Health & Safety Flashcards
Stats
Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace deaths and life-limiting injuries.
British Safety Council - 40 workers lost their lives falling from height in the UK in 2023
What are fall protection systems?
The name given to the group of equipment, components and systems used to arrest (stop) a fall from height and are used to protect those workers working at heights.
Include:
- Fall arrest systems (designed to protect the user after a fall and reduce the distance a worker falls e.g. harness and anchor point)
- Fall restraint systems (stop falls from happening e.g. harness & anchor point)
- Passive systems (stationary and don’t require personal equipment e.g. guardrails, netting and stairrails)
- Collective fall protection systems (protect more than one person from falling - dont require workers to wear harnesses or restrictive working lines, or any specialist training)
UK Work at Height Regulations (2005)
State the minimum health and safety requirements for the use of equipment.
What is the hierarchy of fall protection?
- Eliminate the risk wherever possible
- If it cannot be eliminated, guard the hazard (e.g. collective fall prevention measures)
- If this is not viable, protect the worker using personal protection systems to minimise the consequences should a fall occur.
What are the CDM Regulations (2015)?
Construction Design & Management Regs
The CDM Regulations are intended to ensure that health and safety issues are properly considered during a project’s development so that the risk of harm to those that have to build, use and maintain structures is reduced.
CDM Regs apply to all building and construction works
Domestic clients are not generally required to carry out their duties as these are passed to other duty holders e.g. contractors
What are the duties of the Principal Designer under the CDM Regs?
- Plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety (pre-con)
- Identify, eliminate or control foreseeable risks
- Ensure Client and designers are aware of their duties and advise the Client on bringing together the pre-con information
- Provide relevant information to all duty holders
- Liaise with Principal Contractor in the planning management, monitoring and coordination of the construction phase
What are the duties of the Client under the CDM Regs?
- Appoint competent duty holders
- Allow sufficient time and resources
- Prepare and provide relevant information to duty holders
- Ensure that the Principal Designer and Contractor carry out their duties
- Ensure welfare facilities
What are the key implications of the regulations?
There is more focus for clients to put in place arrangements to ensure health and safety
Clients can no longer assign their legal responsibilities to agents
There must be a declaration of how long contractors will be given to plan and prepare for construction work
Clients are deemed to assume the role of principal contractor for any period during which other appointments aren’t made
What items would you expect to find in the pre-construction information?
A projects description
The Client’s considerations and management requirements for hoarding, welfare facilities, traffic restrictions and permits to work
Environmental restrictions and existing on-site risks such as site restrictions, previous H&S files, ground conditions, existing services, asbestos surveys, contamination and unsafe structures
Significant design and construction hazards such as design risks assessments, suggested method statements, arrangement for coordination post contract design work and changes
H&S file requirements
What would you find in the Construction Phase Plan?
A project description
Processes for management of the works including site inductions, training, communication, welfare facilities, design coordination, site rules and emergency procedures
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.
What would you find in the H&S file?
H&S information that is useful for the planning of future works or maintenance
This comprises:
- A brief description of the work carried out
- Any residual hazards which remain and how they have been dealt with (e.g. asbestos, surveys, contaminated land, buried services)
- Key structural principles e.g. bracing and sources of substantial stored 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
What is an F10?
A form used to notify HSE of the project
Should contain:
- Address of the construction site
- Name of the local authority where the site is located
- Brief description of the project and construction work it entails
- Contact details for the Client and Principal Contractor
- Should give an indication of the time allowed by the client for the PC to plan and prepare for construction work
- Should provide a planned date for the start of works, duration of construction phase and give a number of people at work on site at any time
What does RIDDOR stand for?
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013
Requires 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
What incidents are reportable?
Death and major injuries such as loss of consciousness or loss of a limb
Occupational diseases
Dangerous occurrences, e.g. explosions, hazardous substances, structural collapse or collision etc
Gas incidents
What does COSHH stand for?
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
The regulations aim to avoid exposure to hazardous substances, or if not possible, to control exposure by measures that are proportional to the health risk
Who do you inform that you are going on site?
Sign in the attendance register and report to the site office to make them aware of my presence
I ensure my own company is updated on my whereabouts
What does PPE stand for?
Personal Protective Equipment
What PPE would you wear when visiting a site?
Hard Hat
Boots
Goggles
Gloves
Hi-Vis
Ear defenders (if required)
Face mask (if required)
What does CSCS stand for?
Construction Skills Certification Scheme
What is a risk assessment?
A careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people so you can weigh up whether you have taken sufficient precautions or should do more to prevent harm
The law does not expect you to eliminate all risk, but you are required to protect people as far as ‘reasonably practicable’
What are the five steps to risk assessment?
1 - Identify hazards
2 - Decide who might be harmed and how
3 - Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
4 - Record your findings and implement them
5 - Review your assessment and update if necessary
What is the role of HSE?
To prevent work-related death, injury and ill-health
Provide support to the public and businesses with guidance, statistics and research
What are the powers of HSE?
Inspectors can visit site without notice, talk to workers, take pictures and samples
To issue written or verbal information and advise
Most inspections are planned to encourage good H&S practices
Some inspections are to respond to a complaint or follow up an investigation
To impose sanctions including stop and improvement orders
What is the RICS Surveying Safely publication?
What other guidance is available?
What is your company’s H&S policy?
The construction industry is notorious for accidents and death on site - what measures are there to prevent this occurring?
What is the considerate contractors scheme?
What is the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974?
If a Contractor is terminated what H&S measures need to be undertaken?
What legislation is in place to ensure H&S?
Health & Safety at Work Act 1974
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 2002
Working at Height Regs 2005
CDM Regs 2015
Building Safety Act 2022
Penalties under H&S Act 1974
Unlimited fine
Directors disqualified for up to 15 years
2 years in prison (or more for corporate gross negligence)
