Incorporated Engineer (IEng) Health, Safety and Environmental Responsibility Syllabus

Health, Safety and Environmental Responsibility 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 Responsibility in Incorporated Engineer (IEng), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Health and Safety Legislation and Management

   4 topics

   • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act and key regulations
     • Duties of employers, employees and the self-employed
     • CDM, COSHH, PUWER and relevant sector regulations
   • Safe systems of work and permits to work
   • Risk assessment and the hierarchy of control
   • Incident reporting, investigation and RIDDOR
2. 2

   Safety in Design and Operation

   3 topics

   • Designing for safety and inherent safety principles
   • Hazard identification and safe operating procedures
   • Functional safety and protective systems concepts
3. 3

   Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship

   4 topics

   • Environmental legislation and duty of care
   • Sustainable development and resource efficiency
     • Energy, waste and emissions management
     • Circular economy and life-cycle thinking
   • Carbon reduction and climate-responsible engineering
   • Balancing technical, economic and societal needs

Health, Safety and Environmental Responsibility flashcards for Incorporated Engineer (IEng)

24 of 50 cards from the Health, Safety and Environmental Responsibility deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the primary purpose of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA)?

   It is the primary piece of UK legislation covering occupational health and safety. It places general duties on employers, employees, the self-employed, and those in control of premises to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of people at work and others affected by work activities.

2. Under HSWA Section 2, what general duty does an employer owe to employees?

   To ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees — including safe plant and systems of work, safe handling of substances, information/training/supervision, a safe workplace, and a safe working environment.

3. Under HSWA Section 3, what duty applies regarding non-employees?

   Employers and the self-employed must conduct their undertaking so as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in their employment (e.g. the public, contractors, visitors) are not exposed to risks to their health or safety.

4. What duties do employees owe under HSWA Section 7?

   To take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others affected by their acts or omissions, and to co-operate with their employer to enable compliance with statutory duties.

5. What does HSWA Section 8 prohibit?

   No person shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety or welfare (e.g. guards, alarms, PPE).

6. Define the legal test 'so far as is reasonably practicable' (SFAIRP).

   A duty-holder must weigh the risk (likelihood and severity of harm) against the cost, time and trouble of control measures. If the cost is grossly disproportionate to the risk reduction, the measure need not be taken. Risk is balanced against sacrifice, not eliminated at any cost.

7. What is the role of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR)?

   They require employers to carry out a 'suitable and sufficient' risk assessment of work activities, implement preventive/protective measures based on the principles of prevention, appoint competent persons, provide health surveillance, information and training, and arrange emergency procedures.

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

   A formal, defined procedure resulting from a systematic examination of a task that identifies hazards and specifies safe methods to ensure the task is carried out without risk. It integrates people, equipment, materials and the environment into a co-ordinated safe method.

9. What is a permit-to-work system and when is it used?

   A formal documented control system that authorises specific high-risk work to proceed under defined conditions. It is used for hazardous tasks such as hot work, confined space entry, work on live electrical systems, and breaking into pressurised lines — ensuring isolation, communication and accountability before work begins.

10. List the key stages of a permit-to-work cycle.

    Issue (hazards assessed, precautions specified, work authorised), Receipt/acceptance (worker acknowledges conditions), Clearance/return (work complete, area made safe), and Cancellation (permit closed, plant returned to operation).

11. What are the five steps of risk assessment 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 significant findings and implement them; 5) Review the assessment and update as necessary.

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

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

13. Give the qualitative formula commonly used to express risk in a risk assessment.

    $$\text{Risk} = \text{Likelihood} \times \text{Severity}$$ A risk matrix multiplies the likelihood rating by the consequence/severity rating to give a risk score used for ranking and prioritisation.

14. State the hierarchy of control measures in order of effectiveness (most to least).

    1) Elimination; 2) Substitution; 3) Engineering controls (isolation/guarding); 4) Administrative controls (procedures, training, signage); 5) Personal protective equipment (PPE). Higher levels are preferred because they reduce risk at source rather than relying on behaviour.

15. Why is PPE considered the last resort in the hierarchy of control?

    Because it protects only the wearer, relies on correct use and fit, does not remove the hazard at source, can fail or be removed, and depends on human behaviour — making it the least reliable control measure.

16. What does ERIC PD stand for as a mnemonic for the hierarchy of control?

    Eliminate, Reduce/Substitute, Isolate, Control (engineering), then PPE and Discipline (administrative measures). It is an aide-memoire for applying controls in order of effectiveness.

17. What does RIDDOR stand for and what is its purpose?

    Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. It requires employers and responsible persons to report specified workplace injuries, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences to the enforcing authority (HSE), enabling investigation and trend analysis.

18. Under RIDDOR, what is the reporting threshold for an 'over-seven-day' injury?

    An injury that incapacitates a worker for more than seven consecutive days (not counting the day of the accident) must be reported to the HSE within 15 days of the accident.

19. Give three examples of injuries/events that are reportable under RIDDOR.

    Work-related deaths; specified injuries (e.g. fractures other than fingers/toes, amputations, loss of sight, serious burns); over-seven-day incapacitation injuries; certain occupational diseases (e.g. occupational asthma); and dangerous occurrences (near-miss events such as collapse of scaffolding or explosion).

20. What are the main stages of an incident investigation?

    1) Gather information (secure the scene, collect evidence and witness statements); 2) Analyse the information to find immediate and underlying/root causes; 3) Identify suitable risk-control measures; 4) Plan the action and implement/review changes to prevent recurrence.

21. Distinguish between immediate, underlying and root causes of an incident.

    Immediate causes are the unsafe acts/conditions directly producing the harm (e.g. missing guard). Underlying causes are management/organisational factors behind them (e.g. no maintenance schedule). Root causes are the fundamental failures in the safety management system that allowed the underlying causes to exist.

22. What is the difference between a 'near miss' and an 'accident'?

    An accident is an unplanned event that results in injury, ill health or damage. A near miss is an unplanned event that had the potential to cause harm but did not — reporting near misses is valuable for proactive prevention.

23. What is meant by 'designing for safety' (Prevention through Design)?

    Addressing occupational and process safety hazards at the design stage of a product, plant or process — where changes are cheapest and most effective — by eliminating or reducing hazards before they reach construction, operation or use, rather than relying on later procedural controls.

24. What is the principle of 'inherent safety' in process design?

    Designing a process so that hazards are eliminated or reduced by the nature of the design itself rather than by added-on protective systems. The four key strategies are: minimise (intensification), substitute, moderate (attenuate), and simplify.

See more Health, Safety and Environmental Responsibility flashcards →

Planning Health, Safety and Environmental Responsibility for Incorporated Engineer (IEng)

Health, Safety and Environmental Responsibility (Incorporated Engineer (IEng)) FAQ