City & Guilds Electrical Installation (Level 3) Health, Safety and Environmental Practice in Building Services Engineering Syllabus

Health, Safety and Environmental Practice in Building Services Engineering syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Health, Safety and Environmental Practice in Building Services Engineering in City & Guilds Electrical Installation (Level 3), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Legislation and Statutory Duties

   4 topics

   • Primary safety legislation
     • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
   • Roles and responsibilities
     • Duties of employers and employees
     • Self-employed and duty of care to others
     • Role of the HSE and enforcement notices
   • Specific regulations affecting electrical work
     • COSHH 2002 and hazardous substances
     • PUWER 1998 and work equipment
     • RIDDOR reporting requirements
     • Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
   • Construction site requirements
     • CDM Regulations 2015 duty holders
     • Work at Height Regulations 2005
2. 2

   Risk Assessment and Safe Systems of Work

   4 topics

   • Hazard identification and risk evaluation
     • Difference between hazard and risk
     • Five steps of risk assessment
     • Likelihood and severity scoring
   • Method statements and permits
     • Producing a method statement
     • Permit-to-work systems
   • Safe isolation procedures
     • Selecting approved voltage indicators
     • Proving dead and proving unit use
     • Locking off and warning notices
   • Hierarchy of control measures
3. 3

   Working Environment Hazards and Controls

   5 topics

   • Electrical hazards
     • Effects of electric shock on the body
     • Arc flash and burns
     • Reducing risk with reduced low voltage and RCDs
   • Access equipment and working at height
     • Ladders, stepladders and podium steps
     • Mobile elevating work platforms and towers
   • Hazardous substances and PPE
     • Asbestos awareness
     • Selection and use of personal protective equipment
   • Fire safety and emergency procedures
     • Classes of fire and extinguisher selection
     • First aid and accident response
   • Manual handling and ergonomics

Health, Safety and Environmental Practice in Building Services Engineering flashcards for City & Guilds Electrical Installation (Level 3)

21 of 51 cards from the Health, Safety and Environmental Practice in Building Services Engineering deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the primary piece of UK legislation governing workplace health and safety, and what year was it introduced?

   The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). It is the overarching 'enabling' Act under which most other health and safety regulations are made.

2. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, what general duty does Section 2 place on employers?

   To ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees (including safe plant, systems of work, training, information and a safe working environment).

3. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, what does Section 7 require of employees?

   To take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others affected by their acts/omissions, and to cooperate with the employer on health and safety matters.

4. What does the legal phrase 'so far as is reasonably practicable' (SFAIRP) mean?

   The level of risk must be weighed against the time, trouble, cost and effort needed to control it; controls are required unless their cost is grossly disproportionate to the risk reduction gained.

5. Which regulations require employers to assess and manage risks, and how many employees trigger the need for a written risk assessment?

   The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. A written (recorded) risk assessment is legally required where 5 or more people are employed.

6. What is the role and enforcement power of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)?

   The HSE is the national regulator enforcing health and safety law. Inspectors can enter premises, investigate, and issue improvement notices, prohibition notices and prosecute offenders.

7. What is the difference between an HSE Improvement Notice and a Prohibition Notice?

   An Improvement Notice requires a breach to be remedied within a set time period; a Prohibition Notice stops a dangerous activity immediately (or after a stated time) because of risk of serious personal injury.

8. Which regulations specifically govern electrical safety at work in the UK?

   The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAWR).

9. Under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, what is the requirement regarding work on or near live conductors?

   Regulation 14 states that work on or near live conductors must not be carried out unless it is unreasonable to make them dead, it is reasonable to work live, and suitable precautions are taken. The default is to work dead (isolated).

10. What does the term 'competent person' mean under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989?

    A person with sufficient technical knowledge, skill and experience (and awareness of their limitations) to avoid danger and injury when carrying out the electrical work concerned.

11. What is the purpose of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015)?

    To plan, manage and coordinate health, safety and welfare throughout all phases of a construction project, defining duty holders such as the client, principal designer and principal contractor.

12. Under CDM 2015, when must a construction project be notified to the HSE (form F10)?

    When the work is scheduled to last longer than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers simultaneously, OR exceed 500 person-days of work.

13. What welfare facilities must be provided on a construction site under CDM 2015?

    Toilets, washing facilities (with hot and cold water), drinking water, somewhere to change and store clothing, and a place to rest and eat meals.

14. What is the legal definition of a 'hazard' versus a 'risk' in health and safety?

    A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm (e.g. electricity, a chemical, working at height). A risk is the likelihood that the hazard will cause harm, combined with the severity of that harm.

15. State the conceptual relationship used to evaluate the level of risk.

    $\text{Risk} = \text{Likelihood} \times \text{Severity}$, where likelihood is the chance of harm occurring and severity is how serious the resulting harm would be.

16. What are the five steps of carrying out a risk assessment as recommended by the HSE?

    1) Identify the hazards; 2) Decide who might be harmed and how; 3) Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions; 4) Record findings and implement them; 5) Review and update the assessment.

17. In a 5x5 risk matrix, how is the risk rating calculated and what would a likelihood of 4 and severity of 5 give?

    Risk rating = likelihood score multiplied by severity score. A likelihood of 4 and severity of 5 gives $4 \times 5 = 20$, indicating a high/intolerable risk requiring immediate action.

18. What is a method statement (safe system of work)?

    A document that describes step-by-step how a specific high-risk task will be carried out safely, detailing the sequence of work, hazards, control measures, equipment and personnel required.

19. What is a permit to work and when is it used?

    A formal documented authorisation system used for high-risk activities (e.g. live working, hot work, confined spaces) that specifies the work, controls and authorised persons, and must be signed off before work starts and on completion.

20. What does the acronym 'RAMS' stand for in construction safety documentation?

    Risk Assessment and Method Statement — combined documents that identify hazards/controls and the safe step-by-step procedure for a task.

21. List, in correct order, the steps of the safe isolation procedure for a single circuit.

    1) Identify the circuit/equipment; 2) Obtain permission to isolate; 3) Switch off and isolate; 4) Secure the isolation (lock off with a unique key/padlock); 5) Post warning notices; 6) Verify the approved voltage indicator on a known live source; 7) Test the circuit is dead; 8) Re-prove the voltage indicator on the known source.

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