Health & Safety Flashcards
(34 cards)
What is the key primary legislation surrounding health and safety at work in the UK?
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Who enforces health and safety legislation in the UK?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Are you aware of any other legislation surrounding health and safety in the workplace?
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
What are the responsibilities imposed by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 regarding employers and employees?
Employers
To ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees, including:
- To create and maintain written statements of their H&S policies.
- If an employer has more than five employees, they must have a written health and safety policy.
- To provide employees with information, training and supervision as necessary.
- To ensure that work places under the employer’s control are maintained and kept in a safe condition, including provision for safe access and egress.
Employees
- To take reasonable care not to put other people - fellow employees and members of the public - at risk by what you do or don’t do in the course of your work.
- To co-operate with your employer, making sure you get proper training and you understand and follow the company’s health and safety policies.
What are the penalties for a breach of the 1974 Act?
An unlimited fine and/or up to 2 years imprisonment.
What is the purpose of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015?
CDM aims to ensure that 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.
What works do the CDM Regulations apply to?
All works with the exception of the exploration for or extraction of mineral resources.
When are works classed as notifiable under the CDM Regulations?
Construction work is notifiable to the HSE if the construction work on a construction site is expected to:
- last more than 30 days and have more than 20 workers working at the same time at any point on the project or
- exceed 500 person days of construction work.
How do you go about notifying the HSE of a notifiable project and what would you include within your notification?
Issue an F10 (notification of construction project) form to the HSE online, including details of:
- Site location
- Project/works description
- Number of contractors on site
- Time allowed by client
- Project duration
- Name and contact details of Client, Principal Designer and Principal Contractor
Who must notify HSE of a notifiable project under the CDM Regs 2015?
- Commercial clients - must notify HSE (or PD on behalf of Client).
- Domestic clients – notification can be carried out by the Contractor or PD if there is a written agreement that they will carry out the Client’s duties.
Who are the dutyholders under the CDM Regulations?
- The three main CDM roles are CDM client, designer and contractor.
- For projects involving more than one contractor, the additional roles of principal designer (PD) and principal contractor (PC) are required to plan, manage, monitor and coordinate the work.
What are the duties under the CDM Regulations for Commercial Clients?
Make suitable arrangements for managing a project, including making sure:
other dutyholders are appointed as appropriate
sufficient time and resources are allocated
Make sure:
relevant information is prepared and provided to other dutyholders
the principal designer and principal contractor carry out their duties
welfare facilities are provided
What are the duties under the CDM Regulations for Domestic Clients?
Though in scope of CDM 2015, their client duties are normally transferred to:
the contractor for single contractor projects
the principal contractor for projects with more than one contractor
However, the domestic client can instead choose to have a written agreement with the principal designer to carry out the client duties.
What are the duties under the CDM Regulations for Designers?
When preparing or modifying designs, eliminate, reduce or control foreseeable risks that may arise during:
construction
the maintenance and use of a building once it is built
Provide information to other members of the project team to help them fulfil their duties.
What are the duties under the CDM Regulations for Principal Designers?
Plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase of a project. This includes:
- identifying, eliminating or controlling foreseeable risks
- ensuring designers carry out their duties
- Prepare and provide relevant information to other dutyholders.
- Liaise with the principal contractor to help in the planning, management, monitoring and coordination of the construction phase.
What are the duties under the CDM Regulations for Principal Contractors?
Plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety in the construction phase of a project. This includes:
liaising with the client and principal designer
preparing the construction phase plan (PDF)
organising cooperation between contractors and coordinating their work
Make sure:
suitable site inductions are provided
reasonable steps are taken to prevent unauthorised access
workers are consulted and engaged in securing their health and safety
welfare facilities are provided
What are the duties under the CDM Regulations for Contractors?
Plan, manage and monitor construction work under their control so it is carried out without risks to health and safety.
For projects involving more than one contractor, coordinate their activities with others in the project team – in particular, comply with directions given to them by the principal designer or principal contractor.
For single contractor projects, prepare a construction phase plan.
What are the duties under the CDM Regulations for Workers?
Workers must:
be consulted about matters which affect their health, safety and welfare
take care of their own health and safety, and of others who might be affected by their actions
report anything they see which is likely to endanger either their own or others’ health and safety
cooperate with their employer, fellow workers, contractors and other dutyholders
What is contained within a Health and Safety File as provided following completion of a project?
The health and safety file should contain the information needed to allow future construction work, including cleaning, maintenance, alterations refurbishment and demolition to be carried out safely.
Who is responsible for procuding a Health and Safety File under CDM?
- At the highest level, CDM Regulations place responsibility for producing a health and safety file with the principal designer. If the principal designer’s tenure finishes before the end of the project, the responsibility passes to the principal contractor. Once the project is complete, the file is passed to the client.
- The principal designer carries primary responsibility for preparing the health and safety file and is the one who is ultimately accountable to the client. As soon as possible, the principal designer should agree with the client on the file’s structure and format. From that point, the principal designer acts as coordinator, soliciting contributions to the file from the wider project team; in particular, the principal contractor. The principal designer is also responsible for reviewing and revising the information, ensuring that it is up-to-date at every stage of the project.
- The principal contractor provides the principal designer with information that should be included in the file. If the principal designer’s role finishes before the project ends, the principal contractor will take on their responsibility for the file, including passing it on to the client.
What should be included in a Health and Safety File under CDM?
- Information on the work being carried out.
- Hazards that have not been eliminated through the design and construction phases and how they have been addressed.
- Background information on the asset’s structure and form and any limitations – e.g., safe working loads for floors and roofs, the location of utility services, etc.
- Any hazardous materials used (e.g., paints, special coatings, etc.) that will prove useful when maintaining or removing these substances or working in affected areas.
- Information, including as-built drawings, including safe means of access to service areas.
What is the ‘safe person’ concept as referred to within Surveying Safely?
RICS considers the concept of a ‘safe person’ to mean that each individual assumes individual behavioural responsibility for their own, their colleagues’ and others’ health and safety while at work.
What are the responsibilities imposed upon firms and surveyors by Surveying Safely?
Organisational responsibilities include:
- 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 IP7 Surveying safely
- instruction: individuals must receive clear instructions, and receive supervision and expert support where necessary, relating to: – the work activities required – the operation of any equipment and – appropriate safe systems of work.
- supervision: supporting staff with clearly defined lines of communication and
- personal protective equipment (PPE): providing individuals with appropriate personal protective equipment that meets appropriate specifications.
Individual responsibilities include:
- 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.
Can you please run through some of the hazards and precautions to be considered by the contractor relevant to the works at The Matrix, Ripon?
- Removal of asbestos containing materials (roof sheets – dampening down of sheets and careful removal).
- Existing services (electricity and gas supply to be disconnected.
- Public right of way to be maintained and working areas cordoned off.
- Working at height.
