Inspection & H&S Flashcards
What are the signs of asbestos?
Asbestos is often hard to detect as asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) often look similar to non-asbestos materials.
But, certain materials and building features in older buildings (constructed before 1980s) are more likely to contain asbestos.
1 - Insulation - Often white or grey, with a fluffy or fibrous texture - Could appear around pipes, boilers, ducts.
2 - Textured ceilings - Often white, off-white or grey with a rough texture. When damaged and disturbed, the ceilings may become powdery or crumble.
3 - Asbestos cement - Corrugated
cement roofing - looks brittle and has a greyish rough surface.
4 - Pipe insulation - Looks like a soft, fibrous blanket and is often white or off-white. Commonly wrapped around pipes and heating ducts
What are the signs of contamination?
- Discoloured soil or ground - Oil or grease marks, dark patches, reddish-brown areas
- Standing water - Pools of stagnant or unusual water that may have an oil sheen, different colour or smell.
3 - Evidence of burnt or charred soil
4 - Unusual vegetation - Dead plants, stunted growth, unhealthy vegetation.
5 - Chemical smells - Could be a sign of petrol or gas
6 -Visible waste - Presence of industrial waste
7 - Past land use and surrounding land usage
Movement - talk to me about subsidence and heave.
Subsistence - the vertical downard movement of a building foundation caused by the loss of support of the site beneath the foundation.
Heave - expansion of the ground beneath. Could be caused by tree removal.
Signs: Horizontal cracking in brickwork.
Water - talk to me about water damage
Damp.
Wet rote - Caused by damp and timber decay. Signs include wet and soft timber, a high damp meter reading, visible fungal growth and musty smell.
Dry rot - caused by fungal attack. Signs include fungus, (mycelium spreads across wood in fine and fluffy white strands. Other signs include a strong smell, red spores, cracking paintwork).
Rising damp stomps around 1.5m above ground level.
Condensation caused by lack of ventilation and background heating. Signs include mould and streaming water on inside of window or walls.
Damp can also be caused by leaking plumbing/air conditioning/pipework.
Contamination - what are the 3 types of survey
Phase 1 - Desktop
Phase 2 - Identification of nature and extent of contamination with detailed soil samples taken.
Phase 3 - Remediation report setting out remedial options with design requirements.
Deleterious materials
Materials that can degrade with age causing structure problems.
For example -
Reinforce autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) - Can degrade overtime and used in many buildings between 1960 and 1990.
High Illumina cement
Woodwool shuttering
Calcium chloride.
What are the types of asbestos.
Blue - Crocidolite
Brown - Amosite
White - Chrysolite
What is the key legislation relating to asbestos and what steps must be taken?
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
Criminal offence to not comply
Duty holder must undertake a risk assessment.
Work undertaken must be done be licensed contractor.
Asbestos register must be produced and regularly updated.
Newly constructed buildings must have an architect’s signature to confirm no asbestos present.
What is included in a risk assessment?
- Identify the hazards present
- Identify the people at risks from the hazards eg. employees, contractors, visitors
- Evaluate the risk, considering the likelihood and severity of any accidents. Existing precautions in place should be identified and evaluated.
- Record the findings on a suitable form
- Review the risk assessment regularly.
- Advise all those affected of the outcome of the risk assessment and methods of work and precautions to minimize or eliminate risk.
What is the ‘safe person’ concept?
An individual who assumes individual behavioural responsibility for their own, their colleagues’ and others health and safety while at work.
What does the Health & Safety at Work 1974 act relate to?
Duty of the employer to ensure as reasonably practicable the health and safety at work for all employees.
What are the ‘Six Pack’ of H&S Regulations?
- Management of Health and 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 is the role of the ‘Six Pack’ of H&S Regulations?
Introduced in 1993 and covers various key aspects of health and safety compliance.
Clarify how employers must comply with their duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
What is a method statement?
A document that details the way a work task or process is to be completed and prior approved.
Should outline hazards involved and include a step by step guide on how to do the job safely.
Must also detail which control measures have been introduced to ensure the safety of anyone who is affected by the process.
What RICS document is in relation to health and safety?
RICS Professional Standard: Surveying Safely - Health and Safety principles for property professionals, 2nd edn, 2018.
What does the RICS Professional Standard: Surveying Safely outline?
Sets out basic, good practic principles for the management of health and safety for RICS-regulated firms and RICS members.
What is the structure of RICS Professional Standard: Surveying Safely, 2018?
- Personal responsibilities for RICS members and firms
- Assessing hazards and risks
- Workplace health and safety
- Occupational hygience and health
- Visiting premises and sites
- Fire safety
- Residential property surveying
- Procurement and management of contractors
What are the key areas of advice in the RICS Professional Standard: Surveying Safely, 2018?
RICS Regulated Firms must ensure they provide:
- A safe working environment
- Safe work equipment
- Safe systems of work
- Competent staff
Other areas of advice
- Safe person concept
- Ensures people take responsibility for their actions and have the tools to do their job safely.
- Requirement for up-to-date personal and corporate responsibilities for property professionals
- Legal considerations and duties - for employers and employees to include advice on asbestos.
- Advice on health, well-being and mental health
- How to address fire safety
- An audit template is provided to assist members.
What are some key bits of information included in RICS Professional Standard: Surveying Safely, 2018?
- Importance of assessing hazards and risks (risk assessments)
- Occupational health
- Visiting premises - travel arrangements, lone working, PPE
- Tell someone where you are going and when you leave the building/site
- Wear appropriate PPE
- Sign in and out of buildings/construction sites.
- Consider whether safe to inspect alone.
- Check dated tag if going on scaffolding.
- Wear non-slip shoes when going on a ladder.
Who policies the Health & Safety at Work 1974, as amended?
Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Criminal offence with fines and/or imprisonment
What are some of the requirements under Health & Safety at Work 1974, as amended?
- Must report injuries and dangerous occurrences
- Must undertake, record and regularly review a risk assessment
- Detailed H&S information is to be held on site usually in Operations and Maintenance manuel.
What is hazard and what is a risk?
A hazard refers to anything that has the potential to cause harm (such as a wet floor)
The probability/likelihood that someone will be harmed is called a risk
Any legislation in relation to PPE?
PPE at Work Regulations 2022
-Extends the employers duty to ensure the provision of appropriate PPE for employees and contractors to include even those in casual employment
- Could include cleaning, security, construction works for instance.
What is a risk assessment?
A systematic process of evaluating the potential risks that may be involved in a projected activity or undertaking.
Legal requirement for organisations employing more than 5 staff to carry out document health and safety risk assessments of all their significant hazards.
