Health and safety

Question 1

What is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974? What are employers’ responsibilities under the Act?

Answer 1

• It is the primary / overarching piece of legislation for occupational H&S in the UK. - It sets sets out general duties which 1. Employers have towards employees and members of the public. 2. Employees have to themselves and each other. 3. Certain self-employed have towards themselves and each other.

Question 2

What are the CDM Regulations? What are a clients’ duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015?

Answer 2

• Regulations that ensure the health and safety issues are properly considered during a projects’ development so that the risk of
  harm to those who build, use or maintain structures is reduced.
• Clients do not have to take an active role in managing work as they are not always construction experts.
• Clients are required to make suitable arrangements for managing the health and safety on a project.
• Ensure that other duty holders are appointed (e.g principal designer on projects involving more than one designer).
• Ensure the roles and responsibilities of the project team are clear.
• Ensure that the people they appoint have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to manage health and safety.
• Ensure sufficient time and resources are allocated.
• Ensure relevant information is prepared and provided to the duty holders – e.g existing health and safety file and have the
  principal designer prepare PCIP and provide to designers and contractors.
• Ensure the principal designer and principal contractor carry out their duties under the regulations – must have PD prepare
  Health and Safety File where more than one contractor involved in the works.
• Client must ensure that a construction phase plan is drawn up before construction starts by the PD (for multiple contractor
  projects) which is based off the info given in the PCIP. On single contractor projects the contractor must draw up the CPP.
• Provide welfare facilities.
• Client has duty to submit an F10 (if applicable) before the construction phase begins. Or can have someone else do it on their
  behalf.
• If client fails to appoint a PD or PC they are required to carry out their duties under the regulations.

Question 3

What are the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012? What duties does the legislation place on the duty holder?

Answer 3

• Regulations impose legal duty on those who own, occupy and manage or have responsibilities for premises that may contain
  asbestos.
• The duty holder is the owner of the non-domestic premises or the person or organisation that has clear responsibility for the
  maintenance or repair of the non-domestic premises e.g a tenant through a tenancy agreement.
• Section 4 of the regulations requires that the duty holder must:
   Take reasonable steps to find out if there are ACMs in a property, the amount, location and condition.
   Keep an up-to-date record of the location and condition of ACMs or material which are presumed to contain asbestos in an
  asbestos register.
   Have an up to date Asbestos management plan (will include the asbestos register) which explains how the duty holder intends
  to manage the asbestos and prevent anyone working on or using a building being exposed to it.
   MUST provide information on the location and condition of ACM’s (the register) to anyone working on the building – provided
  in the PCIP on construction projects.

Question 4

How many types of asbestos survey are there?

Answer 4

• Management survey: standard survey that aims to locate (as far as reasonably practical) the presence and extent of ACM’s in a building. Involves on minor intrusive work.
• Refurbishment and demolition survey: This form of survey is needed before any refurbishment or demolition work is carried out (unless building constructed after 1999 or had now fit out before then). The survey is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practical, all ACMs in the area where the refurbishment works will take place / the entire building if to be demolished. The survey is fully intrusive and involves destructive inspection as necessary to gain access to all areas, even those hard to reach.

Question 5

When inspecting cladding, what would be the key areas you’d need to ensure that it is compliant with current fire safety regulations?

Question 6

What are the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015?

Answer 6

Regulations that ensure the health and safety issues are properly considered during a projects’ development so that the risk of harm to those who build, use or maintain structures is reduced.

Question 7

What are a client / employer’s duties under CDM 2015?

Answer 7

• Check competence.
• Ensure management arrangements.
• Ensure sufficient time and resources.
• Provide PCI
• Appoint PD where more than one contractor.
• Appoint Principal Contractor where more than one contractor.
• Ensure Construction Phase Plan is drawn up prior to works commencement.
• Ensure there are adequate welfare facilities on site.
• Ensure that H&S file prepared by PD (or PC).
• Retain and provide access to H&S file.
• F10 - someone else can on their behalf.

Question 8

What are a client / employer’s duties under CDM 2015?

Answer 8

• Check competence.
• Ensure management arrangements.
• Ensure sufficient time and resources.
• Provide PCI
• Appoint PD where more than one contractor.
• Appoint Principal Contractor where more than one contractor.
• Ensure Construction Phase Plan is drawn up prior to works commencement.
• Ensure there are adequate welfare facilities on site.
• Ensure that H&S file prepared by PD (or PC).
• Retain and provide access to H&S file.
• F10 - someone else can on their behalf.

Question 9

What are a designers duties under CDM 2015?

Answer 9

• Eliminate hazards and reduce risk during the design stage.
• Provide information about residual risks.
• Ensure that the client is aware of their duties.
• Provide information needed for the H&S file.

Question 10

What are the principal contractor’s responsibilities under CDM 2015?

Answer 10

• Plan manage and monitor H&S on site.
• Prepare and issue CPP.
• Provide welfare.
• Liaise with the PD.
• Secure the site.
• Provide H&S file if PD appointment ended sooner than completion of works.

Question 11

What are the control of asbestos regulations 2012?

Answer 11

• Regulations that impose legal duty on those who own, occupy and manage or have responsibilities for the premises that may contain asbestos.
• Regulations state that the duty holder is responsible for managing asbestos: duty holder is the owner of the non-domestic premises or the person or organisation that has clear responsibility for the maintenance or repair of the non-domestic premises e.g a tenant through a tenancy agreement.

Question 12

What is a risk assessment?

Answer 12

• An assessment of identifying risks, determining their likelihood and severity and then eliminating or mitigating those risks to reduce their likelihood and severity if they do occur.
• 5 key processes:

1. Identify all risks.
2. Decide the likelihood and severity of each risk.
3. Take action to eliminate the hazard or if not possible put in procedures to control the risk.
4. Record your findings.
5. Review the risk assessment - treat it as a live document.

Question 13

What is the health and safety at work act 1974?

Answer 13

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in Great Britain. It sets out general duties which:

• Emplyers have towards employees and members of the public.
• Employees have to themselves and each other.
• Certain self-employed have towards themselves and others.

Question 14

Under the General Principles of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, an Employee should specifically do what?

Answer 14

• Take care of their own health and safety.
• Follow the training received when using any work items given by an employer.
• Take care of the health and safety of others who may be affected by their actions (fellow employees).
• Cooperate with their employer regarding Health and Safety
• Tell someone through a working practice if a Health and Safety risk is identified

Question 15

What is the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974?

Answer 15

The Primary piece of legislations covering occupational health and safety in the UK.

Question 16

Under the General Principles of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, an Employee should specifically do what?

Answer 16

• Take responsible care for their own safety
• Follow the training received
• Take responsible care for other people’s Safety
• Cooperate with their employer regarding Health and Safety
• Tell someone if through a working practice a Health and Safety risk is identified

Question 17

What is a Construction Phase Plan?

Answer 17

The construction phase plan (CPP) records arrangements for managing significant health and safety risks associated with the construction of the project and is the basis for communicating those arrangements to those involved in the construction phase. It outlines the health and safety arrangements and site rules taking into account any industrial activities taking place on site, and, where applicable, must include specific measures concerning any work involving the particular risks.

Question 18

What is the risk control hierarchy in relation to risk assessments? (Every Safety Element Always Protects).

Answer 18

1. Elimination - redesign the activity or substitute so that the hazard is removed or eliminated e.g use drone for roof inspections to prevent need to work at height.
2. Substitution - Replace the materials used or the proposed work process with a less hazardous one. For example, use pre-prepared components rather than fabricating/cutting on site.
3. Engineering controls: Use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls where you cannot avoid working at height. Install or use additional machinery such as local exhaust ventilation to control risks from dust or fumes.
4. Administrative controls - Identifying and implement the procedures needed to work safely. For example, reducing the need for lone working or ensuring the work is completed in daylight; reducing the time workers are exposed to hazards (e.g. by job rotation); prohibiting use of mobile phones in hazardous areas.
5. Personal protective clothes and equipment - After all the previous measures have been tried and found ineffective in controlling risks to a reasonably practicable level must personal protective equipment (PPE) be used. For example, where you cannot eliminate the risk of a fall, use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall.

Question 19

What are a client / employer’s duties under CDM 2015?

Answer 19

• Check competence.
• Ensure management arrangements.
• Ensure sufficient time and resources.
• Provide PCI
• Appoint PD where more than one contractor.
• Appoint Principal Contractor where more than one contractor.
• Ensure Construction Phase Plan is drawn up prior to works commencement.
• Ensure there are adequate welfare facilities on site.
• Ensure that H&S file prepared by PD (or PC).
• Retain and provide access to H&S file.
• F10 - someone else can on their behalf.

Question 20

What is your employer’s lone working procedure?

Answer 20

• Try to avoid lone working where possible, especially when attending vacant sites
• Always ensure you have your company mobile phone on you at all times when working away from the office and the battery is charged
• Always carry your personal alarm with you when working away from the office
• Always attend site within working hours. Your line manager needs to approve any visits outside of working hours
• Always make sure your calendar in Microsoft Outlook is up to date and each business related appointment is listed
• Advise your secretary if you attending site and are lone working - attending site without a Hollis colleague
• You must contact your secretary once you have safely completed your lone working appointment
• If you were scheduled to return to the office but are not going to, call your secretary and advise

Question 21

What is the RICS Surveying Safely Guidance Note?

Answer 21

• Personal and corporate responsibility
• Legal considerations and duties
• Assessing hazards and risks
• Property professionals places of work
• Occupational health
• Visiting premises and sites.

Question 22

What would you find in a Construction Phase Plan?

Answer 22

• Description of the works – what risks are identified as part of the works.
• Management of the works - Communication information (project directory and emergency out of hours contacts), working hours, training (toolbox talks and site inductions), welfare facilities, emergency procedures (nearest A&E), emergency, evacuation plan, site waste management plan.
• Information on how significant site risks will be managed – site traffic management plan, handling of deliveries, site set-up (contractor’s compound), noisy works (abide by LA rules).

Question 23

What amendments have you picked up on / requested to be made by contractors?

Answer 23

• No inclusion of a traffic management plan for a site in Chessington
• Management of deliveries also wasn’t suitable as they proposed to bring them through the front entrance which would be used by other tenants that occupied other floors of the premises.

Question 24

Give an example of when you have undertake your duties under the CDM regs

Answer 24

• Eliminate hazards and reduce risk during the design stage: specified cold liquid roof covering instead of reinforced bitumen so no hot works were required / using water based paints.
• Provide information on residual risk: provide all information necessary to the principal designer from client and on site inspections with regards to residual risks which they can then incorporate into the CPP.

Question 25

What advice specifically did you give your client at Marlborough Grove with regards to their duties under the Control of Asbestos Regulations?

Answer 25

• I advised that the regulations state that the duty holder is responsible for managing asbestos: I explained that the duty holder is the owner of the non-domestic premises or the person that has clear responsibility for the maintenance or repair of the non-domestic premises. As the unit was untenanted, they were the duty holder who had responsibility for the managing asbestos and as the unit was constructed prior to 2000 it was likely that additional asbestos would be present in the premises.

Question 26

When have you ever reported back to a client with safety issues?

Answer 26

• I provide updates on my meeting minutes which are issued to the client under a specific health and safety heading.
• I reported on a site in Hemel Hempstead that the roofing sub-contractor was storing numerous GRP oversheets on the roof that posed a threat to anyone below if they were to fall off the roof. I highlighted this to the site manager and stated that the sheets should be handled up to the roof one by one as they were installed and should be stored at ground floor level. This was then noted in my meeting minutes and issued to the client.

Question 27

What provisions do you have on projects to ensure health and safety?

Question 28

What is a risk?

Answer 28

A risk is the chance that any hazard will actually cause somebody harm. So the probability of occurrence

Question 29

What is a hazard ?

Answer 29

Something that has the potential to cause harm

Question 30

What is COSSHH?

Question 31

What is RIDDOR?