Questions Ive got wrong

Question 1

Identify one method of enforcing regulations that are available to the health and safety Executive:
A: Health notice
B: Improve notice
C: Obstruction Notice
D: Increasing insurance premiums

Answer 1

Right answer: B
Improvement notices require action to achieve standards which meet the health and safety law

Question 2

A Prohibition notice means:
A: When you finish the work you must not start again
B: The work must be stop immediately
C: Work is to stop for that day only
D: Work may continue until the end of the day

Answer 2

Right Answer: B
The work activity covered by the prohibition notice must cease, until the identified danger is removed.

Question 3

Who is responsible for signing a company safety Policy?
A: Site manger
B: Company Safety Officer
C: Company Secretary
D: Managing Director

Answer 3

Right Answer: D
The health and safety at work act requires the most senior of management to sign the health and safety policy statement.

Question 4

What is an “Improvement notice”?
A: A notice issued by the site principal contractor to tidy up the site
B: A notice from the client to the principal contractor to speed up the work
C: A notice issued by a Building control Officer to deepen the foundations
D: A notice issued by an HSE/local authority Inspector to enforce compliance with health and safety legislation.

Answer 4

Right Answer: D
Improvement notices require action to achieve standards which meet health and safety law

Question 5

Which of the following is advisable when lifting a load manually?
A: Keep legs straight, bend back, use power of legs
B: Bend the knees, keep the back straight, user power back
C: Bend the knees, keep the back as straight as possible use power of legs.
D: Keep legs and back straight use power of legs

Answer 5

Right answer: C
Stooping can increase the stress on the lower back. However, stooping slightly ay be preferable to adopting a squatting posture, which can place excessive loads on knees and hips

Question 6

What is the recommended limit for a compact load that can be safely carried by fit, male worker?
A: 50kg
B: 40KG
C: 20KG
D:25KG

Answer 6

Right answer: D
This figure is in HSE guidance and relates to lifting and lowering at elbow height

Question 7

What does “Kinetic lifting”mean?
A: Using a crane or some other mechanical means
B: Using a forklift truck or pallet truck
C: Lifting in the most safe and effective way
D: Getting a friend to help you with the load

Answer 7

Right answer: C

Question 8

Which would you consider to be generally correct when lifting a load?
A: Larger loads should be split into smaller loads if possible
B: Keep the load away from the body
C: when lifting you should ben your back
D: The feet should be together and the load lifted at arms length

Answer 8

Right answer: A
This is a recommendation in HSE guidance (INDG143)

Question 9

If a load has an uneven centre of gravity, how should you lift it?
A: keep the heaviest side of the load away from you
B: keep the heaviest side of the load on the strongest arm
C: keep the heaviest side of the load towards you
D: Keep the heaviest side of the load on the weakest arm

Answer 9

Right answer: C
There is less risk of injury if a weight’s centre of gravity is near the torso.

Question 10

Under RIDDOR, which one of the following must be
reported to the enforcing authority?
A: Accidents where the injured person wishes to
make a claim
B: Fracture other than to fingers, thumbs or
toes
C: All ‘near misses’ even if no one is hurt
D: All accidents causing any injury

Answer 10

Answer:B
This is one of a number of reportable ‘specified
injuries’ and must be reported to the enforcing
authority under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases
and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).

Question 11

What must an employer do with their accident
records following completion of a construction
project?
A: They are sent to the Health and Safety
Executive
B They are destroyed on site with other
non-essential documents
C: They are kept safe by the employer
D: They are sent to the employer’s insurance
company

Answer 11

Right Answer: C
Accident records must be kept by an employer for at
least three years.

Question 12

When a person is injured at work, who should enter
the details in the accident book?
A: The injured person’s supervisor
B: The injured person or anyone acting for them
C: The site manager or engineer
D: The site safety manager

Answer 12

Right Answer: B
This is the procedure for recording accidents
internally in the accident book (BI 510).

Question 13

If you are involved in a minor accident at work,
whose duty is it to report it to site management?
A: Any witness to the accident
B: The police, fire or ambulance who attend
C: It is your own responsibility
D: The site foreman should report it

Answer 13

Right Answer: C
Employers rely on employees to advise them of
occurrences at work.

Question 14

Under which of the following circumstances should
an accident be recorded in the site’s accident book?
A: When an accident causes damage to plant or
equipment
B: Only when a person is injured and will be off
work for more than seven days
C: When the injury is serious enough for first aid
to be needed.
D: When an accident causes injury to an
employee while at work

Answer 14

Right Answer: D
An accident causing an injury to an employee at work
should be recorded in the accident book (BI 510).

Question 15

Could making an entry in the accident book help you
if you later make a claim for compensation?
A: Only if it is a serious injury
B: No
C: Only in the event of a fatality
D: Yes

Answer 15

Right Answer: D
This is laid down in Social Security Legislation.

Question 16

Who should you report serious accidents to?
A: Your workmate
B: Your employer or supervisor
C: The police
D: The ambulance service

Answer 16

Right Answer: B
If the supervisor is aware of an accident he can take
steps to prevent a recurrence. The employer also has
legal duties to report certain incidents to the
enforcing authority.

Question 17

When working in dusty conditions, what of the
following would give the LEAST level of protection?
A: Compressed airline breathing helmet
B: Positive pressure powered respirator
C: Self contained breathing apparatus
D: Half mask dust respirator

Answer 17

Right Answer: D

Protection factors are given in HSE publication
HSGg3 ‘Respiratory protective equipment at work — A practical guide’

Question 18

What is the most important itern of personal
protective equipment (PPE) when working on or near
a highway?
A: Safety footwear
B Waterproof clothing
C: Hard hat
D High visibility vest

Answer 18

Right Answer: D

A high visibility vest is the most important of PPE
however, the other items of PPE may also be
required.

Question 19

If you are drilling into concrete with a masonry drill,
in which one of the following circumstances will you
need to wear eye protection?
A: Always
B: Only when drilling overhead
C: Only if the drill is bigger than 1omm
D: Not if drilling into the floor

Answer 19

Right Answer: A

Suitable eye protection must always be worn when
working with power-driven tools where chippings are
likely to fly or abrasive materials could be propelled

Question 20

What type of eye protection would you wear when
using a cartridge-operated tool, such as a nail gun?
A: Impact goggles
B: Sun glasses
C: Safety spectacles
D: Chemical protection glasses

Answer 20

Right Answer: A
When using a cartridge-operated tool, such as a nail
gun, shatter proof goggles should be worn.

Question 21

Which of the following statements is TRUE when an
employer issues personal protective equipment
(PPE)?
A: The employer can charge you for the full cost
of it
B: The employer cannot charge you for it
C: The employer can charge you for up to half
the cost of it
D The employer can only charge you for it if
you lose or damage it

Answer 21

Right Answer: B

Employers cannot charge for PPE such as hard hats,
gloves, required by law (and the bulk of PPE is
required by law).

Question 22

How would you recognise a hazardous substance?
A: By a symbol on the container
B: By its smell
C: The colour of the label on the container
D: It will be in a suitable container

Answer 22

Right Answer: A

A supplier of a packaged hazardous substance must
include a label on the packaging incorporating one
or more hazard symbols alerting users to the
dangers posed by the chemical.

Question 23

When an assessment of hazardous substances has
been carried out under the COSHH Regulations, the
risks and control measures should be explained to:
A: The operatives using the substance
B: All employees on site
C: The accounts department
D: The person in charge of the stores

Answer 23

Right Answer: A
All those working with the hazardous substances in
question need to know about any risks.

Question 24

Why is personal hygiene so important?
A: So you don’t smell
B: Because the COSHH regulations require it
C: To protect your own and others’ health
D: To stop you catching something nasty

Answer 24

Right Answer: C

Question 25

At or above what level of daily personal noise
exposure does an employer have to provide hearing
protection if it is requested by an employee?

A: go dB(A)
B: 95 dB(A)
C: 8o dB(A)
D: 85 dB(A)

Answer 25

Right Answer: C

This is one of the duties of employers under the
Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 when
the lower exposure action value of 8o dB(A) is
reached or exceeded.

Question 26

Hearing protection should be worn:
A: In designated areas
B In noisy internal areas only
C: At any workplace
D Only on building sites

Answer 26

Right Answer: A

Employees must wear hearing protectors when
exposed at or above the upper exposure action
values and within hearing protection zones.

Question 27

Which of the following would not reduce the risks
from hand-arm vibration when using a hammer-
action tool?
A: Selecting the lowest vibration tool that is
suitable and which can do the work
efficiently
B:Wearing gloves to keep the hands warm
C:Working as a team to share the work out
D:Making sure one person does all the work
with the tool

Answer 27

Right Answer: D

Where tools require constant or frequent use, rotas
will avoid individuals having long exposure to
vibration. The use of low-vibration tools and
keeping the hands warm in cold conditions will also
reduce the risks.

Question 28

If there had been a small fire, who should you report
it to?

A: Your supervisor
B: The main contractor’s site agent
C: The site’s fire marshal
D: The resident site engineer

Answer 28

Right Answer: A
The supervisor should be aware, so that further
preventative measures can be considered.

Question 29

What is a fire assembly point?
A: The place to go when the fire alarm sounds
B: A place where the fire brigade goes to
C: A place where fire extinguishers are kept
D: The place where the fire alarm is

Answer 29

Right Answer: A

It is essential that people go to a place of safety,
where supervisors or fire marshals know where they
are, in the event of a fire.

Question 30

A workmate burns their hand on a piece of very hot
metal. What should you do first?

A: Rub some cream or Vaseline into the burn
B: Cover the burn with something dry
C: Warn other people about the piece of hot
metal
D: Put their hand in cold water if it is available

Answer 30

Right Answer: D
Burns need immediate and sustained cooling

Question 31

How often should a first-aider qualified in First Aid at
Work (FAW) or Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)
receive retraining?
A: Every six months
B: Every two years
C: Every three years
D: Every four years

Answer 31

Right Answer: C

First Aid at Work (FAW) and Emergency First Aid at
Work (EFAW) certificates are valid for three years
and first-aiders are required to undertake retraining
at the end of this period. However, the HSE also
strongly recommends that first-aiders undertake
annual (half-day) refresher training.

Question 32

If you came across an injury on site, what is the first
thing you should do?
A: Tell the casualty to visit their doctor
B: Inform the HSE
C: Contact a first aider
D: Try and find out what happened

Answer 32

Right Answer: C
Competent first-aid treatment is essential, and
should be summoned immediately.

Question 33

An employee has a fall and is obviously unconscious.
What is the FIRST thing you should do?
A: Send someone for the first-aider
B Find out if there were any witnesses
C: Try to protect them from any further injury
D Put them in the recovery position

Answer 33

Right Answer: A
Competent first-aid treatment is essential, and
should be summoned immediately.

Question 34

What should you do immediately if you get a small
cut on a finger whilst at work?
A: Carry on working
B: Get first-aid
C: Ask your employer to report it to the HSE
D: Just wash it clean

Answer 34

Right Answer: B

It is important to obtain first-aid to prevent further
harm (e.g. through infection). It should also be
recorded in the accident book (BI 510).

Question 35

The purpose of fire-stopping in a building is to:

A: Prevent a fire starting
B: Delay the passage of fire and smoke through
openings in walls and floors
C: Activate fire sprinklers
D: Set off the fire alarm

Answer 35

Right Answer: B
Fire-stopping is a passive fire protection measure
used to seal any openings created in a fire-
resistance-rated wall or floor assembly, e.g. to
allow pipes or wiring systems to pass through.
During fire conditions this will impede the spread of
fire and smoke.

Question 36

Intumescent materials used to provide fire-stopping are designed to:

A: Expand when subjected to smoke
B Shrink when subjected to heat
C: Expand when subjected to heat
D Prevent noise transmission

Answer 36

Right Answer: C

A limited number of fire-resistant materials may be
used to provide fire-stopping. These include
intumescent products, which are designed to
expand and provide fire-stopping when subjected to
heat. Examples include intumescent ‘pillows’
{used to provide internal sealing of trunking) and intumescent mastic.

Question 37

How many people should be working on a ladder at one time?

A: One on each section of an extension ladder
B: One
C: Two
D: Three if it is long enough

Answer 37

Right Answer: B

Only one person should be working on a ladder,
although another person may be footing it, for extra
stability.

Question 38

Ladders should be:

A: In good condition
B: Tied or footed
C: Tied or footed AND at the right angle AND in
good condition
D AL the right angle

Answer 38

Right Answer: C
All the measures listed are required to reduce the
risk of falls

Question 39

When can you work from a ladder?

A: For short periods and then only if it is safe to
do so
B: When it is long enough
C: When it is available
D: When not being used for access

Answer 39

Right Answer: A

Ladders are primarily means of access, not
workplaces. They can be worked from, but only if
the use of other, more suitable, work equipment is
not appropriate and the task is of low risk and of
short duration.

Question 40

You have been asked to operate a cherry-picker
(mobile elevated work platform) when it is very
windy. What should your FIRST consideration be?

A: Wear a safety harness and clip it to the
structure that you are working on
B:Does the wind-speed make it unsafe to use
the machine
C: Wear an extra layer of clothing to keep warm
D: Tie all light-weight objects to the hand-rails
of the basket

Answer 40

Right Answer: B

The priority in safety is eliminating risk at
source - in this case by not working in dangerous
conditions - rather than trying to stay safe by using
protective equipment.

Question 41

When working on a roof that has fragile, clear-plastic panels, what is the best way of preventing falls through the panels?
A: Make sure that everyone is told where the
panels are and to avoid treading on them
B: Cover the fragile panels with a strong
material and secure the covers to stop them
being dislodged
C: Remove the panels carefully to leave an
open space.
D: It shouldn’t be necessary to do anything,
everyone knows the dangers

Answer 41

Right Answer: B

Protection from falling through openings and fragile
roof lights can be provided by barriers or with
covers which can be secured or labelled with a
warning.

Question 42

What is the best method of securing a ladder?
A: Tying it to a suitable point
B Using an effective ladder stability device
C: Wedging the ladder (e.g. against a wall)
D Having the ladder footed

Answer 42

Right Answer: A
Tying the ladder is the safest option, making sure
both stiles are tied.

Question 43

Of the following, which is the poorest method of
securing a ladder?

A:Securing the base of the ladder
Tying the ladder
B:Trying the ladder
C:Having someone foot the ladder
D:Using a ladder stability device

Answer 43

Right Answer: C

Footing a ladder is the last resort and should be
avoided. Other more suitable access equipment
should be used where practicable.

Question 44

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 44

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

Question 45

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 45

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

Question 46

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 46

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 47

Before entering an excavation to start work, it must
first be:

A: Inspected by a competent person
B: Covered over and left overnight
C: Filled with water then drained
D: Inspected by the HSE

Answer 47

Right Answer: A

Excavation work is hazardous. A competent
person, knowledgeable about how to reduce risks,
notably from collapse of the walls, must inspect the
excavation first.

Question 48

When do special precautions need to be taken when

working near overhead electric power lines?

A: Only if cranes etc. are being used
B: Only if someone could touch a line with their
bare hands
C: Only if plant has to pass under the lines
D: Whenever work areas will be near or beneath the lines

Answer 48

Right Answer: D

Actual contact with a power line is not necessary to
result in an electric shock as a close approach may
allow ‘flashover to occur. HSE publication GS6
gives advice on procedures to avoid such danger.

Question 49

In accordance with the Electricity at Work
regulations, when considering whether to work live a
responsible person should:

A: Carry out a risk assessment
B: Only work dead
C: Only work live
D: Do as the client demands

Answer 49

Right Answer: A
To identify and assess the risks involved and the
methods of controlling them.

Question 50

To prove a circuit or equipment is dead after isolation

what is the FIRST activity in the sequence of events?

A: Make sure equipment is not working
B: Check between line and earth
C: Check that the voltage detector is working on
a proving device, known live source or in-
built test feature
D: Check between line and neutral

Answer 50

Right Answer: C

This will prove that that the voltage detector (such
as a two-pole voltage detector or proprietary test
lamp) is working, i.e. indicating voltage.

Question 51

A residual current device is designed to operate in
the event of one of the following:

A: Overload
B: Earth fault
C: Lightning strike on the supply
D: Short-circuit

Answer 51

Right Answer: B
An RCD provides additional protection against the
risk of electric shock.

Question 52

An electrical Permit to Work is primarily a statement
that:

A: Someone else has taken responsibility for the
work
B: The circuit or equipment is live
C: Certain instructions need to be followed
D: The circuit or equipment has been isolated and is safe to work on

Answer 52

Right Answer: D

Permits to work describe the procedures that prevent
a major hazard, such as electricity or moving
machinery, from causing harm, usually by isolation
to effectively ensure (in the case of electricity) “dead’
working with no chance of it going ‘live’.

Question 53

The probes of voltage detectors and test instruments
used on electrical systems should be:

A:Manufactured in the UK
B: Accompanied by a calibration certificate
C: Shaped or have barriers to prevent finger contact with the tips
D: Coloured red

Answer 53

Right Answer: C

In addition, to protect against damage by overcurrent
whilst in use, the probes or instrument should
incorporate suitable high breaking capacity (hbc)
fuses with a low current rating (usually not exceeding
500 MA), or current-limiting resistors.

Question 54

The Electricity at Work Regulations require that:

A: Persons working with electricity must have
the appropriate level of knowledge and
experience
B: A training course is necessary before anyone
can work with electricity
C: Only electricians can work with electricity
D: Anyone supervised can work with electricity

Answer 54

Right Answer: A
Competency is a requirement of r.a6 of the EAW
Regulations.

Question 55

Which of the following should be used to prove a
circuit or equipment is dead after isolation?

A: A lamp holder with a length of flex attached
B: A proprietary test lamp or two-pole voltage
detector
C: A voltage stick
D: A multimeter

Answer 55

Right Answer: B

Accident history has shown that using incorrectly set
multimeters or makeshift devices for voltage
detection has often caused accidents. The use of
non-contact voltage indicators {voltage sticks) is also
not advised as the sole means of proving dead.

Question 56

Which of the following is not a suitable means of
isolating a circuit?

A: Removing a fuse and locking the distribution
board
B: Putting insulating tape over the circuit
breaker
C: Padlocking the isolating switch
D: Fitting a padlocked circuit breaker lockout

Answer 56

Right Answer: B

The isolating device should be switched off or the
fuse removed. The switch, circuit breaker or
enclosure should then be locked and the key
removed. A notice or label should also be posted to
warn that someone is working on the circuit or
apparatus.

Question 57

Which of the following work procedures on electrical
systems will always require a permit-to-work to be
issued?

A: Dead working on low-voltage systems
B: Live working on low-voltage systems
C: Dead working on high-voltage systems
D Live working on high-voltage systems

Answer 57

Right Answer: C

An electrical permit-to-work should state what circuit
or equipment has been made safe, how that has
been achieved and what work is to be done. A
permit should not, therefore, be used for live
working. Such a permit is always required for work
on high-voltage systems, but can also be used for
low-voltage systems.

Question 58

Optical fibre cable remnants should not be left lying
around on site because:

A:They can be hot and burn upon contact
B:Laser beams still exist in the cut pieces
C: They can pierce the skin or eyes
D: They are toxic

Answer 58

Right Answer: C

Fibre fragments can enter the bloodstream and
cause infections in the skin or eyes. All fibre waste,
particularly small pieces, should be placed in suitable
receptacles.

Question 59

Which of the following procedures should be used

when more than one person will be working on

circuits supplied from a distribution board which has

been switched off?

A: The use of a multi-lock hasp on the isolator
with a padlock for each operative
B: Blowing a horn before the power is switched
on again
C: Giving each operative a volt stick
D: Telling everyone what time the power will be
switched on again

Answer 59

Right Answer: A

A multi-lock hasp can be used to prevent operation
of the isolator until such time that all persons
working on the electrical installation have completed
their work and removed their padlocks from the
hasp.

Question 60

You are on site and you need to dispose of some
waste liquid that has oil in it and you are not sure
what to do with it. What should you do?

A: Dispose of it in a sealed container into the site
skip
B: Pour it onto the ground, it will soak away
C:Take it outside and set light to it
D: Ask your supervisor about the correct way to
deal with this waste.

Answer 60

Right Answer: D

Dealing with hazardous/special waste will include
proper storage and segregation before it is taken
away by an authorised waste carrier as required by
environmental legislation. An oil spillage could also
get into the ground or drains, which may also be an
offence under environmental law. Burning waste on
site is also an offence, under air pollution legislation,
and can lead to local complaints.

Question 61

Which of the following is classed as

hazardous/special waste?

A: Non-asbestos Insulation
B: Polythene and shrink wrap
C: Empty cement bags
D: Fluorescent light tubes

Answer 61

Right Answer: D

Hazardous wastes (special wastes in Scotland) are
specified in waste legislation. Fluorescent tubes are
included because of their mercury content.

Question 62

You need to clean up some oil that has leaked from

machinery onto the ground. What is the right way to do this?

A: Put the oily contaminated soil into the
general waste skip
B Put the oily contaminated soil into a suitable
container that takes hazardous waste
C: Put it under some off-cuts so that the oil
cannot be seen
D: Wash the oil away with water and detergent

Answer 62

Right Answer: B

Oil-contaminated wastes are classified as
hazardous/special waste in waste legislation. The
Hazardous Waste Regulations (Special Waste
Regulations in Scotland) require such waste to be
properly segregated or otherwise treated, and then
recovered or disposed of in an approved way.
Following the other options would be an offence
under waste legislation.

Question 63

From an environmental point of view, why should
materials be reused, where possible?

A: To save the client money
B: A lot of energy and raw materials go into
making most construction products
C: It makes less mess on site
D: It’s a European Union Law

Answer 63

Right Answer: B

Although reducing the amount of waste is the first
priority, the re-use of materials can also contribute to
effective waste management.

Question 64

If you have unused material left, what should you do
before you consider putting non-hazardous waste
items into a skip?

A: Make sure there is a label on it
B: Put it in a plastic bag and put it in a skip
C: Check whether someone else on your team can make use of it
D: Weigh it

Answer 64

Right Answer: C

Although reducing the amount of waste is the first
priority, the reuse of waste materials is much better
than disposal, which is the most expensive option
and which should be the last resort. Reuse is a
better waste management option than recovery.