Health and Safety - Summary of Experience Flashcards

1
Q

What does the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 say?

A

Places a duty on employers to ensure H&S and wellbeing of employees is not at risk including:

  • Providing and maintaining equipment
  • Safe systems of work and safe premises
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2
Q

How do you ensure you comply with the requirements under the 1974 act?

A
  • Undertake, record and regularly review risk assessments
  • Keep detailed H&S information on site
  • Report injuries or dangerous events
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3
Q

Is it a criminal offence to breach the 1974 Health and Safety Act?

A

Non-compliance can result in significant penalties from HSE:

  • Fines and imprisonment (£20k fine)
  • Organizations and individuals can be held liable for breaches
  • No maximum limit on fines
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4
Q

Who enforces the 1974 act?

A

HSE inspectors - Have powers to enter workplaces, investigate accidents and issue improvement notices

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5
Q

What is the RICS guidance on Health and Safety?

A

RICS guidance note: Surveying Safely (2nd Edition, November 2018)
RICS professional standard: Surveying

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6
Q

What is the major legislation on H&S?

A
  • Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
  • Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
  • Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015
  • Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
  • Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
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7
Q

What do you understand within the RICS surveying safely professional standard?

A
  • Assessing hazards and risks
  • Workplace health and safety
  • Occupational hygiene and health
  • Visiting sites
  • Fire safety
  • Residential surveying
  • Procurement and contractor management
  • Personal responsibilities for RICS members and firms
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8
Q

Name a key point from RICS surveying safely

A

Introduced the safe person concept = each individual assumes individual behavioural responsibility for their own, their colleagues and others H&S while at work

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9
Q

Why are regular H&S inspections important?

A

Allows you to identify and hazards and risks to the tenants and general public

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10
Q

What legislation are you aware of in relation to asbestos?

A

Control of Asbestos Regulations (2012)

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11
Q

What are the penalties for breaching control of asbestos regulations 2012

A
  • 20k fine
  • up to 12 months imprisonment
  • more serious breaches can be escalated further
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12
Q

What is a risk assessment and why are they important?

A

Process of evaluating risks and assessing what has the potential to cause harm.

Important as they create awareness of the surrounding environment and who could be at risk

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13
Q

How do you mitigate hazards?

A

Carrying out risk assessments and put measures in place that reduce risk

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14
Q

What is the safe person concept?

A

Each individual assumes responsibility for their own, their colleagues and others’ H&S while at work

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15
Q

When did the RICS surveying safely become effective?

A

February 2019 - Both GN and PS

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16
Q

What is IOSH?

A

Institution of Occupational Safety and Health - Global organisation for H&S professionals

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17
Q

What did you takeaway from IOSH?

A

How to create a risk assessment, helping me better identify both risks and hazards within properties I manage

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18
Q

Are there any alternatives to IOSH?

A

NEBOSH - National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health

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19
Q

What are the steps to undertaking a risk assessment?

A

1) Identify hazard
2) Identify people at risk from hazard
3) Evaluate risk-likelihood-severity
4) Record findings (write up)
5) Continually review

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20
Q

What are RAMS?

A

Risk Assessment Method Statement (completed after risk assessment)

  • Contain details of hazard and guide to working around the hazard
  • Needs to be approved prior to work starting
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21
Q

Why are RAMS important?

A

Provides a guide on how to manage the risk that has been identified and how it can be worked around

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22
Q

What is the difference between a risk assessment and RAMS?

A

Risk assessment = identifying risk-likelihood-severity
RAMS = Shows how to manage the risk and work around it

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23
Q

How does your use of Meridian and Quooda ensure compliance of health and safety regulations?

A

Make sure GRA, FRA, Asbestos etc are up to date on there. Action any necessary works/measured to reduce hazards

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24
Q

Can you take me through the steps you undertook to ensure safety of the Foundry Lane site?

A

1) Went to site with PPE
2) Undertook risk assessment to assess the hazard
3) Assessed the severity and recognised the pallets were causing a fire and health and safety risk
4) Contacted the tenant to remove and reattended site to confirm

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25
Q

Tell me about your employer’s H&S policy?

A
  • Concentrating on the elimination of risks to persons and then on risk reduction, prevention of injury and loss due to damage
  • Identify and manage hazards
  • Work to safety standards: review and develop these continuously
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26
Q

What are your H&S duties as an individual surveyor?

A
  • Undertake risk assessments
  • Plan inspections (PPE)
  • Adhere to office health and safety (e.g. fire evacuation procedure, H+S training and lifting heavy items)
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27
Q

When was RICS surveying safely last updated? Tell me something that changed

A

Last updated in Nov 2018

  • Introduction of the safe person concept = each individual assumes individual behavioural responsibility for their own, their colleagues and others’ H&S at work
  • Greater emphasis on competence of individuals to use safe work equipment
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28
Q

What must regulated firms provide?

A
  • Safe working environment
  • Safe work equipment
  • Safe systems of work
  • Competent staff
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29
Q

What happened in the case of Suzy Lamplugh? Why is this important for surveyors?

A
  • Working as an estate agent and disappeared during the middle of the day
  • Relates to whereabouts - Lone working policy
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30
Q

What is personal protective equipment?

A

Equipment that is worn to prevent or minimize exposure to hazards

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31
Q

What health and safety regulation relates to fire escapes and safety?

A

Fire Safety Regulatory Reform 2005
Fire Safety Act 2021
Fire Safety Regulations 2022

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32
Q

What is a method statement?

A

Document detailing how to carry out work safely

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33
Q

What is public liability insurance?

A

Insurance that needs to be in place to cover you if a client or member of public claims to have been injured or their property damaged because of your business activities

34
Q

What is RIDDOR?

A

Reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations 2013

  • Events have to be reported if they are fatal, serious injury + certain industrial diseases
35
Q

When would you be required to report a RIDDOR incident?

A
  • Over 7 days of incapacitation of a worker
  • Must be reported to HSE within 15 days of the incident
36
Q

What PPE have you had to wear?

A

Inspection a warehouse/factory: hard hat, steel toe cap boots, safety glasses and high vis

37
Q

What type of H&S training have you had?

A
  • Legionella awareness
  • Asbestos
  • General H&S
  • Contractor management
38
Q

Who are the HSE?

A

Health and Safety Executive
- Responsible for maintaining, regulating and enforcing H and S in the UK

39
Q

What is a hazard?

A

Anything with the potential to cause harm

40
Q

What is a risk?

A

Probability/likelihood that someone will be harmed

41
Q

What must RICS firms provide under surveying safely?

A
  • Safe working environment
  • Safe working practices
  • Safe systems of work
  • Competent staff
42
Q

When is it a legal requirement for a firm to produce a risk assessment?

A

All organisations with 5 or more staff

43
Q

What is a written health and safety policy document and when is it required?

A

For firms with 5 employees or more and contains:
- Policy setting out H&S commitment
- Details of H&S structure
- Workplace risk assessments
- Details of planning implementation of H&S policy

44
Q

What is the six pack of H&S regulations?

A

Introduced in 1992:
1) Managmeent of H&S at work
2) Display screen monitoring
3) Manual handling operations
4) PPE at work
5) Provision and use of work equipment
6) Workplace H&S welfare

45
Q

What is COSHH?

A

Control of substances hazardous to health regulations (2002)
- Regulation to not use prohibited substances unless required for certain circumstances

46
Q

What is the hierarchy of risk control?

A

Eliminate hazard
Substitute hazard
Engineering controls
Administrative
PPE

47
Q

What should you do if someone is injured at work and taken to hospital?

A

Report to responsible person and HSE

48
Q

What is a prohibition notice?

A

Notice served by HSE to formally stop activity right away

49
Q

What is occupational health and why is it important?

A

Maintaining the well being of employees and preventing and removing ill health
- Important to ensure health of those at work and maintain productivity

50
Q

What is Workman’s policy for permit to work?

A
  • Have to be suitably qualified to sign
  • Permits required for all high risk works identified in RA or RAMS
51
Q

What is asbestos?

A

Naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral - Hazardous material

52
Q

How many deaths are caused by asbestos annually?

A

5,000

53
Q

What are the types of asbestos?

A

Brown and blue - outlawed in 1985
White - outlaws in 199

54
Q

What are the health hazards of asbestos?

A
  • Asbestosis
  • Mesothelioma
  • Lung cancer
55
Q

What are the steps to controlling asbestos?

A

1) Assess asbestos and condition
2) assess risk
3) produce register
4) make register available
5) review register regularly

56
Q

What is an asbestos management plan?

A

Document outlining how asbestos will be managed to prevent harm

57
Q

What are the fines on asbestos?

A

20k fine or up to 12 years imprisonment

58
Q

What are construction (design and management) regulations 2015?

A

CDM regulations - Guide H&S for construction in commercial property
- Aim to improve H&S process by defining duty holder with varying levels of responsibility
- CDM file must be maintained - criminal offence if not

59
Q

What were the latest CDM regulations updates?

A

6th April 2015
- Simplified regulations
- CDM coordinator replaced by principal designer role
- Replacement of approved code of practice with more targeted practice

60
Q

When must HSE be notified of a project under CDM regulations?

A

Where construction project:
- Lasts more than 30 days
- Has more than 20 people working at same time
- Exceeds 500 person days

61
Q

What is a construction phase plan?

A

Document detailing health and safety risks associated with the construction phase of a project

62
Q

What precautions would you make when inspecting a dilapidated building?

A
  • Undertaking risk assessment
  • Ensure PPE
  • Understand who to call in event of accident
  • Consider whether safe to visit alone
  • Any site rules to follow
63
Q

What is the employers duty?

A

Duty of employer to ensure health and safety and wellbeing of employees

64
Q

What H&S procedures are undertaken in my office?

A
  • Existence of fire exits
  • Fire drills
  • Regular training sessions
65
Q

What are the five colours of fire extinguishers

A

Red - water
Cream - foam
Blue - dry powder
Black - CO2
Yellow - wet chemical

66
Q

What is legionnaires disease?

A

Potentially fatal pneumonia caused by legionella bacteria, which is found in stagnant water

67
Q

How do you catch legionnaires?

A

Breathing in droplets of water contaminated by the bacteria (20-45 degrees c)

68
Q

How do you combat legionella?

A
  • Identify and assess risk
  • Prepare action plan to control
  • Implement management
  • Keep records
69
Q

What poses most risk to legionella?

A

FROM: cooling towers, evaporative condensers, hot and cold water systems

70
Q

How do you prevent legionella?

A
  • Avoiding temps that favour legionella
  • Ensure no water stagnation
  • Avoid using materials that encourage growth
  • Keep water systems clean
71
Q

Tell me about key fire safety regulations?

A
  • Regulatory Reform - Fire Safety Order 2005
  • Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
72
Q

What were the updates to the fire safety regulations?

A

High Risk Building regs - subject to more stringent safety checks

73
Q

Tell me about the building safety act?

A

Building Safety Act came effective in April 2022 - After Grenfell
- Enhanced regulatory framework - Establishing building safety regulator
- Introducing accountable person and building safety managers (manage day to day safety)
- Focus on high risk buildings - over 18m in height
- Enhanced residents voice including safety committees
- Building Safety Act charge can be levied on leaseholders - distribution of cost

74
Q

What is LOLER?

A

Lifting Operations Lifting Equipment Regulations
- Places duty of people and companies who own operate and have control over lifting equipment

75
Q

How can asbestos be dangerous?

A

If it is damaged or disturbed it releases small particles which are harmful if inhaled

76
Q

How many properties contain asbestos?

A

Around 4m

77
Q

What are the 5 stages for the duty holder in managing asbestos

A

CRRAR (contain, risk, register, available, review)
- Asssess if premises contains
- Assess risk
- create register
- make register available
- review register

78
Q

What do you understand from the control of asbestos regulation?

A
  • Minimum standards for protecting employees from health effects of asbestos
  • Applies to non-domestic properties and places obligation on duty holder and employer

Requirements:
- Duty holder must complete risk assessment - obligation to manage risks and prepare plan
- All works must be completed by a licenced contractor
- Asbestos register must be completed and regularly updated
- All new buildings require a certificate that no asbestos present in the building

79
Q

Where is asbestos commonly found?

A
  • floor and ceiling tiles
  • corrugated roofs
  • insulation
80
Q

What is included in an asbestos managemnt plan?

A
  • Duty holder
  • Type/location
  • Plans for works / removal
81
Q

What are the LL and PM responsible for in H&S?

A
  • Depend on lease and who has responsibility
  • Employers have responsibility to provide safe area of work
  • Landlord/PM - common parts
  • If works being done - CDM/Asbestos
  • Defective Premises Act (1972)