Health & Safety

Question 1

Why is knowledge of health and safety important for a Chartered Surveyor?

Answer 1

• To protect the Clients Interests
  
  • ​2m exclusion zone for socially distancing measures
  • No meetings to take place if need be.
• To protect yourslef physically
  
  • ​Wear masks
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Keep that space
• To protect yourself mentally
  
  • ​Mental awareness
  • Talk to people by phone or zoom or something similar
• To protect people who work for you
  
  • ​Have a duty to protect employees
  • Work in a safe environment
• To protect people who work on projects
  
  • ​If you work on sites
  • Site Health and Safety rules
  • Sometime inductions and a video brief prior to being allowed on site
• A duty of care to protect the public
  
  • ​A duty to protect the public
  • Also to protect the vulnerable
  • May need additional assiistance for elderley
• To protect your companies interests (avoiid being sued) - may also apply to you
  
  • ​Any negligence can lead to court cases.

Question 2

What is the health and safety legislation in the UK?

Answer 2

1. Health & Safety Executive (HSE) (in the UK) www.hse.gov.uk

Question 3

What types of legislation do we have as a surveyor to be aware of?

Answer 3

1. Control of asbestos regulations - Older buildiing prior to 2000 may contain asbestos
2. COSHH Electric/Gas Regulations - Workiing in and aroudn electricity, water gas
3. Work at Height Regulations -
4. Personal Protective Equipment at work Regulations - PPE especially now during Covid
5. CDM - Construction (Design and Management) Regulations

Question 4

1. What is CDM for?
2. When is project notifiable?

Answer 4

1. Improve health and safety in your industry
2. Have the right people for the right job at the right time to manage the risks on site
3. Focus on effective planning and manage the risk - not the paperwork

• ​Noitifiable Projects (F10 Form)
• 30 Working Days & 20+ workers

​or

• exceeds 500 person days

Question 5

Does the duty to manage asbestos affect me?

Answer 5

You are a ‘duty holder’ if

• You own the building
• You are responsiible through a contract or tenancy agreement
• There is no formal contract or agreement but you have control of the building
• In a multi occupied building, you are the owner and have taken responsibility for maintenance and repairs for the whole building

Question 6

What types of asbestos are there?

Answer 6

• Sprayed asbestos
  
  • ​​For fire protection in ducts and on structural steel. Fire breaks in ceiling voids eetc.
• Lagging
  
  • ​Thermal insulatiion for pipes and flues
• Insulation boards
  
  • ​Fire protections
  • Thermal insulation
  • Wall partitions
  • Ducts
• Asbestos cemenrt products
  
  • ​Roofing and wall cladding
  • Gutters
  • Corrugated sheets
  • Rainwater pipes
  • Water tanks
• Certain textured coatings
  
  • ​Decorative plasters
  • Paints
• Asbestos ropes and cloth
  
  • ​Gaskets
  • Insulation
  • Seals

Question 7

What are the three main forms of asbestos?

When was it banned in the UK?

Answer 7

• Blue - Crocidiolite - Banned 1985
• Brown - Amosite - Banned 1985
• White - Chrysotile - Banned 1999

Question 8

What is Legionella?

Answer 8

• Legionnaires Disease Water borne bacteria
• Present in a range of water systems

Code of Practice

• Like asbestos is a killer
• Present in Water
• Good management procedures
• Control
• Maintenance
• Risk management

Question 9

What guidance does the RICS produce on Health & Safety?

Answer 9

• RICS Guidance Note - Surveying Safely 2nd Edition November 2018

Question 10

What does the RICS document mean in connection to Personal Responsibilities for RICS Members and Corporate responsibilities for RICS regulated firms?

Answer 10

• Personal Responsibilities
  
  • ​Individuals have a responsibility to ensure that corporate Health & Safety policies and procedures are followed.
  • Alert someone if they are going to encounter an activity that could put them at risk.
  • Only act within your ability and training.
  • Use PPE where required especially during Covid
• Corporate Responsibiliites
  
  • ​Inform employees of the rules, policies and procedures
  • Provide support adn training where require to enable them to carry them out
  • Provide adequate PPE for employees especially during Covid
  • Having adequate employers liability and public liability insurance

Question 11

What does RICS mean by ‘Safe Person’ concept?

Answer 11

• That each individual is responsible for their own, colleagues and others health and safety whilst at work

Question 12

What are RICS firms obliged to do?

Answer 12

• Provide a safe working environment
• safe work equipment
• safe systems of work
• competant staff

Question 13

What does RICS guidance note of Health and Safety for residential property managers 1st edition cover?

Answer 13

• Sales and acquisitions
  
  • Agents have a duty to report any defects to potential purchasers and provide relevant certificates where necessary
  • Have a duty to ask vendors of any risks/hazards
  • Agent smay need to secure a property
  • Wearing appropriate PPE
  • Viewing only in daylight hours
  • Making sure For Sale boards are fixed sucurely
  • Considerations for lone workers - Suzy Lamplugh Trust
• Letting agents
  
  • Valid LGS Cert
  • Electrical PAT test
  • Electrical Wiring Certificate
  • Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
  • Fire and Furnishings Cert where necessary
• Letting property management
  
  • ​Tenant has a duty to report any problems immediatley
• Vacant Properties
  
  • ​Is the property derelict
  • Vermin within the property
  • Falling materials from dilapidated ceilings
  • Stability of floor surfaces ii.e. TSF is the floor rotten
  • Wiring may be bad so dont turn on electrics
  • Most likely no heating within the property
  • Has the property been broken into vandalised? Squatters etc?

Question 14

Compiling a risk assessment of every property inspection is paramount and what does it comprise?

Answer 14

1. Low Risk
   
   • ​​Working from Holme or Office
   • Visits to known offices
   • Visits to new build properties
   • Visits to known tenants/vendors
2. Medium Risk​​
   
   • Site Inspections with contracters
   • Regular journeys of driving less than 300 miles per day
   • Visits to unknown or unfamiliar tenants
   • Unaccompanied viewings
   • New vendor appointments
3. High Risk​​
   
   • Vacant sites/properties
   • Properties in remote locations which are vacant
   • Demolition sites or poor derelict properties
   • Lone working activites
   • Working at height

Question 15

What PPE items to you have/wear?

Answer 15

• Glasses
• Face Masks
• Disposable Gloves
• Disposable Shoe covers
• Hi Viz top
• Steel toe cap boots
• Hand Sanitizer
• Sanitizing wipes
• (First Aid Kit)