HEALTH & SAFETY JC

Question 1

What is the CSCS?

Answer 1

The construction skills certification scheme. The cards certify that the holder has the appropriate training, experience and qualifications for their work (in particular in relation to health and safety).

Question 2

What is the CDM regulations 2015?

Answer 2

Construction design management regulations 2015 are intended to ensure health and safety issues are properly considered during a project’s development so that the risk of harm to those who have to build, use and maintain structures is reduced.

Question 3

What were the changes in the 2015 regulations?

Answer 3

• Structural simplification of the regulation to make them easier to understand
• Replacement of the CDM Co-ordinator with a new role of ‘principal designer’
• Removing the exemption for domestic clients, but passing their CDM duties to the contractor.

Question 4

What was the reason for removing the CDM coordinator?

Answer 4

. The reason for the change is to give responsibility for CDM during the design phase to an individual that has the ability to influence the design. The role of principal designer is analogous to that of the principal contractor during the construction phase.

Question 5

Who are the other duty holders under the CDM regulations?

Answer 5

Clients.
Designers.
Principal contractors.
Contractors
Workers.

Question 6

What duty holder do you fall under in the CDM regulations?

Answer 6

Designer.

Question 7

What is a designers duties under the CDM Regulations?

Answer 7

Designers need to: Make clients aware of their duties. Prepare or modify designs. Provide design information. Co-operate with other duty holders. When do a designer’s duties apply? The duties apply as soon as designs which may be used in construction work in Great Britain are started.

Question 8

What is the Health and safety at work act 1974?

Answer 8

The Primary piece of legislations covering occupational health and safety in the UK.
Lays down wide-ranging duties on employers. Employers must protect the ‘health, safety and welfare’ at work of all their employees, as well as others on their premises, including temps, casual workers, the self-employed, clients, visitors and the general public. However, these duties are qualified with the words ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’.

Question 9

What is the Health and Safety Executive?

Answer 9

The HSE carry out inspections and investigations into breaches of H and S. They take enforcement action to prevent harm and hold those who break the law to account. Other duties are to raise awareness, provide advice, operate permissioning and licencing.

Question 10

What is COSHH 2002?

Answer 10

Control of substances hazardous to health is the law that requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health. You can prevent or reduce workers exposure to hazardous substances by:

• finding out what the health hazards are; deciding how to prevent harm to health (risk assessment)providing control measures to reduce harm to health;
• making sure they are used ;
• keeping all control measures in good working order;
• providing information, instruction and training for employees and others;
• providing monitoring and health surveillance in appropriate cases;
• planning for emergencies.

Question 11

What is RIDDOR 2013?

Answer 11

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.
RIDDOR is the law that requires employers, and other people in charge of work premises, to report and keep records of:
-work-related accidents which cause deaths
-work-related accidents which cause certain serious injuries (reportable injuries)
-diagnosed cases of certain industrial diseases; and
certain ‘dangerous occurrences’ (incidents with the potential to cause harm)

Question 12

What asbestos survey would you undertake prior to demolishing an existing building?

Answer 12

A Refurbishment and Demolition Survey.

Question 13

What does a Refurbishment and Demolition Survey do?

Answer 13

It should identify all asbestos containing materials within an existing building.

Question 14

What other surveys do you know that relate to asbestos?

Answer 14

Asbestos Survey.

Question 15

How do you dispose of Asbestos Waste?

Answer 15

• It should be placed in suitable packaging to prevent fibres being released.
• It should be sent to a licensed disposal site.

Question 16

Does the RICS publish any guidance on Health and Safety for a Surveyor?

Answer 16

Yes, Surveying Safely

Question 17

What is covered in surveying safely?

Answer 17

1. Personal and Corporate responsibilities.
2. Legal Considerations and duties.
3. Assessing Hazards and risks.
4. Occupational Health.
5. Visit premises and sites.
6. Procurement and Management of contractors and construction work

Question 18

What are the requirements for a project to be notified to the HSE?

Answer 18

• Over 500 person days.
• Over 30 working days and over 20 operatives on site at any one time.

Question 19

What should you do if attending a derelict site by yourself?

Answer 19

1. Carry out a pre-assessment of the likely hazards on the site.
2. Consider how you are going to travel to and from the site.
3. Take the appropriate PPE
4. Tell others you are going to site and the likely time you will return.
5. Assess the condition of the site, if unsafe do not enter.
6. Assess if the site is occupied, if so you may have to inform them of your visit.
7. Is there the likeliness of any Dangerous substances, COSHH etc.
8. Only enter if there is no risk to your safety and wellbeing.

Question 20

On your project described within your case study, how measures did you or your company take to ensure good standards of Health and Safety where adhered to when undertaking work?

Answer 20

My role was only pre-contract however there was a CDM principal designer appointed who was carrying out the health and safety plan. I was considered a designer.

Question 21

What are your client’s responsibilities under CDM?

Answer 21

• Provide pre–construction information to designers.
• Appoint PD and PC with suitable Skills, Knowledge and Experience and ensure they comply with their duties.
• Ensure Construction Phase HandS Plan in place prior to works staring.
• Retain Health & Safety File.

Question 22

What does RICS Surveying safely tell you?

Answer 22

Guidance on principles for health and safety practices for those engaged in the built environment and property industry. This includes
-personal responsibilities for RICS members
-corporate responsibilities for RICS regulated firms.
- assessing hazards and risks
- Occupational hygiene and health
- Visiting premises or sites
- Fire safety
-

Question 23

What did you learn on your site induction?

Answer 23

NAME?

Question 24

Whos duty is it to issue an F10?

Answer 24

According to CDM 2015, issuing F10 is client responsibility.

Question 25

When does the CDM end?

Answer 25

From conception until demolition.

Question 26

If a project is not notifiable what is still required?

Answer 26

If your project is non-notifiable, you still must comply with all the other duties under CDM 2015, the only difference being you don’t have to complete the F10 notification form.

Question 27

What document has been produced by the HSE regarding health and safety?

Answer 27

Leading health and safety at work in 2007, which recommends leadership actions for directors and board members. It is also applicable to partners of organisations. All board members or partners should take the lead in ensuring the communication of health and safety duties and benefits throughout the organisation.

Question 28

When must employers have a written health and safety policy?

Answer 28

Where 5 or more employees are employed, employers must have a written safety policy statement.

Question 29

What are organisational responsibilities under surveying safely?

Answer 29

• selection: everyone having, or being capable of
developing, the job skills and competence to meet the
demands of their work activities
• training: including providing knowledge about the
potential hazards in a working environment
• information: providing staff with information about
the risks and control measures associated with their
working environment. This information may be generic
in nature or it may relate to specific sites
• equipment: providing staff with equipment that is
suitable for the purposes for which it is intended, and
everyone understanding its use and limitations
• safe systems of work: these ensure that work
activities are undertaken safely

Question 30

What are individual responsibilities under surveying safely?

Answer 30

• performance: being competent to perform their
work safely (including understanding the limits of their
competence (skills, knowledge and experience))
• control: being able and prepared to work within
accepted or designated systems of work
• adaptability: being able to recognise and adapt to
changing circumstances at all times
• vigilance: remaining vigilant, at all times, for their own safety and that of colleagues and others
• awareness: being able to recognise their own abilities and limitations and
• teamwork: being an effective member of a team.

Question 31

Describe your firms health and safety policy.

Answer 31

• Sharing safety moments
• Dont walk by policy (fix any error you see, eg. holding handrail).
• Comply to all HASAW act and all regulations

Question 32

How do you ensure your personal safety when you are going out to meetings?

Answer 32

Your answer should consider matters such as

• using a call back system;
• letting others know where you are going, who you are meeting and when you will be back;
• taking a mobile phone with you;
• parking nearby and following your instincts.

Question 33

How does the HASAW Act comply to the construction industry?

Answer 33

NAME?

Question 34

When a spanner fell and you reported, what should have the site manager done?

Answer 34

The site manager would need to report this as an incident and speak to the operatives making sure an incident like this doesn’t happen again.

Question 35

What are the 3 main types of asbestos?

Answer 35

• Chrysotile (White)
• Amosite (Brown)
• Crocidolite (Blue)

Question 36

What legislation is related to H&S?

Answer 36

• Health and safety act 1974
• Management of Health and Safety at work Regulations 1999
• Construction (Design and Management) 2015 Regulations

Question 37

Are you qualified to tell the site foreman what firefighting should be in place?

Answer 37

I was just enquiring as to the programme for installing the fire fighting equipment.
I have been on many construction sites as both a QS and as an asbestos analyst and was always told that no question in relation to H&S is off limits to ask anyone regardless of the hierarchy in place.

Question 38

Would you be liable if they followed you orders and there was an issue?

Answer 38

They were not orders. I was just questioning the site programme for installing equipment that was available on site and is important for H&S purposes. The site induction stated that fire fighting equipment was on every floor so I was surprised not to see any available. It has always been encouraged on all sites I have attended to ask questions in relation to H&S if something doesn’t seem right.

Question 39

When is a construction project ‘notifiable’?

Answer 39

A construction project is notifiable if the construction work is expected to:

last longer than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers working at the same time at any point on the project or
exceed 500 person days

Question 40

Does the 30 working days/500 person days on site include weekends, bank holidays etc?

Answer 40

Every day on which construction work is likely to be carried out should be counted, even if the work on that day is of a short duration. This includes holidays and weekends.

Question 41

Who should notify a project?

Answer 41

The client has the duty to notify a construction project. In practice however, the client may ask someone else to notify on their behalf.

Question 42

What are the regulations in relation to Asbestos?

Answer 42

• Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH)
• Health and Safety at Work etc Act
• Construction Design and Management Regulations (CDM)
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations