Health & Safety (Good Questions) Flashcards
What can you tell me about the RICS Guidance Note - Surveying Safely - Health and Safety Principles for Property Professionals (2018)?
The guidance note:
- Sets out basic, good practice principals for the management of health and safety for RICS firms and members.
- Seeks to ensure that individuals accept responsibility for their own actions and have the tools to do their job.
- Requirement for up-to-date personal and corporate responsibilities for property professionals.
- Legal considerations and duties (e.g asbestos).
- How to address fire safety.
- Advice on health, well-being and mental health.
- States firms must ensure they provide: SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT / SAFE EQUIPMENT / SAFE SYSTEMS OF WORK / COMPETENT STAFF
The structure of the document is:
- Personal responsibilities for RICS members and firms.
- Assessing hazards and risks
- Workplace health & safety
- Occupational hygiene and health
- visiting premises and sites
- Fire safety
- Residential property surveying
- Procurement and management of contractors
What does RICS Guidance Note - Surveying Safely (2018) cover?
The guidance note:
- Sets out basic, good practice principals for the management of health and safety for RICS firms and members.
- Seeks to ensure that individuals accept responsibility for their own actions and have the tools to do their job.
- Requirement for up-to-date personal and corporate responsibilities for property professionals.
- Legal considerations and duties (e.g asbestos).
- How to address fire safety.
- Advice on health, well-being and mental health.
- States firms must ensure they provide: SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT / SAFE EQUIPMENT / SAFE SYSTEMS OF WORK / COMPETENT STAFF
ALSO COVERS:
- Assessing hazards and risks (including risk assessments, H&S policy etc)
- Property professionals places of work (including building services and emergency arrangements)
- Occupational health
- Visiting premises and sites (lone working, PPE, travel arrangements)
- Signing in and out of a building or a construction site and receive a site induction (wear PPE)
- Procurement and management of construction work
How is the Surveying Safely document structured?
The structure of the document is:
- Personal responsibilities for RICS members and firms.
- Assessing hazards and risks
- Workplace health & safety
- Occupational hygiene and health
- visiting premises and sites
- Fire safety
- Residential property surveying
- Procurement and management of contractors
What is the RICS concept of a safe person?
The concept means that an individual assumes responsibility for their own, their colleagues and others health and safety while at work.
The concept seeks to ensure that individuals accept responsibility for their own actions and have the tools they need to do their job safely.
What areas of advice does Surveying Safely (2018) cover?
The guidance note:
- Sets out basic, good practice principals for the management of health and safety for RICS firms and members.
- Seeks to ensure that individuals accept responsibility for their own actions and have the tools to do their job.
- Requirement for up-to-date personal and corporate responsibilities for property professionals.
- Legal considerations and duties (e.g asbestos).
- How to address fire safety.
- Advice on health, well-being and mental health.
- States firms must ensure they provide: SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT / SAFE EQUIPMENT / SAFE SYSTEMS OF WORK / COMPETENT STAFF
ALSO COVERS:
- Assessing hazards and risks (including risk assessments, H&S policy etc)
- Property professionals places of work (including building services and emergency arrangements)
- Occupational health
- Visiting premises and sites (lone working, PPE, travel arrangements)
- Signing in and out of a building or a construction site and receive a site induction (wear PPE)
- Procurement and management of construction work
What does the Health & Safety At Work Act 1974 cover?
FIRMS have a ‘’ DUTY TO EVERY EMPLOYER TO ENSURE, AS FAR AS REASONABLY PRACTICABLE, THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE AT WORK OF ALL EMPLOYEES ‘’
- Firms must report injuries and dangerous occurrences (1995 Regulations)
- Firms must undertake, record and regularly review a risk assessment (1999 Regulations)
- Detailed H&S information is to be held on site.
What is a hazard?
Hazard refers to anything that has the potential to cause harm (E.G A WET FLOOR)
What is a risk?
The probability / likelihood that someone will be harmed is called a risk (i.e the risk of falling over on a wet floor)
What is your understanding of the PPE at Work Regulations 2022?
- Extends employer’s duty to ensure provision of appropriate PPE for employees and contractors, to include even those in casual employment.
- This includes cleaning, security and construction workers.
What is a risk assessment?
- Legal requirement for organisations employing more than 5 staff to carry out a documents health and safety risk assessment of all their significant hazards.
A simple outline is:
- Identify Hazards present
- Identify the people at risk from the hazards
- Evaluate the risk and existing precautions in place.
- Records the findings on a suitable form.
- Review the risk assessment regularly.
- Advise all those affected of the outcome of the risk assessment and precautions in place to minimise or eliminate risk.
What is in a risk assessment?
- Identify Hazards present
- Identify the people at risk from the hazards
- Evaluate the risk and existing precautions in place.
- Records the findings on a suitable form.
- Review the risk assessment regularly.
- Advise all those affected of the outcome of the risk assessment and precautions in place to minimise or eliminate risk.
What is a method statement?
- Document detailing the way a task or process is to be completed and prior approved.
- Should outline hazards and provide step by step guide on how to do job safely.
- Must detail control measures introduced to ensure the safety of anyone affected by task or process.
When is a written health and safety policy document required? What must it include?
Required for employers if they employ more than 5 employees
MUST CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING FOUR POINTS:
- Policy setting out the organisations COMMITMENT to H&S
- Details of the organisations H&S STRUCTURE, with roles and responsibilities for organising H&S
- a RISK ASSESSMENT setting the risks within the workplace and the preventative measures in place.
- Details of the PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION of the H&S policy and control measures.
What are the ‘‘SIX PACK’’ of H&S Regulations? Why and when were they introduced?
Introduced in 1993 to clarify how employers must comply with their duties under H&S at Work Act 1974
- Management of Health & Safety at Work
- Display Screen Equipment
- Manual Handling Operations
- Personal Protective Equipment at Work
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment
- Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare
What does RIDDOR stand for?
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
What does RIDDOR stand for and what does it cover?
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
- Trigger date for reporting injuries is over 7 days incapacitation
- Injuries must be reported to HSE within 15 days of accident
- Employers must keep record of all 3-day + injuries
- Information to be kept in an accident book which must be kept for a minimum of 3 years after an occupational accident or injury?
How long does information need to be kept in an accident book?
- Minimum of 3 years after an occupational accident or injury
Who polices the H&S at Work Act 1974?
Policed by H&S Executive as a criminal offence
Fines and /or imprisonment.
What does the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 cover?
- Covers gross breaches of a duty of care by a corporate body leading to a persons death.
- Penalties range from an unlimited fine, imprisonment and disqualification as a company director.
What is your understanding of Fire Risk Management Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005?
- Based on a risk assessment with emphasis on fire prevention.
- Applies to non-domestic property in England and Wales
- Must be fire precautions in place following risk assessment.
- Reasonable fire precaution measures could include: Fire detection and warning alarm system / Fire-fighting equipment / Safe exit routes / a personal emergency evacuation plan, emergency lighting and signage / suitable fire exit doors.
- Highlights a need for good record keeping / risk assessment / fire policy / fire procedures / staff training.
- Responsible person is defined as the employer / occupier who controls the property / owner if vacant.
What is your understanding of the Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety Regulations 2022?
- Followed Hackitt Review (2018)
- Came into effect January 2023
- Amends the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The ACT:
- Applies to all premises in England and Wales
- Requires Fire Risk Assessments to be regularly updated
- Requires responsible person to assess, manage and reduce fire risks posed by external walls / structure / common areas of the building.
- Allows Fire Service to take enforcement action against responsible persons who fail to comply
- Additional mandatory requirements for blocks over 11m and over 18m
- Regular inspections of lifts to be reported to fire and rescue services.
- Ensuring evacuation plans are regularly updated and personal evacuation plans for residents whose evacuation abilities are compromised.
- Ensures residents are provided with suitable fire safety instructions.
- Ensuring individual flat entrance doors comply with current standards where external walls have unsafe cladding.
What does EWS stand for?
External Wall Systems - many of these have been found to be unsafe following the Grenfall fire.
What is an EWS1 form?
- Form that enables a ‘‘qualified professional’’ to confirm that an EWS on residential building has been assessed for safety, in line with government guidance.
- Introduced by UK government and mortgagors to enable valuation of tall residential buidlings
- Can be used on residential properties of all heights except for hotel.
RICS PROVIDES INTERACTIVE DECISION TREE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE EWS1 FORM REQUIRED.
What type of residential building can an EWS1 form be used for?
- Flats
- Student accommodation
- Assisted living and care homes
- HMO’s
- Mixed use blocks
CAN’T BE USED FOR HOTELS
What does EWS1 criteria consider?
- Height of the building
- Type and cladding, and amount of cladding
- Presence of balconies and combustible material.
How long are EWS1 forms valid for?
5 years
What is your understanding of the Building Safety Act 2022?
- Legislation is aimed at enhancing regulations for building safety and ensuring residents have a stronger voice in ensuring safety in buildings.
- The legislation implements elements of the Hackitt Review to provide a new system to oversee the built environment.
- Regulated by local enforcement agencies and national regulators.
- Strengthens:
- The accountability and duties for those responsible for the safety of high rise buildings.
- Residents ability to contribute to safety
- enforcement to deter non-compliance
- A national framework to ensure the suitability of construction materials
- the requirement for new build developers to belong to a New Homes Ombudsman Scheme
- Act was granted royal assent in April 2022 with provisions coming over the next two years.
Key Provisions:
1. Introduces Building Safety Regulator to oversee safety and standards. (BUILDING SAFETY REGULATOR = BUILDING CONTROL BODY)
2. Golden thread of information is required for higher risk buildings.
3. Mandatory occurrence report is required for higher risk building
4. New high rise buildings must be registered before occupied.
5. Further provisions are still to be introduced.
6. HSE is responsible for verifying building works to ensure they meet building regulations.
7. HSE provides completion certificate.