a new site.
When you last visited a construction site, what considerations did you five to your own health and safety?
- Preparing or contributing to method statements of risk assessments
- Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Adhering to the contractor’s site rules.
- Attending site inductions.
- Ensuring that health and safety was discussed at meetings
- Reporting any issues to site management
You are going to complete a site valuation on your own, what should you do before leaving the office?
- Advise my manager when I am going and who I am meeting, I would also suggest a time when I am due back to the office.
- Make the site manager aware of the visit and check I have the correct PPE
What H&S hazard have you come across on your projects?
- Impacting of site traffic movements
- Poor lighting
- Manual handling
- Slips / trips / falls
- Working at height
- Noise
What is a CSCS card?
- Construction Skills Certification Scheme
- Provides proof that individuals working on construction sites have the appropriate training and qualifications for the job they do.
- By ensuring the work force are appropriately qualified, the card plays its part in improving standards and safety on UK constructions sites.
What does PPE stand for?
Personal Protective Equipment
Can you give some examples of PPE?
- Hard Hat
- Gloves
- Hi-vis vest
- Steel toecap boots
- Eye protection
- Hearing protection
A member of the public has been injured by work activities and take to hospital for treatment. What should happen next?
The accident should be reported by the responsible person to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
The site has been issued with a prohibition notice by the HSE. What does this mean?
A prohibition notice normally requires the site to stop a particular activity straight away. The site must not resume activity until action has been taken to remove or control the risk.
What should you do first if you find an injured person on site?
- Assess the situation - do not put yourself in danger.
- Raise the alarm and call for help.
There has been a serious accident on site. When should an automated external defibrillator (AED) be used?
AEDs can save the life of someone having sudden cardiac arrest when the heart suddenly unexpectedly stops beating.
What does RAMS stand for?
Risk Assessment and Method Statement
What is a method statement?
A statement/methodology that details the way work will be completed. The method statement should outline the hazards involved and include a step by step guide on how to execute safely.
What is meant by risk assessment?
Identifying a hazard, measuring the risk and identifying the method of reducing the risk.
What is the hierarchy of H&S risk control?
Most effective 5 - least effective 1
5 - Elimination
4 - Substitution
3 - Engineering
2 - Administrative
1 - PPE
What do you do if you find asbestos on site?
- Stop work immediately and ensure the area is safe (nobody else can access).
- Report the matter to the Site Manager, there may be a requirement to notify the HSE.
- The asbestos will need to be tested by a competent contractor to identify the type.
What regulations are applicable to asbestos?
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
What are the 3 most common types of asbestos?
Crocidolite
- Blue fibres
Amosite
- Brown asbestos
Chrysotile
- Long, curly fibres
Name the different types of asbestos surveys available?
- Asbestos Management Survey - The purpose of the management survey is to manage asbestos containing materials (ACMs) during the normal occupation and use of premises
- Refurbishment/demolition survey - The R&D survey is required where the premises, or part of it, need upgrading, refurbishment, or demolition
Where is asbestos commonly found in older buildings?
- Cement gutters and downpipes.
- Corrugated roofs.
- Floor tiles.
- Ceiling tiles
- Insulated boards
- Lagging
- Textiles
- Soffits
What is an asbestos management plan?
An asbestos management plan is a crucial document designed to register and detail how asbestos will be manages in a property and what activities will be engaged to ensure people remain safe from asbestos exposure
What should the asbestos management plan include?
The plan must say who is responsible for what and should include:
- The party responsible for managing asbestos.
- The asbestos register identifying type and location etc.
- Plans for work on asbestos material
- The schedule for monitoring the materials’ condition
- Telling people about your decisions
How can asbestos be managed on site?
- Remove - eliminate the risk
Encapsulate - process of applying a protective later onto the asbestos containing material (ACM) which will contain asbestos fibres and provide some protection to the ACM from damage - Manage - set up an asbestos management plan
What are the main health hazards when somebody is exposed to asbestos?
- Asbestosis - a chronic lung disease that can cause shortness of breath, coughing and permanent lung damage
- Mesothelioma - a cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen
What should the asbestos management plan include?
The plan must say who is responsible for what and should include:
- The party responsible for managing asbestos.
- The asbestos register identifying type and location etc.
- Plans for work on asbestos material.
- The schedule for monitoring the materials’ condition.
- Telling people about your decisions
How can asbestos be managed on site?
- Remove - eliminate the risk
- Encapsulate - process of applying a protective layer onto the asbestos containing material (ACM)
- Manage - set up an asbestos management plan.
What are the main health hazards when somebody is exposed to asbestos?
- Asbestosis - a chronic lung disease that can cause shortness of breath, coughing and permanent lung damage
- Mesothelioma - a cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen.
When is an employer required to have a written H&S policy in the UK?
When they employ more than 5 people.
Are you aware of any other H&S Regulations that may be applicable to a construction project?
- Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- Construction (Design and Management) (CDM) Regulations 2015
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
- Working at Height Regulations 2005
What is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974?
- The basis of British health and safety law is in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- The Act sets out the general duties which employers have towards employees and members of the public and employees have to themselves and to each other.
- these duties are qualified in the Act by the principle of ‘so far as is reasonably practical’.
- The main requirement on employers is to carry out a risk assessment. Employers with five or more employees need to record the significant findings of the risk assessment.
What does RIDDOR stand for?
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.
Tell me about Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulation 2013 (RIDDOR)
RIDDOR puts duties on employers, the self-employer and people in control of work premises (the responsible person) to report certain serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences (near misses).
What are the key principles of Lifting Operations Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)?
- These Regulations (often abbreviated to LOLER) place duties on people and companies who over, operate, or have control over lifting equipment. This includes all businesses and organisations whose employees use lifting equipment.
- All lifting operations involving lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.
-LOLER also requires that al equipment used for lifting is fit for purpose, appropriate for the task, suitable marked and, in many cases, subject to statutory periodic ‘through examination’. - Records must be kept of all thorough examinations and any defects found must be reported to both the person responsible for the equipment and the relevant enforcing authority
What is the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005?
The regulations require employers to protect their employees from excessive levels of noise that could cause hearing damage. There are two main action levels for continuous noise:
- Lower exposure action value - daily or weekly noise exposure level of 80dB.
- Upper exposure action value - daily or weekly noise exposure level of 85dB
