Work Equipment

Question 1

What do the letters SWL stand for?
A: Safe working level
B: Satisfactory weight limit
C: Satisfactory working limit
D: Safe working load

Answer 1

Right Answer: D

Machinery and accessories for lifting loads should
be clearly marked to indicate their safe working
loads.

Question 2

Who should operate plant and equipment on site?
A: Only people over 18 years of age
B: Trained and authorised employees only
C: An employee holding a full driving licence
D: Any experienced employee

Answer 2

Right Answer: B
Never operate plant or equipment unless you have
been trained and are authorised to do so.

Question 3

What hazard is created when the head of a cold
chisel ‘mushrooms’?
A: Reduced striking area
B: Softens the impact
C: Flying steel splinters
D: Damage to the hammer head

Answer 3

Right Answer: C
This question is looking for the ‘hazard’, which is
the situation that can cause harm to people.

Question 4

Any damaged equipment must be:
A: Reported to your supervisor
B: Thrown away immediately
C: Labelled as “damaged” before use
D: Locked up so no one can use it

Answer 4

Right Answer: A
It is essential that supervisors are aware of faulty or
damaged equipment.

Question 5

The electric drill you are about to use has a faulty
on/off switch. What action should you take?
A: Try and fix the fault
B: Find another machine and carry on working
C: Stop work and inform your supervisor

D Tape the switch on to keep it running and
carry on working

Answer 5

Right Answer: C
It is essential that supervisors are aware of faulty or
damaged equipment.

Question 6

The power hand tool you are about to use has burn
marks visible on the cable. What should you do?

A: Tape over the affected area and continue
B: Tell your supervisor about the defect and do
not use the tool
C: Obtain another machine and carry on, but don’t tell anyone
D: Carry on and gel the job done

Answer 6

Right Answer: B
It is essential that supervisors are aware of faulty or
damaged equipment.

Question 7

Your supervisor asks you to use a powered hand-tool
which has a rotating blade. You notice that the guard
is missing from the blade. What do you do?

A: Use the tool anyway, you haven’t had an
accident with it before
B: Inform your supervisor that the tool is unsafe
and that the guard must be replaced before it is used
C: Try to make an improvised guard yourself
D: Contact the manufacturer of the tool

Answer 7

Right Answer: B
It is essential that supervisors are aware of faulty or
damaged equipment.

Question 8

Hand and power tools must be:

A: The best that you can buy
B: Made available when needed
C: In the company’s colours
D: Suitable for the task and regularly inspected

Answer 8

Right Answer: D

Tools must not create a risk to the user or others.
This means they must be suitable and kept in good
condition. This requires inspection before use.

Question 9

When should visual checks of portable hand-held
equipment be made by the user?

A: When a replacement is needed
B: Monthly
C: Weekly
D: Each time it is used

Answer 9

Right Answer: D
The user needs to be satisfied that the tool has no
obvious defect before use.

Question 10

What precaution should you take before adjusting an
electrical tool?

A: Check the lead is not twisted or knotted
B Wear safety footwear with steel toecaps
C: Disconnect from the power source
D: Wear the correct personal protective
equipment

Answer 10

Right Answer: C
Do not adjust tools which could still be live or
operate.

Question 11

An electric drill is to be used. Before use, who should
carry out a check on the tool?

A: Storeman
B: Electrician
C: Foreman
D: User

Answer 11

Right Answer: D
The user needs to be satisfied that the tool has no
obvious defect before use.

Question 12

What action should you take if an electric drill cuts
out while you are using it?

A: Shake it about a bit
B: Put it back into the tool box
C: Switch the power off and on
D: Remove it from use and tell your supervisor

Answer 12

Right Answer: D
The drill may be faulty. If so, tell your supervisor
and remove the drill from service.

Question 13

If an electric drill gives off blue smoke from the
motor, you should:

A: Pour water over it
B: Use a CO2 extinguisher
C: Switch it off and report it
D: Stop work for 30 minutes

Answer 13

Right Answer: C

Defective electric hand tools must not be used.
Stop what you are doing and inform your
supervisor.

Question 14

How often should user (visual) checks be carried out
on portable electrical equipment?

A: Every time you use it
B: Every day
C: Once a week
D: At least once a year

Answer 14

Right Answer: A

All items of portable electrical equipment should be
visually checked for safety by the user before being
put into use.

Question 15

What is the preferred nominal voltage for portable
hand lamps for general use on construction sites?
A: 110 volts
B 150 volts
C: 230 volts
D 400 volts

Answer 15

Right Answer: A
no volt reduced low voltage systems are strongly
preferred for the supply to such equipment.

Question 16

What is the preferred nominal voltage for portable
hand tools on construction sites?

A: 12 volts
B: 24 volts
C: 170 volts
D: 230 volts

Answer 16

Right Answer: C
no volt reduced low voltage systems are strongly
preferred for the supply to such equipment.

Question 17

What is the preferred nominal voltage for local
lighting up to 2 kW on construction sites?

A: 55 volts
B: 110 volts
C: 400 volts
D: 230 volts

Answer 17

Right Answer: B
no volt reduced low voltage systems are strongly
preferred for the supply to such equipment.

Question 18

What is the recommended maximum voltage for
portable hand lamps when working in confined or
damp locations?

A: 50 volts
B: 170 volts
C: 230 volts
D: 400 volts

Answer 18

Right Answer: A

Where the environment is damp, or restricting and
conductive, the magnitude of any electric shock will
be higher than under normal conditions. Hand lamps
in such locations should therefore be supplied from a
SELV (separated extra-low voltage) system, i.e.
having a maximum voltage of 5o volts and which is
electrically separated from earth.

Question 19

If you only have a mains voltage (230 V) hand drill
and you want to use it on a construction site which
only has yellow (no V) socket-outlets, what should
you do?

A:Use a transformer to boost the voltage
B: Cut the plug off and fit a yellow one instead
C: Obtain a no V drill or a cordless one for the
D: make up a extension cable with yellow plug on one end a standard socket on the other end

Answer 19

Right Answer: C
Electrical equipment must not be modified or
operated at voltages other than their design voltage.

Question 20

What is most commonly used to reduce 230 volts to
110 volts on site?

A: Residual current device
B: Transformer
C: Circuit breaker
D: Step-down generator

Answer 20

Right Answer: B

A transformer, usually coloured yellow, will
transform 230 volts (mains voltage) down to a
relatively safe 10 volts.

Question 21

When using an extension cable reel, which of the

following statements is correct?

A: Leave as much as possible coiled up on the
reel
B: Uncoil it fully every time
C: Do not exceed the reeled or unreeled rating
as appropriate
D: Only uncoil what you need

Answer 21

Right Answer: C

The rating of a partially unreeled extension cable is
much lower than when fully unreeled. Overheating
of the cable will occur if the rating is exceeded. Care
should also be taken to prevent extension cables
becoming a tripping hazard.

Question 22

If an extension cable is to be run across a site road,
what action should you take?

A: Throw wooden boards over it
B: Place a rubber protection ramp over it and
put up a sign stating ‘Ramp Ahead’
C: Don’t do anything to protect the cable
D: Lay the cable over wooden boards

Answer 22

Right Answer: B

It is essential that the cable is protected from
damage caused by passing traffic. A sign will warn
road traffic of the ramp.

Question 23

To operate a powered hand tool you must be:
A: 16 years old or over
B 18 years old or over
C: 21 years old or over
D Trained and competent

Answer 23

Right Answer: D

There are no general age restrictions in legislation
relating to the use of work equipment. Any person
using work equipment, however, must be
competent to do so, which will require initial and
refresher training.

Question 24

If you are about to use a power tool and discover the
guard is missing, you should:

A: Make up a temporary guard yourself
B: Use the tool but try to work quickly
C: Not use the tool until a proper guard has
been fitted
D Use the tool but work carefully and slowly

Answer 24

Right Answer: C

Visual checks should be carried out before using
equipment. Any faults should be reported
immediately and rectified before use.