Section A Questions Deck 8

Question 1

Window cleaners frequently use extending ladders. They unload the ladders from the roof of their van, carry them to position and extend them to reach higher windows. When they have cleaned the windows, they load the ladders back on to the roof of the van before moving to the next location.

(a) Outline manual handling risk factors when using these ladders. (7)

You are not required to include any risks relating to working at height in your answer.

(b) The employer wants workers to store the ladders inside the van and not on the roof.

Comment on how this change could affect the manual handling risks. (2)

(c) Outline ONE change in working practice that could eliminate the manual handling risks from using extending ladders for the window cleaners. (1)

Answer 1

(a)

• Awkward posture or movements by reaching above head height and overreaching.
• It could be too strenuous where the Tasks may be very demanding if they must be carried out too frequently or for too long with insufficient rest or recovery time (e.g., continuous lifting or carrying for long distances)
• if the ladders are large, they could be heavy, bulky, or unwieldy.
• repetitive movements, especially if they involve the same joints and muscle groups, and if they involve high force exertions.
• The physical climate (temperature, humidity, and ventilation) may affect the risk of back injury. Heat makes you feel tired, and sweat makes it hard to hold tools, requiring more force. Cold can make your hands numb, making it hard to grip.
• The individual’s Experience, training, and familiarity with the job (for example, new episodes of low back pain are common in the first year of employment)

(b) This could both positively and negatively affect the manual handling risks, it could eliminate the need to reach overhead to get the ladders down from the roof, however, could also create new risks where the access and storage within the vehicle could be restricted.
(c) normally the use of an extended brush and hose system or a MEWP.

Question 2

(a) Outline TWO considerations to help ensure that lighting is adequate and appropriate in the workplace. (2)
(b) Identify THREE symptoms associated with visual fatigue. (3)

Workers in a large open-plan office with windows and artificial ceiling lights carry out work using display screen equipment for a significant part of their working day. A number of workers are complaining that the lighting in the office is not suitable.

(c) Consider what features of the lighting in the office might have led to these complaints. (5)

Answer 2

a)

• Minimum light levels (lux levels) should be achieved; these are normally indicated by local code of practice or guidance.
• Natural light should be used in preference to artificial light.
• Lighting must be arranged to avoid reflections and glare that might dazzle or temporarily disable workers.

(b) Eyestrain is a common condition that occurs when your eyes get tired from intense use, such as while driving long distances, poor lighting or staring at computer screens and other digital devices.

• Symptoms include:
• Sore, tired, burning, or itching eyes.
• Watery or dry eyes.
• Blurred or double vision.
• Headache.
• Sore neck, shoulders or back.
• Increased sensitivity to light.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Feeling that you cannot keep your eyes open.

(c)

• The display screens are positioned in such a way that the ceiling lighting creates glare and reflections on display screens that could cause eyestrain.
• The best light temperature for offices is between 3500 Kelvin and 5500 Kelvin. Anything above 5500K is just too blue and anything below 3500K will make employees less productive. So, it’s possible that the lighting in the office does not fall within the 3500 to 5500 Kelvin range.
• Light flicker can cause headaches, eye strain and general eye discomfort.
• Poor maintenance (Replacing of light bulbs, cleaning of light fixtures) on the lighting could shadows and poor lighting in the office.
• The amount of light, the colour of the light itself and the colour that objects appear vary with the type of electric lighting. The lighting must match the workplace and the task.

Question 3

An organisation operates a call centre to handle customer service enquiries. The call centre operates between 08:00 and 20:00, seven days a week.

Outline the potential causes of stress to call centre workers for EACH of the UK Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE’s) Management Standards below:

(a) demands; (4)
(b) support; (2)
(c) relationships. (4)

Answer 3

a) Demands -

• the organization is not providing employees with adequate and achievable demands in relation to the agreed hours of work, as the work hours are excessive.
• people’s skills and abilities are not being matched to the job demands
• jobs are not designed to be within the capabilities of employees
• employees’ concerns about their work environment are not being addressed

(b) Support -

• the organisation has might not have policies and procedures to adequately support employees
• there may be no systems in place to enable and encourage managers to support their staff

(c) Relationships -

• the organisation does not promote positive behaviours at work to avoid conflict and ensure fairness
• There may be no systems in place to enable and encourage managers to deal with unacceptable behaviour both from aggressive customers or fellow employees.

Question 4

A manufacturer’s data on vibration emission from equipment can be used to estimate the exposure of workers to hand-arm vibration (HAV). This manufacturer’s data is measured in a laboratory and can underestimate the actual vibration magnitude experienced by workers.

(a) Outline possible reasons for this difference. (2)
(b) Outline how vibration emission from a hand-held tool might be measured. (3)
(c) Outline the content of a training course for workers exposed to HAV. (5)

Answer 4

(a) Actual in-use vibration magnitude values measured can vary significantly from the values declared by the tool manufactures. In-use vibration is the vibration magnitude the operator experiences when the tool is running in a real work situation in a specific workplace. It depends not only on the vibration produced by the tool, but many other variables such as the condition and quality of the inserted tool, type of product, the state of maintenance of the power tool, the design of the process, the worker’s posture, and technique, etc.
(b) The first step is to determine the Vibration Magnitude in m/s² for each Tool, this can be done using An accelerometer that measures three axes, X, Y and Z. The second step is to determine the Exposure Duration, The Exposure Duration is not the overall time spent on a specific job, The Exposure Duration is only the trigger time during which the hands are actually exposed to vibration. The third step is to enter the data into a Hand-Arm vibration calculator. The calculator inputs are:

Vibration Magnitude – r.m.s. acceleration value in m/s² for each Tool.

Exposure Duration – total daily vibration contact time or “trigger time” for each Tool.

There will then be a calculation output giving the vibration emmsions.

(c)

• provide awareness on symptoms such as tingling and numbness in the fingers, not being able to feel things with your fingers. Etc.
• reporting defects and maintaining tools
• practical steps that can be taken to minimize and control the risks that HAV presents such as limiting time working with tools that have high vibration magnitude, wearing of gloves to warm the hands to aid circulation.
• the main hazards, applicable legislation, risk assessment, risk reduction measures and key responsibilities of the individual.