Health and safety

What legislation has the government implemented to improve safe working practices and welfare for workers?

• The Health and Morals of Apprentices Act of 1802.

• The Factories Act of 1833.

• The Electricity (Factories Act) Special Regulations, 1908 and 1944.

What is the electricity at work regulations (EAWR) 1998, what it does, legal duties apply to, affects, key things to remember?

Created: 1st April 1989 (33 regulations)

What it does

Ensures electrical systems are constructed and maintained to prevent danger. It is the main electrical safety law in the UK. This is a statutory legislation.

Legal duties apply to

• Employers

• Employees

• Self-employed persons

Affects

Any workplace with electrical systems

Key things to remember

• Reg 4 : systems must be constructed to prevent danger.

• Reg 13: Work on or near live conductors

• Reg 14: Live working only when justified

• Reg 16: Competence of persons

What is the building regulations - Part P (Electrical safety) 2005, what it does, legal duties apply to, affects, key things to remember??

Created: 2005 (18 main parts)

What it does

Ensures electrical installations in dwellings are safe. Requires electrical work to meet BS 7671 standards. This is a statutory legislation.

Legal duties apply to

• Installers

• Builders

• Property owners

Affects

Domestic electrical work including:

• houses

• flats

• gardens

• outbuildings

Things to remember

Notifiable work:

• New circuits

• Consumer unit replacement

• Work in special locations

Competent person schemes:

• NICEIC

• NAPIT

• ELECSA

What is the health and safety at work act (HASAW) 1974, what it does, legal duties apply to, affects, key things to remember?

Created: 1974 (84 main parts)

Purpose

This is the main UK health and safety law.
It provides the framework for workplace safety legislation including the Electricity at Work Regulations. This is a statutory legislation.

Enforced by

• The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

• Local authorities

Legal duties apply to

• Employers

• Employees

• Self-employed persons

• Manufacturers and suppliers of equipment

Who it affects

Anyone at work in the UK

Key thing to remember

• Section 2 - Duty of employers to employees

• Section 3 - Duty of others affected

• Section 7 - Employee responsibilities

What is the Electricity safety, quality and continuity regulation (ESQCR) 2002, what it does, legal duties apply to, affects, key things to remember?

Created :2002 (35 regulations)

What it does:

Regulates electricity supply networks and distribution systems in order to protect the public and the consumer.

Covers:

• earthing arrangements

• supply characteristics

• network safety

Legal duties apply to

• Electricity distributors

• Network operators

Affects

• Supply companies

• Installations connected to supply networks.

What is the provision and use of work equipment regulations (PUWER) 1998, what it does, legal duties apply to, affects, key things to remember?

Created: 1998 (37 regulation)

What it does

Ensures work equipment is:

• safe

• maintained

• inspected

• used by trained people

Legal duties apply to

• Employers

• Workplaces

Affects

Electrical equipment used at work.

What is the Management of health and safety at work regulations 1999, what it does, legal duties apply to, affects, key things to remember?

Created: Year: 1999 (27 regulations)

What it does

Requires:

• risk assessments

• safe working procedures

• competent staff

Legal duties apply to

• Employers

Affects

All workplaces including electrical work.

What is the Control of substances hazardous to health regulations (COSHH) 1992, what it does, legal duties apply to, affects, key things to remember?

Created: 1992

Last updated: 2002 (18 regulations)

What it does

COSHH requires that employers control exposure to hazardous substances both to protect employees and any others who may be exposed to such hazards from work activities. Statutory requirement.

Hazardous substances include:

• chemicals

• dust

• biological agents

• cleaning chemicals

• battery acid

Legal duties apply to

• Employers

• Employees

• Self-employed workers

Affects

Anyone working with or exposed to hazardous substances.

What is the work at height regulations 2005, what it does, legal duties apply to, affects, key things to remember?

Created: 2005 ( 17 regulations)

What it does

Prevents injury from falls when working at height.

Work at height includes:

• ladders

• roofs

• platforms

• towers

• installing lighting

• cable tray installation

Legal duties apply to

• Employers

• Self-employed workers

• Anyone controlling work at height

Affects

All workers working at height.

Key principles (very important for exams)

Hierarchy of control:

• Avoid working at height where possible

• Use safe equipment to prevent falls

• Minimise distance and consequences of a fall

Key exam points

• Equipment must be inspected regularly

• Workers must be trained

• Work must be planned and supervised

What is the Lifting operations and lifting equipment regulations (LOLER) 1998, what it does, legal duties apply to, affects, key things to remember?

Created: 1998 (17 regulations)

What it does

Ensures lifting equipment is safe and properly inspected.

Examples:

• cranes

• hoists

• lifting platforms

• chain blocks

• MEWPs

Legal duties apply to

• Employers

• People controlling lifting equipment

Affects

Workers using lifting equipment.

Key requirements

Equipment must be:

• Strong and stable

• Marked with Safe Working Load (SWL)

• Thoroughly examined

What does PPE stand for and what are some examples of it 1992, what it does, legal duties apply to, affects, key things to remember?

Created: 1992

Updated: 2022

What it does

Requires employers to provide appropriate protective equipment where risks cannot be controlled by other means. This is a statutory legislation.

Legal duties apply to

• Employers

Affects

• Employees and workers.

What is the workplace (health, safety and welfare) regulations 1992, what it does, legal duties apply to, affects, key things to remember?

Created: 1992 ( 27 regulations)

What it does

Ensures workplaces are safe and suitable for workers. This regulation is statutory.

Legal duties apply to

• Employers

• People controlling workplaces.

Affects

All workplaces.

Key areas covered Workplace conditions

• ventilation

• temperature

• lighting

Welfare facilities

• toilets

• washing facilities

• drinking water

• rest areas

Safety

• safe floors

• safe traffic routes

• maintenance of workplace

What is the construction (Design and management) regulations 1994, what it does, legal duties apply to, affects, key things to remember?

Created: 1994

Current version: CDM 2015 (37 regulations)

What it does

The general provision of the regulations is to set out minimum standards necessary to promote safety on site. The regulations place specific duties on clients, designers and contractors to rethink their approach to health and safety, so that it is taken into account throughout the life of a construction project, from its inception to its subsequent final demolition and removal. These statutory regulations apply to all aspects of a construction site.

Affects

All construction projects in the UK.

Key exam points

• Risk must be designed out where possible

• A Construction Phase Plan must exist

• A Health and Safety File must be produced

Equipment	Inspection
Lifting equipment	Every 12 months
Equipment lifting people	Every 6 months

Difference between switching off and isolation. And how many poles are single, three and four phase installations isolated by using.

• Switching off may involve the breaking of normal load current or even higher current due to overload or short circuit.

• Isolation is concerned with keeping the already dead circuit dead, so that re-closing the switch is not unintentionally possible.

A single-phase installation may be isolated using a double-pole device or a single pole device. An installation supplied with a three-phase or a four-wire system may be isolated using a three-pole or four-pole switch. A semi-conductor device, e.g. a dimmer, cannot be used for isolation.

What are all types of signs on a construction site?

• Prohibition signs

• Warning signs

• Information signs

• Mandatory signs

What does maintenance cover in the construction industry?

This covers the repair, refurbishment and restoration of existing buildings and structures.

What does civil engineering cover in the construction industry?

Civil engineering involves the construction and installation of services for large structures such as bridges, roads, motorways, docks, harbours and mines.

What does building and structural engineering cover in the construction industry?

This type of company broadly covers the construction and installation of services for buildings such as factories, offices, shops, leisure centres, hospitals, schools, and of course, houses. Specialist contractors are normally the people who operate in this field.

What must scaffolding that is built to a height greater than 2 m have?

Toe boards and guard rails

Ways of taking precautions for risks.

If you take just a moment to think about what you are doing, or are about to do, you will find that you can avoid most potentially dangerous situations. Another of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of accidents is to try to remove the cause, such as storing conduit horizontally and locked away. Reporting potentially hazardous situations to your supervisor will be affective.

What are the important things to ask when looking for hazards for a risk assessment?

• What are the actual and/or potential hazards?

• Are these hazards significant?

• Are the hazards covered by satisfactory precautions so that the risk is small or should new or revised precautions and/or procedures be put in place?

What is a hazard and a risk?

• A hazard can be defined as: anything that can cause harm (e.g. working from ladders or scaffolding, substances such as asbestos, chemicals, electricity, etc).

• A risk can be defined as: the chance, high or low, that somebody will be harmed by the hazard.

Step 1 of carrying out a risk assessment.

step 1 is looking for hazards.

Take a walk around the workplace. Look at what could reasonably be expected to cause harm. such as faulty electrical connections, damaged cables, materials that are ejected from machines and pressure systems. Also check with your employees, as they may have noticed things that are not immediately apparent to you.

Step 2 of carrying out a risk assessment.

Step 2 is decide who might be harmed and how.

Apprentices and trainees, young workers, new and expectant mothers etc., who may all be at particular risk. Visitors, contractors, cleaners, maintenance workers, etc., who may not be in the workplace all the time. All of these and more could be harmed.

Step 3 of carrying out a risk assessment.

Step 3 is evaluate the risk.

Evaluate the risks and try to decide if the precautions that may already be in place are adequate or if more should be done. Assess how likely it is that each hazard could cause harm. This evaluation and assessment will determine whether or not more needs to be done to reduce the risk. However, you must accept that even after all reasonable precautions have been taken, some risk usually remains.

Step 4 of carrying out a risk assessment.

Step 4 is to record your findings.

If you have 5 or more people in employment you must record any significant findings in your assessment, this means writing down the hazards and conclusions. You must also tell your co workers of this as well as keep the sheet in a safe place as it can protect you from a civil liability.

What you must record is: A proper check was made, you asked who may be affected, all the obvious significant hazards were dealt with, taking into account the number of people who could be involved and the remaining risk is low and the precautions taken are reasonable.

Step 5 of carrying out a risk assessment.

Step 5 is to review your assessment.

Sooner or later the existing situation will change. You will bring in different substances or procedures, or new machines that could lead to new hazards. If there are any significant changes, these should be added to the risk assessment to take account of the new hazard. However, if a new job introduces significant hazards of its own, you will want to consider each of these in their own right.

What causes most slip, trips and falls in the work place.

Most slips, trips and falls come from either lifting and handling, or working at heights. More than a quarter of all work related accidents are connected to manual handling.

Most causes can be due to:

• Fluids spilt on the floor

• Polythene sheeting that may be left lying around

• Projecting scaffolding poles and other objects

• The plastic strapping from around bricks or other packaging

• Trailing cables (one of the most common causes of trips)

Checks before lifting loads.

Before you lift any load you should always make the following checks:

• Assess the weight, size and shape of the load.

• Has it got sharp edges?

• Is there somewhere you can put it down, either on route or when you get there?

• Is the route free of obstructions?

• Will the load fit through the doors and are the doors open?

General guidelines fore safe working practising and storing of work equipment?

• Check that the plugs and cables of hand-held power tools are in good condition.

• Replace frayed cables and broken plugs.

• Electrically powered tools must be PAT certified in accordance with your employer’s procedures and HSE guidance.

• Ensure handles are properly fitted and secure, and free from splinters.

• Keep cutting tools, saws, chisels, drill bits, etc. sharp and in good condition.

What are the 2 main types of insurance and what are they?

Public liability insurance - covers an employer for claims made against it by members of the public or other businesses. While public liability insurance is generally voluntary, employers’ liability insurance is compulsory. Employers can be fined if they do not hold a current employers’ liability insurance policy that complies with the law.

Liability insurance - It is a legal requirement that all employers carry liability insurance. Employers liability act of 1969 ensures that employers have at least a minimum level of insurance cover (£5 million) against any such claims. If the business is apart of a group then the group must be covered for at least £5 million.

This insurance is enabled to cover the cost of compensation from any illness or injury on or off from work except from motor car injuries. When an employer makes a claim, they must make sure they did not violate any of the circumstances in the contract.

Surrounding conditions where electrical accidents can become greater

• Damp/wet surroundings, such as construction sites, where unsuitable equipment can easily become live and make its surroundings live.

• Outdoors, where equipment may not only become wet but may be at greater risk of damage.

• cramped spaces with a lot of earthed metalwork, such as inside a tank, where if an electrical fault were to develop it could be very difficult to avoid a shock.

• Where items of equipment are involved in greater risk than others.

• Extension leads are particularly liable to damage:

  - To their plugs and sockets

  - To their electrical connections and to the cable itself

• Other flexible leads, particularly those connected to equipment that is moved a great deal, can suffer from similar problems

Safety precautions so that electrical installations are safe.

• Install new electrical systems to a suitable standard, e.g. BS 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations, and then maintain them in a safe condition.

• Check electrical equipment used in flammable/explosive atmospheres. It should be designed to stop it from causing ignition. You may need specialist advice.

• Choose and use equipment that is suitable for its working environment.

• Ensure that equipment is safe when supplied and maintain it in a safe condition.

• Existing installations should also be properly maintained.

• If the plug is not the moulded-on type, ensure that all the wires are properly connected to the correct terminals in the plug top.

• Provide an accessible and clearly identified switch near each fixed machine to cut off power in an emergency.

• Regularly inspect and test portable electrical equipment (PAT ).

• Replace damaged sections of cable completely.

• Risks can sometimes be reduced by using air, hydraulic, hand or battery-powered tools. These are especially useful in harsh conditions.

• Use RCDs to protect equipment outside the equipotential zone

Best ways of reducing the risk of injury when using electrical equipment

One of the best ways of reducing the risk of injury when using electrical equipment is to limit the supply voltage to the lowest needed to get the job done. For example:

• Temporary lighting can be run at lower voltages, e.g. 12, 25, 50 or 110 volts.

• Where electrically powered tools are used, battery-operated ones are safest.

• Portable tools are readily available that are designed to be run from a 110 volt centre-tapped-to-earth supply.

What is the RIDDOR regulation?

RIDDOR (reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulation 2013) is a statutory regulation and is enforced by the HSE. Deaths, major injuries such as major fractures & serious burns, occupational diseases, dangerous occurrences (near misses & gas incidents), and 7 days plus off work must be reported.

When was safety sign and signals regulations created?

1996

When was electricity at work regulations created and first published?

It was created in 1989 and first published in 1st April 1990

When was control of noise at work regulations created?

2005

What legislation protects employees from harm?

Health and safety at work act 1974

When did the H&S executive merge

2008

How often should portable electrical appliances be tested in construction site?

Every 3 months

What is the main purpose of a toolbox talk on site?

To provide workers with safety information and guidance.

what is the minimum voltage considered dangerous to human health in the workplace

50 volts AC

What are regulations?

Regulations can be classed as:

• Statutory, its law, you must follow

• Non-statutory. these are advisory. However you can still be prosecuted under a statutory regulation.

What are the most important statutory laws?

• The health and safety at work etc. Act (HASAWA) 1974

• The electricity at work regulations 1989

• personal protective equipment at work regulations (PPEWR)

• Provision and use of work equipment (PUWER)

• Control of substances, hazardous to health regulations(COSHH)

• Manual handling operations regulations (MHOR)

What are non statutory regulations

• BS 7671

• GN3

• On site guide

What can happen if you fail to comply with regulations?

• Prosecution

• Unlimited fine, came into force in 2015

• Imprisonment

HSE executive can issue you a prohibition notice, where all work must stop until complaint is rectified or an improvement notice, where work activities can be continued but shortcoming must be rectified.

What are must know information about HASAWA, how its enforced and the punishment that can be given?

• HSE inspectors can visit at anytime

• companies with 5 or more employees must have a H&S policy

• everyone has a legal duty of care

• Unlimited fine and 2 years in prison for breach of HASAWA

What are the risks of working in an excavation?

Collapse of sides are the biggest risk in an excavation and the type of soil and how weather can dramatically change the soil. Working in an excavation is hard work and comes with a lot of risk such as vehicles and materials falling in and contact with live wires. Trial holes are a good way of avoiding underground services. Fumes from vehicles, contaminated land and methane like to accumulate at the lowest point so it can easily seep into the excavation. Biological hazard can be prominent as well from animal bacterial hazards such leptospirosis and Weils disease which is carried in rats. Supervision must all ways be in attendance.

How can support, fall prevention and general safety can be introduced?

Depths exceeding 1.2m is when supports and control measurers need to be introduced such as guard rails to prevent falls, scaffold supported by timbering and props and exposed services are supported. stop blocks and safe separation need to be introduced to stop plant falling into excavations as well as, barriers to protect the public. Create steps and provide ladder access or other safe ways of getting in and out of the excavation.

What are the main causes of environmental pollution?

• Land contamination - It is more likely that you could contaminate land directly by dumping your solid waste in an inappropriate manner, For example, placing waste plastic from PVC conduit into an ordinary waste container.

• Air pollution - Again this is, generally indirect but can still be causes by exhaust from diesel generators or burning waste on site.

• Water pollution - Discharging liquids into watercourses such as battery acids.

What are ways the environment gets damaged and how we mitigate it?

Construction companies can create waste due to a number of ways such as,

• Waste must be taken care of correctly such as putting waste in the correct bins.

• Exhaust from diesel engines and burning waste on site can contribute to air pollution.

• Discharging waste and liquids water will contaminate it.

Ways a construction company can mitigate their environmental waste include:

• The use of skips and bins

• Whether you will need to provide chutes, wheel bins, etc, to collect waste within buildings

• Make the clearing of waste a priority for all trades

What are the three main ways to dispose of waste?

• Recycle

Its common practice to recycle copper cable to take them to a scrap merchant, where it is recycled for money. Cardboard and fluorescent tubes can now also be recycled as well as, just re using general materials.

• Hazardous waste

Hazardous waste may contain always hazardous materials, e.g. asbestos, adhesives, lead-acid batteries or fluorescent tubes. Never hazardous materials e.g. edible oil. May or may not be hazardous and need to be assessed waste such as ink or paint.

• Land fill

General waste disposal site.

What are the different types of ladders, key access equipment information and general information?

Ladders should be placed at and angle of 75 degrees or 1 in 4 and should protrude 1 meter or 5 rungs. Check ladder such as, cracks, damaged rungs or anti slip pads. Never use a painted ladder. Ladders should be before use and every 3 months.

• Most common type of ladder or step ladder is Class EN 131 (replaces old British standard class 2) : commercial light trade use - max load 150kg. Fibreglass material mainly.

• Class 1: Blue

• Class 3: Red

• Pole ladders - used for access scaffold, can be up to 12m in length.

• Extension ladders, can be split into sections which can be extended to reach the required height.

• Telescopic ladder, 780mm closed but stretches to 3.3m when extended.

What are scaffold requirements and general info?

Work must be carried out with access equipment if its to be done from 1.5m or more. The biggest cause of deaths on building sites are falls from height. Crawling boards enable operatives to work safely within places such as lofts. In order to be able to build a scaffold you must have a PASMA (prefabricated access suppliers and manufacturers association) certificate. PASMA is a certification that proves you’re trained to safely assemble, inspect, and use mobile scaffold towers, helping prevent falls and meet workplace safety rules.

• There are two types of scaffolds, static and mobile. Pre use checks must be done such as:

• working platforms must be closed boarded

• overhang by boards must not exceed four times the thickness of the board and must not overhang the support by the less than 50mm.

• Working platforms higher than 2m must have toe boards fitted at least 150mm high and guards rails between 920mm and 1,150 mm.

• Podiums

• Mobile towers must be inspected before use and every 7 days

• MEWP must be inspected daily and every 6 months

How to use fire extinguisher?

Remember the acronym: PASS

• Pull out safety pin

• Aim nozzle at base of fire

• Squeeze handle

• Sweeping action

What are the fire type classes?

• Class A - organic solids such as wood, paper, coal. Most common type.

• Class B - flammable liquids such as petrol, alcohol, paints

• Class C - flammable gases such as natural gas, hydrogen, propane

• Class E - electrical

What are different types of extinguishers, colour and what they are used for?

• Water - Red - wood & paper

• CO2 - Black/coal - liquids & electrical

• Foam - Cream - wood & liquid

• Blue - dry powder - wood, gas’s & electrical

What should you do if you discover a fire?

• Raise the alarm

• Close doors and windows to prevent fire spreading

• evacuate the area

• fight the fire with an extinguisher, fire blanket, water or sand, only if you have been trained to do so

• never put your own at risk.

What are the three main types of asbestos and general asbestos info?

Very commonly used between 1950 and 1980. Over 5000 deaths in the UK a year or 20 Tradesmen a week. Work must stop immediately if asbestos is found, removal and disposal must be done by specialist contractors. Asbestos regulation require an H-class (High hazard) vacuum cleaner. These vacuum cleaner have HEPA filtration designed to safely capture very fine and dangerous dust such as asbestos fibbers.

• Chrysolite - white asbestos (crystals are white)

• Amosite - brown asbestos

• Crocidolite Blue asbestos

What are general info of Manual handling?

Manual handling operations regulations 1992. These regulations require employers to reduce the risks from manual handling. Maximum lifting weight is 25kg. If it doesn’t need to be moved, don’t move it. Acute injury’s are immediate and chronic pain can last for weeks or months later.

Correct handling techniques include knees bent, back straight

What are the type of risks, what is a hazard and a risk and what are the steps for a risk assessment?

• Hazards are something with the potential’ to cause harm.

• Risks are the ‘likelihood’ of harm being done.

There are two types of risk assessments, Human causes and environmental causes. There are five steps of a risk assessment:

• 1 - Identify the hazards

• 2 - Decide who might be harmed and how

• 3 - Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

• 4 - Record your findings and implement them

• 5 - Review your risks assessment and update if necessary.

What are the precaution that should be taken to minimise the risk of hazardous substances?

• PPE

• Ventilation

• risk assessment

• Method statements

• Safe systemic work

What are the different types of hazardous substances?

• Hazardous waste - asbestos, batteries, motor oil

• Adhesives - PVC adhesives, epoxy, super glue

• Solvents - detergents, paint thinners, spot removers.

What are the different levels of power for equipment and how often they should be checked?

Equipment should always be checked before every use. Every year you should have your electrical equipment PAT tested (official testing).

• 110v - yellow, supply driven from a transformer, secondary winding is centre-tapped and connected to the earth.

• 230v - blue, RCD used as real danger of shock, 230v should not be used on site.

• 400V - red

What would be the emergency Procedures on Site?

• Know your company’s procedure

• Do you know your nearest point for where you are working?

• remember the time

• Use your mobile phone to summon help in an emergency

• The service you require and how to inform them on the emergency

• Refer to the internet for other suggestions

• Understand how and when to set off the alarm

• Know the escape routes

• Be aware of the emergency meeting points on site

Always remember if you aren’t not safe, then you cannot help. Only give first aid if you are trained. Supervisors name is often what is not required i.e. your supervisors name.

What is the accident book for an what must be included?

Minor injury like a cut of minor electric shock must be recorded in the accident book. The appropriate details to include are:

• Name and address of injured person

• date and time of accident

• location of accident

• cause and nature of injury

• name and address of person recording the details

What is the minimum first aid provision on a worksite first aid facility?

• A suitable stocked first-aid kit

• An appointed person to take charge of first-aid

• Information for employees about first-aid arrangements

What are the two types of protection against electric shock?

• Basic protection – protection against contact with parts that are normally live.

• Fault protection – protection against contact with parts that become live due to a fault

What must be done in an event of an electric shock?

• Assess the situation

• Switch off the main switch

• Break the contact between electrical sources and the person using a non conductive item like a wooden stick

• Call for help

• Commence CPR if breathing or heartbeat has stopped

• If breathing, but unconscious put in recovery position

• If any burns are found, treat them

What must be done if a minor burn occurs?

• Cool the burn immediately under running water for a considerable period of time (10-15 mins)

• Remove all accessories from the affected area - unless it is sticking to the skin

• Cover the burn with clean, non-fluffy material to protect from infection. cloth or kitchen film makes good dressings.

What is the distance that is required for it to be a “safe zone”?

1500mm or 1.5m

What are the relevant appendixes?

Appendix 1 - British standards (e.g., cable standards, accessories.

Appendix 3 - Time / current characteristics of protective devices (understanding MCB curves B, C, D)

Appendix 4 - Current- carrying capacity & voltage drop

• cable sizes

• installation methods correction factors

• voltage drop tables

Appendix 6 - Model forms & certification

• EIC

• Minor works

• Schedule of tests results

Appendix 8 - Voltage drop examples