Risk Assessment & Method Statements

What is the first step in conducting a risk assessment?

• AEvaluating risk
• BIdentifying control measures
• CRecording the assessment
• DIdentifying hazards✓

Answer: The first step is hazard identification - determining what could cause harm. Only after identifying hazards can you assess the risk and determine appropriate controls.

What does a Risk Assessment consider in terms of likelihood and severity?

• AThe purchase cost of the task materials
• BNeither factor - risk assessments are based purely on cost and scheduling factors alone
• CBoth the likelihood of harm occurring and the severity of potential injury✓
• DThe duration of the task being assessed

Answer: Risk = Likelihood x Severity. A proper risk assessment evaluates both how likely an incident is and how serious the consequences would be if it occurred.

What is a Method Statement?

• AA list of all workers currently assigned to the project and their individual trade skills
• BA document describing how to complete work safely✓
• CA formal communication sent to the HSE notifying them that work is about to commence
• DA budget document setting out allowed costs

Answer: A Method Statement (part of RAMS - Risk Assessment and Method Statement) describes the safe work procedures, controls, and responsibilities for a specific high-risk task.

When should RAMS (Risk Assessment and Method Statement) be updated?

• AWhen the client asks for an updated copy for the project's health and safety file
• BAt the very end of the project
• COnce a RAMS document has been completed and signed off, it remains valid for the whole project
• DWhen work methods or site conditions change significantly✓

Answer: RAMS must be reviewed and updated whenever there are significant changes to methods, conditions, or identified hazards. This ensures the control measures remain appropriate and effective.

What is the hierarchy of controls in order of effectiveness?

• AAdministrative controls, then Engineering controls, then PPE, then Elimination last
• BPPE, then Administrative controls, then Engineering controls, then Substitution last
• CElimination, Substitution, Engineering controls, Administrative controls, PPE✓
• DPersonal Protective Equipment, Engineering controls, Administrative controls

Answer: The hierarchy prioritises eliminating the hazard first, then substituting with a safer alternative, then engineering controls, then administrative controls, with PPE as the last resort.

Which of the following is an example of an engineering control?

• AWearing a hard hat while working, which is a form of personal protective equipment
• BInstalling a guardrail at height✓
• CTraining workers on hazards through a toolbox talk before the task begins each morning
• DLimiting the working hours

Answer: Engineering controls are physical measures that prevent exposure to hazards (guardrails, barriers, ventilation). PPE (A), training (C), and administrative controls (D) are lower in the hierarchy.

What should be considered when assessing the risk of manual handling tasks?

• AThe task, load, environment, and individual worker capabilities✓
• BThe worker's length of service and the trade card they hold for that particular job
• CThe weight of the load and nothing else
• DThe price of the load and whether it is insured while being carried across the site

Answer: Manual handling risk assessment (MAC Tool) considers multiple factors: load characteristics, task type, working environment, and individual factors. It's not just about weight.

How should a supervisor involve workers in the risk assessment process?

• AInform workers of the risk assessment findings after it has already been completed
• BLet workers create their own risk assessments
• CRisk assessment is management's responsibility, with no input required from workers
• DConsult with workers on hazards, controls, and safe working practices✓

Answer: Employers must consult workers on health and safety (the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 and the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996), and supervisors put that into practice on site. Workers often identify hazards that others miss, leading to better control measures.

What is the purpose of a Permit to Work in relation to risk assessment?

• ATo record attendance and the working hours of each operative
• BTo control high-risk work and ensure risk assessment findings are implemented✓
• CTo bypass the need for a formal risk assessment on particularly urgent high-risk work
• DTo document worker training records, with no bearing on the control of site risks

Answer: Permit to Work systems ensure that high-risk activities are properly assessed, authorised, and controlled. The permit verifies that precautions from the risk assessment are in place.

When assessing the risk of a new task, what information should be reviewed?

• AThe contract price and the payment terms agreed for the new task
• BThe supervisor's own personal experience, without consulting other sources of data
• CThe work should simply proceed on the day, with information reviewed after it finishes
• DHistorical data, similar site experiences, hazard databases, and expert opinion✓

Answer: A thorough risk assessment reviews multiple information sources: accident reports, industry data, manufacturer guidance, COSHH data sheets, and consultation with experienced practitioners.

What should be included in a site-specific risk assessment?

• AGeneric construction hazards, copied directly from a standard industry template
• BSite-specific hazards, existing controls, and residual risks✓
• CThe single most severe hazard identified, with lower-risk items left out of it
• DHazards identified and listed by the HSE

Answer: A site-specific risk assessment addresses the actual hazards present at that location, the existing or proposed controls, and the remaining risk after controls are implemented.

How frequently should risk assessments be reviewed?

• AOnce per year, as part of a fixed annual review cycle regardless of site changes
• BAt the end of each contract, ready for use on the next similar project
• CA risk assessment is a one-time activity that stays valid without further review
• DRegularly and whenever work methods or conditions change✓

Answer: Risk assessments must be reviewed regularly and whenever there are significant changes. This ensures they remain suitable and sufficient for current work activities.

What is dynamic risk assessment?

• AContinuous assessment and adjustment of controls during work✓
• BA formal written assessment completed in advance and filed until the work ends
• CAn assessment carried out by the HSE when it visits the site unannounced
• DAn assessment that is carried out once per calendar month on a fixed date

Answer: Dynamic risk assessment is an ongoing process where supervisors continuously reassess hazards and controls as work progresses and conditions change. It's a key part of day-to-day supervision.

When developing a Method Statement for excavation work, which of the following is essential?

• AThe overall project timeline and the deadline for completing the groundworks
• BHazards, ground conditions, support systems, emergency procedures, and supervision arrangements✓
• CJust the type of equipment being used to dig and remove the excavated material
• DThe planned depth of the excavation, without regard to other factors

Answer: A Method Statement for excavation must address all key hazards: ground conditions, cave-in prevention, competent persons, rescue equipment, and emergency procedures.

Who should approve a Method Statement before work commences?

• AThe worker who will perform the task, signing it off themselves on the day
• BThe site's first aider, as the person responsible for health matters on site
• CThe supervisor and/or site manager, and relevant competent person✓
• DThe client's quantity surveyor, as part of the contract valuation process

Answer: Method Statements must be approved by the supervisor/manager and, for highly specialised work, by competent persons with relevant expertise before work begins.

What is COSHH and how does it relate to risk assessment?

• AA type of specialist mixing tool used on site for handling and dispensing various chemicals safely
• BControl of Substances Hazardous to Health - requires specific risk assessment of chemical exposure✓
• CA construction safety certification awarded to individual workers after completing a training course
• DA method of storing hazardous materials safely in a designated area away from the main works

Answer: COSHH Regulations require risk assessment of all hazardous substances used on site. This includes identifying exposure routes, potential health effects, and appropriate controls.