NEBOSH National General Certificate Workplace, Transport and Movement Hazards Syllabus

Workplace, Transport and Movement Hazards syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Workplace, Transport and Movement Hazards in NEBOSH National General Certificate, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   General Workplace Welfare and Work Environment

   3 topics

   • Welfare Facilities
     • Sanitary and washing facilities
     • Drinking water, rest and changing areas
   • The Working Environment
     • Temperature, ventilation and lighting
     • Space, seating and cleanliness
   • Housekeeping and Waste Management
2. 2

   Slips, Trips and Falls from Height

   4 topics

   • Causes and Control of Slips and Trips
     • Flooring, contamination and obstructions
     • Footwear and housekeeping controls
   • Work at Height Hazards and Controls
     • Work at Height Regulations 2005 hierarchy
     • Avoiding work at height where possible
     • Collective versus personal fall protection
   • Access Equipment
     • Ladders and stepladders
     • Scaffolds and tower scaffolds
     • Mobile elevating work platforms
   • Protection Against Falling Objects
3. 3

   Workplace Transport and Vehicle Safety

   3 topics

   • Vehicle Operations Hazards
     • Collisions, overturning and people being struck
     • Loading, unloading and reversing
   • Controlling Transport Risks
     • Segregation of pedestrians and vehicles
     • Traffic routes, signage and speed limits
     • Site rules and visibility aids
   • Driving for Work
     • Managing occupational road risk
     • Driver competence, vehicle and journey factors

Workplace, Transport and Movement Hazards flashcards for NEBOSH National General Certificate

25 of 51 cards from the Workplace, Transport and Movement Hazards deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the main types of welfare facilities an employer must provide for workers under UK workplace welfare requirements?

   Sanitary conveniences (toilets), washing facilities (with hot/cold water, soap, drying means), drinking water, accommodation for clothing/changing, and facilities for rest and to eat meals.

2. Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, what must drinking water provision meet?

   An adequate supply of wholesome drinking water must be readily accessible at suitable places, conspicuously marked, with cups or a drinking fountain provided unless it is a jet from which people can drink easily.

3. What three key environmental factors define a comfortable thermal working environment?

   Air temperature, air movement (ventilation), and humidity; together with radiant heat and personal factors such as clothing and work rate they determine thermal comfort.

4. What is the suggested minimum workplace temperature for sedentary (indoor) work and for work involving physical effort?

   At least $16^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ for normal/sedentary work, and at least $13^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ where work involves rigorous physical effort.

5. What is the difference between natural and mechanical (artificial) ventilation in a workplace?

   Natural ventilation uses openings such as windows and doors relying on wind/temperature differences, while mechanical ventilation uses fans/plant to supply or extract air, giving controlled and reliable air change rates.

6. Why is adequate lighting important in the working environment, and what should be avoided?

   Good lighting lets people see hazards and work safely; glare, shadows, stroboscopic effects and poor contrast should be avoided, and emergency lighting should be provided for use if normal lighting fails.

7. What is meant by 'housekeeping' in the context of workplace safety?

   Keeping the workplace clean, tidy and organised so that floors, walkways and work areas are free of obstructions, spillages and waste, reducing slip, trip, fire and health hazards.

8. List the main stages of effective waste management in the workplace.

   Segregation/separation of waste types, suitable storage in labelled containers, safe handling/movement, and proper disposal or recycling using authorised carriers, following the waste hierarchy (reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, dispose).

9. What is the recognised 'waste hierarchy' order of preference for managing waste?

   Prevention/reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery (e.g. energy recovery), and finally disposal as the least preferred option.

10. Define a 'slip' and a 'trip' as workplace hazards.

    A slip occurs when there is too little friction/grip between footwear and the walking surface causing a loss of balance; a trip occurs when a foot strikes or catches an object/uneven surface causing a person to lose balance and fall.

11. Name four common causes of slips in the workplace.

    Wet or contaminated floors (spillages, water, oil), unsuitable or worn floor surfaces, inappropriate footwear, and sudden changes in floor surface or level; weather (rain/ice) at entrances is also common.

12. Name four common causes of trips in the workplace.

    Trailing cables, obstructions/objects left in walkways, uneven or damaged flooring, and changes in level such as unmarked steps or ramps; poor lighting worsens the risk.

13. What practical controls reduce slip and trip hazards?

    Prompt clean-up of spillages, suitable slip-resistant flooring and footwear, keeping walkways clear, good lighting, marking changes in level, effective drainage, and good housekeeping procedures.

14. Define 'work at height' under the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

    Work in any place where, if precautions were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury — including work above, at or below ground level and access to/egress from such a place.

15. State the hierarchy of control for work at height.

    Avoid work at height where possible; if not, prevent falls using a safe existing place of work or collective protection (e.g. guard rails); then minimise the distance and consequences of a fall using collective measures (e.g. nets/airbags) before personal measures (e.g. fall arrest).

16. What is the difference between fall prevention and fall arrest equipment?

    Fall prevention (e.g. guard rails, work restraint) stops a person from reaching a position where they could fall; fall arrest (e.g. harness with energy-absorbing lanyard, safety nets) limits the consequences once a fall has already begun.

17. Give four hazards associated with working on or near a fragile roof.

    Falling through fragile materials (e.g. asbestos cement, rooflights), falls from the edge, falling objects to people below, and adverse weather such as wind or ice; deteriorated/hidden fragile areas increase risk.

18. What is a 'ladder' classed as in the hierarchy of access equipment, and when is its use justified?

    A ladder is portable access equipment justified only for low-risk, short-duration work (a guide of up to about 30 minutes in one position) where it can be used safely and a more suitable platform is not reasonably practicable.

19. State the recommended safe angle for a leaning ladder.

    A ratio of $1:4$ (1 unit out for every 4 units up), giving an angle of approximately $75^{\circ}$ to the horizontal.

20. What checks should be made before using a ladder?

    Inspect for damage (stiles, rungs, feet), ensure it is on firm level ground, secured/footed against slipping, the correct length, rated for the load, and positioned at the correct $1:4$ angle with adequate handhold at the top.

21. What is a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) and give two main types.

    A MEWP is powered access equipment that lifts personnel to height on a platform; main types include scissor lifts (vertical movement) and boom/cherry-picker lifts (vertical and horizontal/outreach movement).

22. Name a key hazard specific to boom-type MEWPs and a control for it.

    Catapulting/ejection or crushing/trapping of the operator against an overhead structure; controls include wearing a harness with a short restraint lanyard attached to the basket, secondary guarding/anti-entrapment devices, and trained operators with rescue plans.

23. What is the difference between an independent tied scaffold and a mobile tower scaffold?

    An independent tied scaffold is a fixed structure tied to the building for support, erected by competent persons; a mobile tower is a free-standing, wheeled tower (often prefabricated/aluminium) that can be moved but must have brakes applied and a safe base-to-height ratio when in use.

24. How frequently must scaffolds be inspected under work-at-height requirements?

    Before first use, then at suitable intervals not exceeding every 7 days, and after any event likely to affect strength/stability such as high winds or alteration; results recorded by a competent person.

25. List three measures to protect people from falling objects.

    Toe boards, brick guards and netting on platform edges; exclusion zones/barriers beneath the work; covered walkways and debris chutes; plus not storing materials near edges and securing tools (e.g. lanyards).

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