Unit B Jan 2017 Exam Flashcards
Workers in a chemical plant are provided with gloves to protect against
the possible effects of the chemicals. In recent months, there has been
an increase in the number of hand and lower arm skin complaints among
the workers.
Outline possible reasons for this increase in skin complaints. (10)
- Misusing the gloves
- The gloves being faulty
- The gloves may not be suitable for the type of chemical being used e.g. using nitrile gloves on acetone.
- Workers are removing the gloves when performing certain tasks due to the gloves being too thick, thereby impairing grip and dexterity, exposing their skin to the chemicals e.g. when fastening bolts.
- The workers may be wearing gloves over sweaty hands over long periods of time may cause skin rashes and irritations.
- The workers may be using the gloves for periods longer than recommended, thereby exposing them to chemicals due to the wear and tear of the gloves.
- Lack of proper maintenance and storage of the gloves may result in their ineffectiveness, thereby exposing the workers to the chemicals e.g. storing them where there is direct sunlight thereby weakening the integrity of the material.
- The chemicals may be penetrating through the gloves through seams, pinholes and other imperfections in the material.
- The chemicals may be permeating through the gloves and onto the skin of the workers.
- The length of the gloves may be inadequate, e.g. forearms may be exposed thereby requiring gauntlets to be used instead of gloves.
- false sense of security caused by gloves that have been exposed to wear and tear.
Workers at a waste-water treatment plant are at risk of contracting
cryptosporidiosis.
(a) Explain how these workers might contract cryptosporidiosis. (4)
(b) Identify symptoms associated with cryptosporidiosis. (2)
(c) Outline specific control measures that these workers should use
to help reduce the risk of contracting cryptosporidiosis. (4)
(a) Explain how these workers might contract cryptosporidiosis. (4)
Cryptosporidiosis is caused by a protozoan parasite (cryptosporidium parvum) and is
found in water contaminated with human faeces in the sewers.
*It is transmitted by the hand-to-mouth route.
These particular workers could easily be in contact with contaminated water or
equipment.
(b) Identify symptoms associated with cryptosporidiosis. (2)
(c) Outline specific control measures that these workers should use
to help reduce the risk of contracting cryptosporidiosis. (4)
* hand washing with soap and water
* use of disinfectants
* use of suitable gloves and prohibition of
eating/drinking in work areas
*
A fire alarm engineer visits many customers’ premises during the working
day in order to check that fire alarm sounders are operating at the correct
sound level. The engineer does not wear hearing protection.
(a) Explain how the engineer may be at risk of hearing damage. (3)
(b) Explain how the engineer’s personal noise exposure should be
determined. (7)
(a) Explain how the engineer may be at risk of hearing damage. (3)
* the engineer would experience frequent but brief exposure to very loud noise that, over the course of time, could exceed legal limits and lead to hearing damage.
(b) Explain how the engineer’s personal noise exposure should be determined. (7)
*
A bus company operates a fleet of buses to provide transport for
passengers in a busy city. The bus driver is the only bus company
worker on each bus. Bus drivers are sometimes subject to violence.
(a) Outline why these bus drivers may be at an increased risk of
violence. (5)
(b) Outline practical control measures to help reduce the risk of
violence to these bus drivers. (5)
(a) Outline why these bus drivers may be at an increased risk of violence. (5)
(b) Outline practical control measures to help reduce the risk of violence to these bus drivers. (5)
Workers in carpentry workshops and sawmills may be exposed to
hardwood dust.
(a) Outline the risks to health from hardwood dust. (5)
(b) Identify types of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) that
could be used by the workers. (3)
(c) Other than providing RPE, outline control measures that should
be considered in order to protect those who are exposed to
hardwood dust. (12)
(a) Outline the risks to health from hardwood dust. (5)
(b) Identify types of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) that
could be used by the workers. (3)
(c) Other than providing RPE, outline control measures that should
be considered in order to protect those who are exposed to hardwood dust. (12)
Nurses working in a radiotherapy treatment facility use a liquid to treat
patients that contains an ionizing radioactive material. The liquid is prepared by the nurses before they administer it to the patients. After the treatment, they clean the area and equipment before disposing of any
remaining liquid.
(a) Outline how nurses could be exposed to the radioactive material while carrying out this work AND, in EACH case, identify the corresponding route of entry. (4)
(b) Outline practical control measures to help reduce the nurses’ exposure to the radioactive material while they are carrying out
this work. (16)
(a) Outline how nurses could be exposed to the radioactive material while carrying out this work AND, in EACH case, identify the corresponding route of entry. (4)
(b) Outline practical control measures to help reduce the nurses’ exposure to the radioactive material while they are carrying out this work. (16)
In deep underground mines there are high temperatures and high levels
of humidity. These conditions arise naturally from the surrounding earth as well as through mining processes.
(a) Identify specific health effects associated with working in these conditions. (2)
(b) (i) Explain how the working conditions can affect the health of the workers. (3)
(ii) Explain how the working conditions can affect the safety of the workers. (1)
(c) Outline practical control measures to help reduce the risks associated with working in an environment with high temperatures and high levels of humidity.
(a) Identify specific health effects associated with working in these conditions. (2)
(b) (i) Explain how the working conditions can affect the health of the workers. (3)
(ii) Explain how the working conditions can affect the safety of the workers. (1)
(c) Outline practical control measures to help reduce the risks associated with working in an environment with high temperatures and high levels of humidity.
Farmers, veterinary workers and sheep shearers often need to manually handle live animals such as sheep, pigs or goats as part of their work. In these situations the load is the live animal.
(a) Describe factors associated with the load that increase the risk of these manual handling activities. (4)
(b) Outline a range of other factors that should be considered when carrying out manual handling risk assessments in these situations. (6)
(c) Outline practical control measures that could be used in these situations to help reduce the risk of a manual handling injury. (10)
(a) Describe factors associated with the load that increase the risk of these manual handling activities. (4)
(b) Outline a range of other factors that should be considered when carrying out manual handling risk assessments in these situations. (6)
(c) Outline practical control measures that could be used in these situations to help reduce the risk of a manual handling injury. (10)
(a) Construction workers are at risk of developing hand-arm
vibration syndrome (HAVS).
(i) Outline factors that may increase this risk. (5)
(ii) Outline the steps of a health surveillance programme for
workers who are exposed to hand-arm vibration. (5)
(b) A construction worker has been off work for a period of time
suffering from HAVS and the employer’s occupational health
department wants to find out if they are fit to return to work.
(i) Outline the way in which symptom severity of HAVS is
classified using the Stockholm scale. (5)
(ii) Outline options that the occupational health department
can suggest to the employer if the occupational health
doctor decides that the worker cannot return to the work
that exposes them to vibration. (5)
(a) Construction workers are at risk of developing hand-arm
vibration syndrome (HAVS).
(i) Outline factors that may increase this risk. (5)
(ii) Outline the steps of a health surveillance programme for
workers who are exposed to hand-arm vibration. (5)
(b) A construction worker has been off work for a period of time
suffering from HAVS and the employer’s occupational health
department wants to find out if they are fit to return to work.
(i) Outline the way in which symptom severity of HAVS is
classified using the Stockholm scale. (5)
(ii) Outline options that the occupational health department
can suggest to the employer if the occupational health
doctor decides that the worker cannot return to the work
that exposes them to vibration. (5)
