Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Card Site Hazards, Risk Control and Welfare Syllabus

Site Hazards, Risk Control and Welfare syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Site Hazards, Risk Control and Welfare in Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Card, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Personal Protective Equipment and Site Welfare

   4 topics

   • Types of PPE and correct selection
     • Head, eye, hearing, respiratory, hand and foot protection
     • High-visibility clothing
   • PPE as a last resort in the control hierarchy
   • Welfare facilities required on site
     • Toilets, washing, drinking water, rest and drying areas
   • Personal hygiene and dermatitis prevention
2. 2

   Fire, Electrical and Confined Space Hazards

   4 topics

   • Fire prevention and the fire triangle
     • Hot works permits and extinguisher types
   • Electrical safety on site
     • 110V reduced low voltage and battery tools
     • Overhead and buried services
   • Confined spaces hazards and controls
   • Gas, fumes and oxygen-deficient atmospheres
3. 3

   Manual Handling, Slips, Trips and Housekeeping

   4 topics

   • Manual Handling Operations Regulations and safe lifting technique
   • Mechanical aids and team lifting
   • Slips, trips and falls on the level
     • Trailing leads, spillages, poor lighting
   • Good housekeeping and material storage
4. 4

   Hazardous Substances and Environmental Awareness

   4 topics

   • COSHH and control of hazardous substances
     • Safety data sheets and exposure routes
   • Asbestos awareness
     • Asbestos-containing materials and the duty to manage
     • Licensed vs. non-licensed work and stop-and-report rules
   • Dust, silica and respiratory health
     • Respirable crystalline silica controls
   • Environmental protection, waste and pollution prevention

Site Hazards, Risk Control and Welfare flashcards for Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Card

19 of 50 cards from the Site Hazards, Risk Control and Welfare deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the three control measures in the hierarchy that should always be considered before PPE, and where does PPE rank?

   Elimination/substitution, engineering controls, and administrative/safe systems of work all come first. PPE is the LAST resort, used only when risks cannot be adequately controlled by other means.

2. List five common types of PPE used on a construction site and the hazard each protects against.

   Hard hat (falling/striking objects), safety boots with steel toe and midsole (crushing/penetration), hi-vis clothing (being struck by vehicles/plant), gloves (cuts/chemicals), and eye protection/goggles (dust, debris, splashes). Hearing protection guards against noise and RPE guards against airborne contaminants.

3. Why is PPE considered the least effective control measure in the risk control hierarchy?

   It only protects the individual wearer (not others), relies on being worn correctly and consistently, does nothing to remove the hazard, can fail or be misused, and is often uncomfortable — so it controls exposure rather than the source of risk.

4. Who must provide PPE to workers and at what cost, under UK regulations?

   The employer must provide suitable PPE free of charge where risks cannot otherwise be controlled, and must ensure it is maintained, stored, and that workers are trained in its correct use.

5. What factors must be considered when selecting the correct PPE for a task?

   The specific hazard, the level of protection required (e.g. correct EN standard/rating), correct fit for the wearer, compatibility with other PPE, comfort, and the conditions of the task/environment.

6. What welfare facilities must, as a minimum, be provided on a construction site?

   Toilets, washing facilities (with hot and cold/warm running water, soap and means of drying), drinking water, a place to store/dry/change clothing, and rest facilities including a means to heat food and boil water.

7. Why must washing facilities on site provide hot or warm water as well as soap?

   To allow effective removal of contaminants (cement, dust, oils, chemicals) from the skin, which helps prevent dermatitis and other occupational skin diseases.

8. What is occupational dermatitis and what commonly causes it on construction sites?

   Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin (redness, itching, cracking, blistering). On site it is commonly caused by contact with wet cement, solvents, oils, resins and other irritants/sensitisers.

9. Name three practical measures to prevent occupational dermatitis.

   Avoid direct skin contact (use tools/barriers), wear suitable gloves, wash skin promptly with warm water and soap, dry thoroughly, and apply moisturising/after-work creams. Pre-work barrier creams may help but are not a substitute for gloves.

10. State the three components of the fire triangle.

    Fuel, oxygen, and heat (ignition source). Removing any one of the three extinguishes or prevents a fire.

11. How does the fire triangle inform the methods used to extinguish a fire?

    Each extinguishing method removes one side: cooling removes heat (water), smothering removes oxygen (foam/CO2/blanket), and starving removes fuel (turning off gas/clearing combustibles).

12. Match the fire extinguisher colour codes to their contents: water, foam, CO2, dry powder.

    Water = red label, Foam = cream label, CO2 = black label, Dry powder = blue label. (Wet chemical = yellow label.) The body is red with a coloured band/panel.

13. Which classes of fire are which, A through F?

    Class A = solids (wood, paper); Class B = flammable liquids; Class C = flammable gases; Class D = metals; Class F = cooking oils/fats. Electrical fires are shown by an electric spark symbol (not a lettered class).

14. Why must water and foam extinguishers NOT be used on live electrical fires?

    Water and water-based foam conduct electricity, creating a risk of electric shock to the operator. Use CO2 or dry powder on live electrical equipment instead.

15. What is the safest voltage for portable electric tools on a UK construction site, and how is it supplied?

    110 V is the recommended/safest supply for portable tools, supplied through a centre-tapped-to-earth transformer so the maximum voltage to earth is only 55 V, reducing shock severity.

16. Identify the standard UK 110 V and 230 V site plug/socket colours.

    110 V is yellow; 230 V is blue. (400 V three-phase is red.) Colour coding prevents tools being connected to the wrong voltage.

17. What device provides additional protection against electric shock when 230 V tools must be used, and how does it work?

    An RCD (Residual Current Device). It detects an imbalance between live and neutral currents (current leaking to earth/through a person) and disconnects the supply rapidly, typically tripping at around 30 mA.

18. What precautions reduce the risk of contacting overhead and underground electrical services?

    Locate services using drawings and a cable avoidance tool (CAT) before digging; for overhead lines use goal posts, barriers, exclusion zones and banksmen; assume all cables are live until proven dead.

19. Define a confined space and give two examples found on construction sites.

    A confined space is a substantially enclosed space where there is a reasonably foreseeable serious risk from hazardous substances or conditions (e.g. lack of oxygen). Examples: manholes/sewers, tanks, deep excavations, ducts, silos, and unventilated cellars.

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