Engineering Technician (EngTech) Health, Safety, Environment and Risk Management Syllabus

What is a 'safe system of work' (SSoW)?

A formal, documented procedure resulting from systematic examination of a task that identifies hazards and defines safe methods to ensure hazards are eliminated or risks minimised.

What does the 'isolation' and 'lock-out/tag-out' (LOTO) procedure achieve in a safe system of work?

It ensures energy sources (electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic) are positively disconnected and locked off with a personal lock/tag so equipment cannot be re-energised while work is carried out.

List the typical key steps of a permit-to-work lifecycle.

Issue (authorisation and precautions specified), Receipt/acceptance by worker, Clearance/return on completion, and Cancellation — with cross-referencing for parallel permits and time limits.

Distinguish between a 'hazard' and a 'risk'.

A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm; risk is the likelihood that the hazard will cause harm combined with the severity of that harm.

What is the qualitative relationship used to express risk in a basic risk assessment?

$$\text{Risk} = \text{Likelihood} \times \text{Severity}$$ where each factor is typically scored on a scale (e.g. 1–5) to give a risk rating.

Name the main categories of workplace hazards used when identifying hazards.

Physical (noise, vibration, heat), Chemical, Biological, Ergonomic/Mechanical, Psychosocial, and Environmental/electrical hazards.

What are the three main ways a chemical can enter the body (routes of exposure)?

Inhalation (breathing in), absorption (through skin/eyes), and ingestion (swallowing); injection is sometimes added as a fourth route.

What is the recommended A-weighted daily noise exposure level at which the upper action value triggers mandatory hearing protection under the Noise Regulations?

An upper exposure action value of $L_{EX,8h} = 85\ \mathrm{dB(A)}$ (with a peak of $137\ \mathrm{dB(C)}$), above which hearing protection use is mandatory and zones must be designated.

What are the five steps of risk assessment as set out 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 the assessment and update as necessary.

List the hierarchy of control measures in order of preference.

1) Elimination; 2) Substitution; 3) Engineering controls (isolation/guarding); 4) Administrative controls (procedures, training, signage); 5) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

What makes a risk assessment 'suitable and sufficient' under the MHSWR?

It identifies significant risks, enables identification and prioritisation of measures, is appropriate to the nature of the work, and remains valid for a reasonable period.

What is 'residual risk'?

The level of risk that remains after all reasonably practicable control measures have been applied; it must be acceptable/tolerable for work to proceed.

In a 5×5 risk matrix, how is the risk rating obtained and how are priorities assigned?

Multiply likelihood score (1–5) by severity score (1–5) to give a value from 1 to 25; higher products (e.g. 15–25) are high/intolerable priority, mid-range medium, and low products (1–6) low priority.

What is the difference between a 'generic' and a 'task-specific' risk assessment?

A generic assessment covers common hazards of a recurring activity across similar situations; a task-specific (or dynamic) assessment addresses the particular hazards of a unique job, location, or changing conditions.

What is the immediate priority sequence at the scene of a workplace incident?

Make the area safe (remove/control ongoing danger), preserve life by giving first aid and summoning emergency help, prevent escalation, then preserve the scene for investigation.

What is the purpose of accident/incident investigation?

To establish the immediate, underlying and root causes so that corrective actions can prevent recurrence — not to apportion blame.

Define a 'near miss' and explain why it should be reported.

A near miss is an unplanned event that did not cause injury or damage but had the potential to; reporting it allows hazards to be corrected before an actual loss occurs.

What is the difference between the 'immediate cause' and the 'root cause' of an accident?

The immediate cause is the unsafe act or condition that directly led to the event; the root cause is the underlying management/system failure (e.g. lack of training, poor maintenance) that allowed the immediate cause to exist.

How long must an accident be recorded in the accident book, and which Regulations require it?

Accident records (Accident Book BI 510) must be kept for at least 3 years; record-keeping supports RIDDOR 2013 and the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations.

What does the acronym in the 'first aid emergency response' DRABC stand for?

Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation — the primary survey sequence for assessing a casualty.

What is the main piece of UK legislation establishing an integrated pollution control and environmental permitting framework?

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA 1990), supported by the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

What is the legal 'duty of care' for waste under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990?

Anyone who produces, carries, keeps, treats or disposes of controlled waste must ensure it is stored safely, transferred only to authorised persons, and accompanied by an accurate written description (waste transfer note).

What is the 'waste hierarchy' that must be applied as a priority order?

1) Prevention; 2) Preparing for re-use; 3) Recycling; 4) Other recovery (e.g. energy recovery); 5) Disposal (landfill) as the last resort.

Which UK regulator enforces environmental legislation in England, and which body covers Scotland?

The Environment Agency (EA) in England; the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Scotland (Natural Resources Wales in Wales).

What is a Waste Transfer Note (WTN) and how long must it be kept?

A document describing transferred non-hazardous waste, the parties involved and the waste classification (EWC code); it must be retained for at least 2 years (3 years for a hazardous waste consignment note).

Define 'sustainable development' as commonly applied in engineering practice.

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs — balancing economic, social and environmental factors.

Name three practical sustainable working practices an engineering technician can apply on site.

Reduce energy/resource use (efficient plant, switch-off policies), minimise and segregate waste for recycling, and select low-impact/recycled materials and reusable components.

What does an environmental management system (EMS) standard such as ISO 14001 provide?

A framework for identifying environmental aspects/impacts, setting objectives, controlling operations and continually improving environmental performance through the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle.

What is a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and which section gives handling and storage guidance?

An SDS provides 16 standardised sections of information on a hazardous substance; Section 7 covers handling and storage, while Sections 4–6 cover first aid, firefighting and accidental release measures.

Under the CLP/GHS system, what do the hazard pictograms communicate and give two examples.

They communicate the type of hazard of a chemical; examples include the flame (flammable), skull and crossbones (acute toxicity), corrosion symbol (corrosive to skin/metals), and exploding bomb (explosive).

What precautions are essential for the safe disposal of hazardous waste from an engineering workshop (e.g. oils, solvents, batteries)?

Segregate by type, store in labelled compatible containers with secondary containment/bunding, use a licensed/registered waste carrier, complete a hazardous waste consignment note, and dispose only at a permitted facility.