Welfare, Manual Handling & PPE

A tight-fitting FFP3 mask has been correctly specified for a task. Which circumstance means it will not protect the worker adequately?

• AThe worker has stubble where the face seal sits✓
• BThe worker passed a face-fit test on that model last year
• CThe worker's exposure lasts less than an hour per shift
• DThe worker also wears safety boots and a hi-vis vest

Answer: A tight-fitting respirator relies on a seal between the mask and the skin, and even a day's stubble under the seal lets contaminated air leak past. Other PPE that does not touch the face has no effect on the seal, a short exposure still needs an effective mask, and a fit test passed on the same make, model and size remains valid unless the wearer's face or the mask changes.

From what point must welfare facilities under CDM 2015 Schedule 2 be available on a construction site?

• AWithin the first week, once the site cabins have been delivered
• BOnce the site has more than five workers on it at one time
• CBefore work starts, and maintained throughout the project✓
• DWhen the first phase of groundworks has been completed

Answer: Schedule 2 facilities must be in place from the moment construction work begins, including for the first workers setting up the site, and kept in good order until the work ends. There is no grace period, headcount threshold or phase of work that delays the duty, so cabins and services need to be arranged as part of the site set-up plan.

What does CDM 2015 Schedule 2 require of the washing facilities provided on a site?

• ABottled water and paper towels for as long as the mains supply is not connected
• BCold water only, with hand sanitiser provided in place of soap at each point
• CHot and cold, or warm, water with soap and towels or another means of drying hands✓
• DWarm water and towels, with cleaning agents optional if gloves are worn for work

Answer: Schedule 2 calls for washing facilities with a supply of clean hot and cold, or warm, water, which should be running water so far as is reasonably practicable, together with soap or another cleaning agent and towels or another means of drying, close to the toilets and changing rooms. Cold water alone, missing cleaning agents and bottled supplies all fall short of what the schedule demands.

Which arrangement for drinking water meets the welfare requirements of CDM 2015?

• AA hosepipe from the nearest standpipe, run to a point near the rest area
• BWater from the washing trough tap, which is mains-fed and fit to drink
• CA supply that is only available inside the site office during office hours
• DA marked supply with cups provided unless it comes from a drinking jet✓

Answer: Schedule 2 requires an adequate supply of wholesome drinking water that is readily accessible, conspicuously marked where necessary and provided with a sufficient number of cups unless it is delivered as a jet from which people can drink easily. Washing troughs and hosepipes are not marked drinking points and cannot be relied on as wholesome, and a supply confined to an office is not readily accessible.

What is the role of an 'appointed person' under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981?

• ATo take charge, call the emergency services and look after the first-aid kit✓
• BTo give emergency first aid to injured workers in the absence of a trained first-aider
• CTo carry out the first-aid needs assessment and record the findings for the HSE
• DTo treat minor injuries on site provided a trained first-aider has authorised it

Answer: An appointed person needs no first-aid training; their job is to take charge when someone is injured or ill, call the emergency services and look after the first-aid equipment. Giving treatment is the role of a trained first-aider, the needs assessment is the employer's responsibility and is not submitted to the HSE, and an appointed person should not be treating casualties under anyone's authority.

How often must a First Aid at Work certificate be renewed for the holder to remain a qualified first-aider?

• AEvery three years✓
• BEvery two years
• CEvery five years
• DEvery twelve months

Answer: First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work certificates are valid for three years, after which the holder must requalify; the HSE also strongly recommends an annual refresher in between. A manager tracking first-aid cover should diary the expiry dates so the site never falls below the provision identified in the needs assessment.

What determines the number of first-aiders and the level of first-aid training required on a site?

• AThe requirements set by the site's public liability insurer
• BA fixed ratio of one first-aider per fifty workers set by the regulations
• CThe minimum standard specified in the CDM 2015 Schedule 2
• DThe employer's own assessment of first-aid needs for the site✓

Answer: The First-Aid Regulations do not prescribe numbers; the employer must assess the hazards, workforce size, shift patterns, remoteness and lone working and decide what is adequate and appropriate. There is no statutory ratio, Schedule 2 of CDM deals with welfare rather than first aid, and an insurer's terms cannot substitute for the legal assessment.

Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, what is the first step in the hierarchy for a task involving heavy loads?

• AReduce the weight of each load to below the HSE guideline figures
• BAssess the task using the TILE factors and record the findings
• CAvoid the hazardous handling operation so far as is reasonably practicable✓
• DProvide training in correct lifting technique to all those involved

Answer: The regulations set a clear order: avoid hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable, for example by mechanising or redesigning the task; if it cannot be avoided, assess it; then reduce the risk to the lowest level reasonably practicable. Assessment and reduction come after the attempt to avoid, and training on its own is not a substitute for either.

A supervisor tells the team that 25 kg is the legal maximum a man may lift on site. Which statement is correct?

• AThe legal maximum is set at 20 kg for manual lifts, with 25 kg allowed only where a team lift is used
• BThe 25 kg figure is a legal limit for men under the MHOR 1992, with 16 kg the corresponding limit for women
• CThe legal maximum is 25 kg only for lifts above shoulder height; at waist height a higher figure applies
• DThere is no legal maximum; the figure is an HSE screening guideline for loads held close at waist height✓

Answer: The Manual Handling Operations Regulations set no weight limits. The HSE guideline figures of about 25 kg for men and 16 kg for women apply to loads held close to the body at waist height and are a filter for deciding whether a more detailed assessment is needed; the figures fall sharply for loads held away from the body or above shoulder height. Anyone quoting a statutory maximum has misunderstood the guidance.

Which factors does the acronym TILE direct a manager to consider when assessing a manual handling operation?

• ATime, Instruction, Lifting and Equipment
• BTechnique, Injury, Layout and Effort
• CTask, Individual, Load and Environment✓
• DTraining, Inspection, Limits and Ergonomics

Answer: A manual handling assessment looks at the Task (twisting, stooping, distance carried), the Individual (capability, training, health), the Load (weight, size, grip, stability) and the Environment (space, floors, lighting, temperature). The other expansions are invented and would miss key factors such as the person's capability and the conditions in which the lift is done.

A contractor proposes deducting the cost of safety boots from new operatives' wages. Why is this unlawful?

• APPE may only be charged for once the operative has passed a probation period
• BPPE must be paid for by the principal contractor on a multi-contractor site
• CPPE costs must be recovered through the CITB levy rather than from wages
• DPPE required for work must be provided free of charge by the employer✓

Answer: Section 9 of the Health and Safety at Work Act prohibits employers from charging for anything provided to meet a statutory duty, which includes the PPE required under the PPE at Work Regulations. The cost sits with the worker's own employer rather than the principal contractor or a levy scheme, and a probation period makes no difference to the prohibition.

What did the April 2022 amendment to the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations change?

• AIt removed the need for face-fit testing of disposable respirators
• BIt transferred responsibility for PPE from employers to the principal contractor
• CIt made hard hats, hi-vis and safety boots a legal minimum on every site
• DIt extended employers' PPE duties to limb (b) workers as well as employees✓

Answer: The 2022 amendment brought limb (b) workers, those who personally perform work under a contract that is not a contract of employment and who are not genuinely self-employed, within the same PPE duties as employees, so they must be assessed, provided with suitable PPE free of charge and trained in its use. The site minimum of hard hat, hi-vis and boots is a site rule rather than a statutory list, face-fit testing remains required for tight-fitting RPE, and responsibility stays with the worker's employer.