IOSH MS All Common Hazards

Question 1

In all cases the manager should: 4

Answer 1

Be aware of the relevant hazards and corresponding controls; Ensure that staff understand the nature of the hazards and the reason for providing controls; Monitor the workplace to ensure that workplace precautions, risk control systems and management controls remain effective; and Lead by example, demonstrating expected behaviours.

Question 2

(1) Access and Egress The Health and Safety at Work Act places a general duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, a safe means of access to and egress from any workplace This covers the basic means of entering or leaving a workplace, be it an office, factory or construction site including the journey between the site access or staff car park and reception. The following will therefore require consideration: 8

Answer 2

Suitability of external lighting; Conditions of roads and pathways; Provision of signage; Safety of visitors; Safety of disabled persons; Protection of pedestrians from vehicles; Procedures for dealing with snow and ice; and Emergency situations. The general duty also applies to safe means of access to and from specific places of work within the general workplace, e.g. a confined space, work at height such as on a rooftop, or a work vehicle.

Question 3

(2) Aggression, Bullying and Violence The HSE has defined work-related violence as:

Answer 3

“any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work.”

Question 4

Effects of Workplace Violence For employers 4

Answer 4

Poor morale. Poor corporate image. Difficulty with staff recruitment and retention. Extra costs from absenteeism, higher insurance premiums and compensation payments.

Question 5

The first stage of a programme for managing workplace violence is

Answer 5

to determine whether or not there is a problem, and if there is to assess the level of risk.

Question 6

Managing Workplace Violence Control measures will usually involve a combination of measures to: 3

Answer 6

Improve the working environment; Designing the job to reduce risk; and Providing staff with appropriate information and training

Question 7

ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) has defined harassment, as

Answer 7

“unwanted conduct that violates people’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment;”

Question 8

ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) has defined bullying, as applied to sexual orientation, religion or belief and race and ethnic and national origin as:

Answer 8

“offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient.”

Question 9

The TUC (Trades Union Congress) has identified a number of bullying behaviours, including: 5

Answer 9

shouting at staff; deliberately excluding someone from work activities; blocking promotion; setting up someone to fail through unrealistic targets or deadlines; and regularly making someone the butt of jokes.

Question 10

CoSHH doesn’t cover lead, asbestos or radioactive substances because

Answer 10

these have their own specific regulations.

Question 11

What is a hazardous substance? 5

Answer 11

Any substance or mixture which is classified as dangerous for supply because it is very toxic, toxic, harmful, corrosive or irritant; Any substance which has a Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL); Any biological agents used at work; Any dust other than one with a WEL at a concentration in air above 10 mg/m 3averaged over 8 hours, or any such respirable dust above 4 mg/m 3 over 8 hours; or Any other substance that creates a risk to health because of its properties and the way it is used or is present in the workplace.

Question 12

Principles of Good Control Practice The CoSHH Regulations define the principles of good control practice for hazardous substances as follows: 8

Answer 12

1. Design and operate processes and activities to minimise emission, release and spread of substances hazardous to health. 2. Take into account all relevant routes of exposure. 3. Ensure control measures are proportionate to the health risk. 4. Choose the most effective and reliable control options to minimise the escape and spread of hazardous substances. 5. Where adequate control cannot be achieved by other means, provide, in combination with other control measures, suitable personal protective equipment (PPE). 6. Check and regularly review control measures to ensure their continuing effectiveness. 7. Inform and train all employees on the hazards and risks and the control measures developed to minimise the risks. 8. Ensure that the introduction of control measures does not increase the overall risk to health and safety.

Question 13

Hierarchy of Practical Control Measures COSHH 7

Answer 13

1. Eliminate the use of a harmful product or substance and use a safer one. 2. Use a safer form of the product, e.g. paste rather than powder. 3. Change the process to emit less of the substance. 4. Enclose the process so that the product does not escape. 5. Extract emissions of the substance near the source.6. Have as few workers in harm’s way as possible. 7. Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, coveralls and a respirator. PPE must fit the wearer.

Question 14

There are a range of ergonomic hazards associated with the use of desktop and laptop computer equipment, notably: 3

Answer 14

poor posture; repetitive keyboard use; and the distance between the user’s eyes and the screen.

Question 15

The main types of harm caused by computer use are:

Answer 15

Musculoskeletal disorders including back pain and work related upper limb disorders (WRULDS) (also known as repetitive strain injury or RSI); Visual fatigue; and Mental stress.

Question 16

Precautions The Display Screen Equipment Regulations require employers to: 5

Answer 16

Analyse workstations, and assess and reduce risks Ensure workstations meet minimum requirementsPlan work so there are breaks or changes of activity On request arrange eye tests, and provide spectaclesProvide health and safety training and information

Question 17

Workstation requirements 11

Answer 17

(1) Lighting (2) Contrast (3) Noise (4) Legroom (5) Window (6) Screen (7) Software (8) Keyboard (9) Work surface (10) Work chair (11) Footrest

Question 18

Electricity refers to

Answer 18

the energy made available by the flow of electric charge through a conductor.

Question 19

There are five major harms associated with the hazard of electricity:

Answer 19

Burns From contact with a live conductor. NB mains electricity (230V AC) can kill. Shock Arcing Arcing occurs when electricity flows through the air from one conductor to another. Arcing may cause burns or shock if a person is the second conductor or is close to the arc. Arcing produces intense heat which may cause a fire or explosion. Fire and Electricity could be the source of ignition in a potentially flammable or explosive atmosphere. Explosion

Question 20

There are many things that can be done to manage the risks from electrical equipment in the workplace: 5

Answer 20

Ensure that the electrical installation is safe Provide safe and suitable equipment Reduce the voltage Provide a safety device Carry out preventative maintenance

Question 21

Most electrical accidents occur because people are working on or near equipment that is: 2

Answer 21

thought to be dead but which is live; or known to be live but those involved do not have adequate training or n appropriate equipment, or they have not taken adequate precautions.

Question 22

Fire safety is managed through a process of risk assessment and management. A fire safety management system will typically have three lines of defence:

Answer 22

Fire prevention – measures to prevent fires starting in the first place; Fire protection – measures to protect people, the premises and contents from the effects of fire; and Emergency evacuation – systems to facilitate safe escape from a fire.

Question 23

Fire prevention Fire prevention measures look to eliminate, reduce, or effectively manage sources of: 11

Answer 23

Fuel: Combustible fixtures fittings and stored goods Highly flammable or explosive substances e.g. LPG Heat energy: Hot work Friction from mechanical parts Exothermic chemical reactions Lighting Electrical equipment Smokers materials Arson Oxygen: Oxidising chemicals Oxygen in cylinders

Question 24

Housekeeping is not just about cleanliness. It also includes: 4

Answer 24

keeping work areas neat and tidy; keeping walkways free of slip and trip hazards; keeping fire escape routes free of obstructions; and removing of waste materials (e.g., paper, cardboard) and other fire hazards from work areas.

Question 25

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations requires that: 3

Answer 25

a) Workplace floors be kept free from obstructions and from any article or substance that may cause a person to slip, trip or fall; b) walls, floors, furniture and fittings be kept clean; and that c) waste materials are not allowed to accumulate in a workplace except in suitable receptacles.

Question 26

Hazards from lighting effects 6

Answer 26

GlareColour effects Stroboscopic effects FlickerVeiling reflections Radiation

Question 27

Manual handling is defined as:

Answer 27

“the transporting or supporting of loads by hand or by bodily force”

Question 28

The Manual Handling Operations (MHO) Regulations require employers to: 3

Answer 28

avoid the need for hazardous manual handling, so far as is reasonably practicable; assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling that can’t be avoided; and reduce the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Question 29

A Manual handling risk assessment considers risk factors associated with 4

Answer 29

the Task, the Individual, the Load, and the Environment (remember TILE)

Question 30

The decibel scale is logarithmic in nature. This means that

Answer 30

a 10dB increase is actually 10x louder, so 80dB is 10x louder than 70dB; and a 3dB increase is a doubling in loudness so 73dB is twice as loud as 70dB.

Question 31

Permanent hearing damage can be caused in two ways:

Answer 31

Sudden, extremely loud, explosive noises, e.g. from cartridge-operated machines can cause immediate permanent damage. This is often referred to as blast deafness or acoustic trauma. Usually hearing loss occurs gradually because of prolonged exposure to noise. It may only be when damage caused by noise over the years combines with hearing loss due to ageing that people realise how deaf they have become. Tinnitus (ringing, whistling, buzzing or humming in the ears), may also be caused as a result of exposure to workplace noise.

Question 32

Noise Action Levels Lower exposure action value

Answer 32

80 dB(A) Provide information and training Make hearing protection available

Question 33

Noise Action Levels Upper exposure action value

Answer 33

85 dB(A) Take reasonably practicable measures to reduce noise exposure (engineering controls / technical measures Provision of mandatory hearing protection pending engineering controls and, where necessary, after engineering controls

Question 34

Noise Action Levels Exposure limit value

Answer 34

87 dB(A) This level must not be exceeded, taking hearing protection into account

Question 35

Control Measures Noise control strategies involve

Answer 35

controls at the source, the pathway and at the receiver.

Question 36

Control the noise at source 4

Answer 36

Replace the machine with one with lower noise emissions; Move the machine to an area with fewer employees; Ensure the machine is being properly maintained; and Modify parts of the machine, e.g. by replacing components with ones designed to operate more quietly: Isolate panels or add damping materials to them; Isolate the machine from the building with isolation mounts or isolated foundations; and Fit appropriate silencers to air inlets and exhausts.

Question 37

Control the path of the noise 4

Answer 37

Fit a suitably designed enclosure around a machine if it does not require ‘hands on’ operation; Provide a noise haven for employees supervising the operation of large machines where enclosing the whole machine would be difficult; Erect barriers or screens between different elements in the production process, separating quiet operations from noisy ones; and Add absorptive materials to the building to reduce reverberant noise (echoes).

Question 38

Control noise at the receiver 3

Answer 38

Positioning Position the worker further away from the source of noise (Doubling the distance can reduce the effect of the noise by 3 to 6 dB). Noise energy diminishes in accordance with the inverse square rule. Time With the exception of very loud noises (130dB+) it is the accumulated dose that causes hearing loss. Halving the time exposed will reduce the dose received by half (3dB). Personal Hearing Protection Personal hearing protection (PHP) should be provided quickly on discovering a risk to health due to noise. It is not an alternative to technical and organisational noise controls but a means of managing the immediate risk pending the development of other control measures. Longer term, it should be used where there is for additional protection beyond what has been achieved through noise control.

Question 39

slip / trip potential model which identifies the relative importance of the factors contributing to slips and trips. 6

Answer 39

EnvironmentFloor materials Contamination /obstruction UseBehaviourFootwear

Question 40

The HSE (2007) have defined stress as:-

Answer 40

“Stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them.”

Question 41

The Management Standards define the characteristics of an organisation where the risks from work-related stress are being effectively managed. The standards cover six primary sources of stress at work:

Answer 41

Demands – issues related to workload, work patterns and the work environment; Control – how much say the person has in the way they do their work; Support – levels of encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the organisation, line management and colleagues; Relationships – promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour; Role – whether people understand their role within the organisation and whether the organisation ensures they do not have conflicting roles; and Change – how organisational change is managed and communicated in the organisation. For each of the six sources of stress there are clearly defined standards and descriptions of desirable work conditions

Question 42

(13) Vibration Vibration occurs when

Answer 42

a body moves rhythmically back and forth through a fixed point.

Question 43

Hand Arm Vibration (HAV) Exposure Action Value (EAV) (above which employers are required to take action to control exposure)

Answer 43

2.5 m/s2 A(8)

Question 44

Hand Arm Vibration (HAV) (maximum amount of vibration an employee may be exposed to on any single day)

Answer 44

5 m/s2 A(8)

Question 45

(14) Welfare Facilities 4

Answer 45

Sanitary conveniences and washing facilities Drinking water Facilities for changing and accommodation for clothing Facilities for rest and to eat meals

Question 46

All work equipment should be: 3

Answer 46

suitable for the intended use, and for the conditions in which it is used; safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and, in certain circumstances, inspected to ensure this remains the case; and used only by people who have received adequate information, instruction and training.

Question 47

Risks, created by the use of the equipment, should be eliminated where possible or controlled by: 2

Answer 47

taking appropriate ‘hardware’ measures, e.g. providing suitable guards, protection devices, markings and warning devices, emergency stop buttons and personal protective equipment; and taking appropriate ‘software’ measures such as following safe systems of work for maintenance activities, and providing adequate information, instruction and training.

Question 48

Machinery hazards may be mechanical or non-mechanical. Mechanical hazards include: 5

Answer 48

entanglement, traps (crushing, shearing; and drawing in), impacts, contacts (friction or abrasion cutting or severing and stabbing or puncture) ejection (including high pressure fluid injection).(Remember – EnTICE).

Question 49

Machinery hazards may be mechanical or non-mechanical. Non-mechanical hazards include 5

Answer 49

chemical and biological hazards; electricity; dust and fumes; noise and vibration; fire and explosion.

Question 50

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) requires employers to protect workers from the dangerous parts of machinery by either:

Answer 50

preventing access to the dangerous part; or stopping the dangerous part from moving before a person can come close to it.

Question 51

PUWER also specifies a hierarchical approach to machine guarding which must be applied in order, so far as is practicable. 4

Answer 51

provide fixed guards (thus preventing access to the dangerous part); provide other guards (such as interlocked guards, adjustable or self-adjusting guards) or protection devices (such as light curtains, bump strips or two handedcontrols – to ensure the dangerous part stops moving before it is reached); and provide protection appliances (jigs, holders, push sticks – to distance the workers hands from the dangerous part). Employers are also expected to provide any information, instruction, training and supervision as required.

Question 52

‘Workplace transport’ refers to

Answer 52

any vehicle or piece of mobile equipment, used in any work setting, apart from travelling on public roads.

Question 53

A workplace transport risk assessment should identify all work activities involving vehicles. Activities may include: 6

Answer 53

arrival and departure; travel within the workplace; loading, unloading and securing loads; sheeting; coupling; and vehicle maintenance work

Question 54

The workplace transport assessment should consider hazards associated with 3

Answer 54

VehicleWorkplacePeople

Question 55

Control measures for maintaining thermal comfort include: 6

Answer 55

Appropriate timing – if the temperature fluctuates between comfortable and uncomfortable; Climate control by air warming, cooling or conditioning; Local heating, cooling or ventilation equipment; Suitable thermally protective clothing; Rest facilities with means for warming or cooling; and Work planning (e.g. task rotation) to limit the time that individual workers are exposed to uncomfortable temperatures.

Question 56

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 state that a place is ‘at height’ if

Answer 56

a person could be injured falling from it, even if it is at or below ground level.

Question 57

Investigations show that the causes of fall from height accidents are usually attributable to poor management control rather than equipment failure. The most common factors involve failure to: 6

Answer 57

recognise a problem; provide safe systems of work; ensure that safe systems of work are followed; provide adequate information, instruction, training or supervision; use appropriate equipment; and provide safe equipment.

Question 58

Employers are required to do all that is reasonably practicable to prevent anyone falling. This is achieved through ensuring that:

Answer 58

all work at height is properly planned and organised; those involved in work at height are competent; the risks from work at height are assessed and appropriate work equipment is selected and used; the risks from fragile surfaces are properly controlled; and equipment for work at height is properly inspected and maintained.

Question 59

There is a simple hierarchy for managing and selecting equipment for work at height: 3

Answer 59

avoid work at height where it can be avoided; use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls where working at height cannot be avoided; and where the risk of a fall cannot be eliminated, use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall should one occur.