Health & safety

Quesion 1.         Why is Health and Safety important?

Because it affects you! We take significant risks in our jobs regularly, be it driving in connection with your work, being at a premises or on site.

Serious accidents at work destroy and disrupt family and personal lives. The loss of a parent, breadwinner, partner, friend is devastating and trying to rebuild a life after a serious accident can be equally traumatic, especially if it could have been avoided.

You have a critical role, whatever part you play in the industry. Decisions taken in the Boardroom can have as much influence on Health and Safety as working practices in the office, travelling on business or being at a property or on site. Adequate planning, innovation and best practice, good design, sufficient resources and effective training will provide a better product more safely and more economically.

This guide has been produced by the new RICS Health and Safety Forum to help you put health and safety first when carrying out your duties and responsibilities. It will also remind you of the many aspects of our industry that can be hazardous.

Using effective health and safety procedures will:

•     Provide a safer environment for those involved in property and construction.

•     Result in higher productivity, and

•     Lessen the chance of having accidents or suffering illness.

If we are to make a difference, and make our industry a safer place to work, we have to take personal responsibility to make it happen by eliminating or reducing risks, and planning and controlling the risks that remain for ourselves, to our colleagues and the public at large.

You can make a difference by putting Health and Safety first:

Quesion 2.         Safety of yourself -

•     Ensure that you are familiar with your organisation’s health and safety policy and arrangements for implementing safe working procedures.

•     Comply with the office safety policy and ensure that any equipment you may use is in good and safe condition.

•     Comply with your organisation’s safe systems of work, or ensure one is put in place prior to carrying out work, particularly where a risk assessment shows that a hazard exists.

•     Refuse to overlook unsafe working practices by yourself or others and distribute information on hazards;

•     Ensure that your advice to clients will minimise the risk to the health and safety of others.

•     Ensure you are aware of any hazards which may exist, together with any safe working instructions, which have been issued by clients prior to carrying work at their premises

•   If you are working alone, ensure that you follow your organisation’s lone working procedures In other words, follow the dictates of common sense.

Quesion 3.         Safety of others -

You are responsible for anyone under your supervision, particularly those in training or who are inexperienced, and also towards anyone who may be affected by your or their work.

•     Make sure that anyone in your charge takes the right equipment with them on visits. Check that they know how to use it and that it is safe to use.

•     Ensure that a suitable and sufficient risk assessment has been carried out of the tasks to be performed, and a safe working method is in place which has been communicated to and understood prior to any field work taking place.

•     Ensure everyone has suitable and sufficient information , training and instruction regarding health and safety matters for the task in hand.

•     Check available records of hazards on particular sites and make sure that all relevant people are notified.

•     Ensure, wherever necessary that precautions are put in place to safeguard anyone who may be in the vicinity of works and unaware of the possible hazards.

•     Make sure that the right equipment is used. Helmets, safety shoes, ear defenders, face masks, overalls, torches and batteries. Do not use any equipment which is defective but report it to your employer.

Finally, the best way to ensure safe practice by people in your charge is to set a good example.

Quesion 4.         What do you understand about CDM? –

Construction Design Management Regulations are aimed at improving the overall management and co-ordination of health, safety and welfare throughout all stages of a construction project to reduce the large numbers of serious and fatal accidents and cases of ill health which occur every year in the construction industry.

The CDM Regulations place duties on all those who can contribute to the health and safety on a construction project. The regulations place duties upon clients, designers, contractors and planning supervisors, and require the production of certain documents – the health and safety plan and the health and safety file.

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 (CDM) require that health and safety is taken into account and managed throughout all stages of a project, from conception, design and planning through to site work and subsequent maintenance and repair of the structure. CDM affects everyone who takes part in the construction process - the client, the designers and the contractors. The Regulations introduce two new roles - the planning supervisor and the principal contractor. The Regulations also introduce the health and safety plan and the health and safety file.

CDM apply to nearly all construction work undertaken in the UK and have imposed significant duties upon construction clients, designers and contractors for Introducing a co-ordinated framework for the management of health and safety throughout the design, construction occupation & demolition process. Three main aspects of CDM are,

·         All parties should be competent H & S and they allocate adequate resource for H&S

·         There should be H & S Plan.

·         There should be H & S File

Quesion 5.         Planning Supervisor (PS) – CDM introduced a new member to the development team with two main responsibilities. Client should appoint the PS.

•     To ensure that designer’s and principal contractor’s pre-contract responsibilities are performed.

•     To prepare the Health & Safety Plan which is delivered to the Principal contractor, and at the end to compile the Health & Safety Files and deliver it to the Client.

Quesion 6.         Employer’s responsibilities under CDM regulations –

·            Every client must appoint a Planning Supervisor

·            Provide information to Planning supervisor

·            Appoint a Principal Contractor

·            Ensure that the designers are competent in Health & Safety matters

·            H & S Plan is prepared by contractor,

·            H & S file is prepared

Quesion 7.         Health & safety Plan –

This is a requirement as per CDM. This comprises the health and safety evaluation prepared by the designers and must be compiled by the planning supervisor and provided to the principal contractor. The contractor should develop the H&S P before the construction starts and should be approved by the client.

Quesion 8.         Health & safety File –

Prepared by planning supervisor. The file contains the design and construction record of the particular project, which must be in future made available by the client to all who subsequently carryout work on the building on his behalf. (Eg. Maintenance)

Quesion 9.         Risk assessment process –

What the hazards are – Who may be at risk (public, employees etc) – Severity of risk – Acceptability of Risk by current controls – Whether further controls are required – The length of time the assessment should remain valid – When the assessment should be reviewed – Fire precautions to be taken

Quesion 10.      Explain about what do you know about COSHH? – Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

Using chemicals or other hazardous substances at work can put people’s health at risk. Therefore a number of sets of regulations dealing with hazardous substances. The objective of COSHH regulations is to prevent workplace disease resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. COSHH Regulations 2002 applies to these matters.

The three primary routes for hazardous substances to enter the human body are: Inhalation, Ingestion (through mouth) and Absorption (Through skin)

Quesion 11.      What are the steps to be taken as per COSHH? –

Assess the risk – Decide what precautions are needed – Prevent or adequately control exposure – Ensure that control measures are used and maintained – Monitor exposure – carry out appropriate health surveillance – Prepare plans and procedures to deal with accidents and emergencies. – Ensure that employees are properly informed and trained.

Quesion 12.      RICS Position on Health & safety management –

Health and safety management should be an integral part of good business and project management as, ultimately, healthier and safer projects are also more profitable projects and all those involved in the construction industry should be committed unequivocally to reducing further on-site risks and hazards with an ultimate goal of preventing all fatalities.

RICS believe that health and safety management should be an integral part of good business and project management as, ultimately, healthier and safer projects are also more profitable projects. All those involved in the construction industry should be committed unequivocally to reducing further on- site risks and hazards with an ultimate goal of preventing all fatalities.

Quesion 13.      What is “Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006” –

These Regulations (2006 November) bring together the three previous sets of Regulations covering the prohibition of asbestos, the control of asbestos at work and asbestos licensing.

The Regulations prohibit the importation, supply and use of all forms of asbestos. They continue the ban introduced for blue and brown asbestos in 1985 and for white asbestos in 1999. They also continue to ban the second-hand use of asbestos products such as asbestos cement sheets and asbestos boards and tiles; including panels which have been covered with paint or textured plaster containing asbestos.

The ban applies to new use of asbestos. If  existing asbestos containing materials are in good condition, they may be left in place; their condition monitored and managed to ensure they are not disturbed.

Quesion 14.      Why is asbestos dangerous?

Asbestos fibres are present in the environment. So people are exposed to very low levels of fibres. However, a key factor in the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease is the total number of fibres breathed in. Working on or near damaged asbestos-containing materials or breathing in high levels of asbestos fibres, which may be many hundreds of times that of environmental levels could increase your chances of getting an asbestos-related disease. Like lung cancer, mesothelioma

Quesion 15.      What precautions you should take while handling a generator?

•     Before operating any generator system, read the Operator's Manual to become familiar with the equipment.

•     Empty the oil tank before you carry it to other places.

•     Never run generator in a garage, carport, crawl space, shed or porch. Place outdoors but under cover to prevent electrocution if unit gets wet.

•     Be sure the generator isn’t positioned outside an open window, it allow fumes into the home.

•     Use a carbon-monoxide alarm that’s battery-operated or has battery backup.

•     Never feed power from a portable generator into a wall outlet. This can kill linemen working to restore     power   or    your    neighbors    who    are    served    by    the    same    transformer. It also can damage your generator.

•     Don’t use power cords that are frayed, torn or cut. This can cause a fire or shock.

•     Store fuel and generator in a ventilated area and away from natural-gas water heaters. Vapors can escape from closed cans and tanks, travel to the pilot light and ignite.

•     Never have wet hands when operating a generator. Never let water come in contact with it.

•     Make sure you have the right cords and connectors.

•     Do not spill oil – It may ignite

•     Before refuelling, always turn the engine off

•     Do not overload the generator. Overloading can seriously damage your valuable appliances.

Quesion 16.      Employer’s responsibilities as per Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974

•     Provide information on health and safety.

•     Undertake risk assessments.

•     Eliminate and control risks.

•     Have insurance.

•     Undertake health surveillance.

•     Provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

•     Make provision for those with special needs.

•     Provide regular health and safety training.

Quesion 17.      Safety Procedures at site – Following points to be considered.

•     Working at height

•     COSHH guidelines

•     Sign boards

•     Power sources (Gas, electricity etc)

•     Lime work (Eg. Lime putty on wall)

•     Stone dust (Inhalation of stone dust)

•     Noise

•     Confined space entry (Oxygen levels may be low)

•     Lead based paints (Ensure adequate ventilation)

•     Manual handling (Guidelines for Lifting the weights)

•     Escorting site visitors (Provide safety equipments, inform any hazards)

Quesion 18.      What  is  the impact on Health &  Safety  of  Design,  Construction process, Building maintenance, Employment of staff.

Quesion 19.      What is SWMP – Site waste management plan. As per the CDM regulation (2007) a project is allowed to start only after a SWMP is in place. Otherwise the project owner and the principal contractor have to face penalty.

Quesion 20.      What is the purpose of Site Waste Management Plans – Contractors should prepare a site waste management system. In UK this is compulsory from April 2008. As per this the contractors should consider estimate for this SWMP, and record how much waste is generated, and how it could be recycled.

Quesion 21.      Practical points to be considered for sustainable project –

Insulation to reduce heat, Reduce house hold waste production, Allowing cloths to dry in by providing open areas, Use energy efficient lighting, Eco labelled White goods, Use local renewable energy, Composting facilities, Provide quiet rooms for home office purpose, Provide external water storage.

Quesion 22.      What are the formal Health & Safety qualifications recognised at national level?

Quesion 23.      What is UN Number – Number assigned to any dangerous goods by UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of dangerous Goods

Quesion 24.      What is HAZCHEM Code – Emergency action code taken from the system developed by The UK Fire Services to be specified for any substances covered by this code. These sign should be affixed to all dangerous goods.

Quesion 25.      What are Codes of Health & Safety in Dubai –

•     Code of Practice for the Management of Dangerous Goods in Emirate of Dubai ( By DM -1997)

•     Code of Construction Safety Practice (Drafted as per “The Environmental Protection Regulations”)

Quesion 26.      What kind of PPE (Personal Protective Equipments) would you possess when you are out on site and office? –

•     At site: Foot protection (Wear safety boots), Head protection (helmets, hard hats), Hearing protection, Eye & Face protection, Respiratory protection, Protective clothing, Hand Protection (Glove), safety  Belts &  Life lines, Safety Nets, . Know fire assembly  points.  location of fire extinguishers & first aid boxes

•     At Office: Know the exit routes, fire assembly points, location of fire extinguishers & first aid boxes, staircase locations.

Quesion 27.      What do you understand by the term Planning Supervisor? - Appointed by the Client

•        To carry out the CDM regulations and to ensure that the designers have met their responsibilities under the CDM regulations and advise the Client and contractor on any matter that will enable them to comply with their obligations. Eg. Health and safety file.

•        Prepare a H&S plan and delivered to principal contractor at tender stage so that arrangements can be made for its carrying out.

•        Notify HSE in writing certain particulars about the project like timing, no. of people, purpose of HS etc. before construction starts on site.

Quesion 28.      What is the difference between a Principal ( Lead ) contractor and Main Contractor? –

Principal Contractor - In Package Contracting, one Contractor is appointed as Principal  (Lead) Contractor and he shall be responsible for all coordination and monitoring, safety, security, use of contractor’s scaffolding, cranes, hoists & waste disposal system. This is also a requirement as per CDM regulation

Main contractor is Contractor in a General Contracting system wherein he ensures the above said duties for his Subcontractors.

Quesion 29.      What is meant by HSC & HSE (UK) –

There are set up as per the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974)- HSC means Heath & safety commission – The body with prime responsibility for administering the law and practice on occupational health & safety.

HSE means Health & Safety Executive is a body with a number of functions including health & Safety Police. HSE inspectors have wide range of powers and are the people with whom we have to deal if we are involved in a serious health & safety incident.

Quesion 30.      What is meant by Risk assessment at work –

It is careful examination of what in your work could cause harm to people so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent them.

Quesion 31.      What are the environmental impacts of crushing concrete on site?

Quesion 32.      How do you deal with contamination on site? What are relevant Fidic clauses?

Quesion 33.      How do you deal with asbestos on site?

Quesion 34.      What is your personnel responsibility with respect to Health & Safety?

Quesion 35.      Safety Risk analysis –

·      Look for Hazards

·      Decide who might be harmed & how

·      Evaluate Risk, decide existing precautions adequate? and what more to be done

·      Record findings

·      Review your Assessment & revise if necessary

Quesion 36.      What is the nature of reporting labour accidents and occupational diseases?

If the employee suffered a work accident or an occasional disease, the employer or his representative shall report the accident immediately to the police and labour department or one of its branches under whose jurisdiction the place of work falls. The information shall include the employee's name, profession, address, nationality and a brief description of the incident and its circumstances, and the measures taken for treatment or first aid.

Quesion 37.      What are the safety regulations and measures required by labour law?

•     Every employer should provide his employees with suitable means of protection against injuries, occupational diseases,  fire  and hazards  by  providing the safety equipment  and clothes  give instructions which aim to protect him from danger.

•     display  in  a  detailed  instructions  regarding  the  means  of  preventing  fire  and  the  means  of protection of employees from hazards

•     Every employer shall make available a first aid kit

•     Every employer shall keep every place of work clean and well ventilated.

•     An employee shall assign one or more physician and means of medical care

•     The employer or his deputy shall inform the employee of the dangers of his job and the means of protection

•     No employer, his deputy, or any person who has authority over employees shall bring or allow others to bring any kind of alcoholic drinks for consumption on work premises.

Quesion 38.      Whether insurance will cover fines received from authority due to health & safety default? – No. it will not cover. Fines are designed to punish the companies for their bad habits. So they should pay it from their profits.

Quesion 39.      Principal Contractor - Is a Contractor, to ensure cooperation between all the contractors, and that everyone on site complies with any rules in the HS plan. He has to keep unauthorised persons off the site during construction, displace notices regarding health and safety, and provide any information needed by the planning supervisor, give proper training to other contractors.

Quesion 40.      What is meant by Fire Protection. –

Is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalization, suppression and investigation of the fire and its related emergencies as well as the research and development, production, testing and application of mitigation systems.

Fire protection in buildings is designed to ensure the safety of occupants in the case of fire and to ensure as best as possible to protect the building. The protection of the building structure is not the paramount objective of fire regulations. Priority is for the occupants and the fire fighters trying to evacuate a building suffering a fire.

Quesion 41.      Fire Alarms and Fire Detection Systems –

A typical fire alarm system comprises of a Control panel Manual or automatic), fire sensors (Smoke detectors and heat detectors), manual call points (Break glass & closed circuit call point systems), Alarm Bells

Quesion 42.      Fire Extinguishers –

·         Water filled extinguishers (for wood, cardboard, textiles)

·         Form filled extinguishes (for petrol or flammable fires)

·         Dry powder type ( for fire due to butane & propane)

·         Carbon dioxide type (For electrical fire)

·         Wet Chemical type (For cooking oil fire)

Quesion 43.      Sprinkler systems - Fire sprinkler systems, Fire protection sprinklers, Domestic sprinkler systems

Quesion 44.      Fire blankets – Fire blankets are made of fire proof materials and can be used to wrap around a person whose clothing is on fire.

Quesion 45.      Fire compartmentalization –

In structures, such as land-based buildings, traffic tunnels, ships, aerospace vehicles, or submarines, compartmentalization is the fundamental basis and aim of passive fire protection. The idea is to subdivide a structure into "fire compartments", which may contain single or multiple rooms for the purpose of limiting the spread of fire, smoke and flue gases, in order to enable the three goals of fire protection:

·         Life safety

·         Property protection

·         Continuity of operations.

The construction of such compartments and all its components is a matter of systems within systems to achieve fire-resistance. All components forming part of such compartments are subject to stringent approval and compliance in countries, where product certification is mandatory.

Quesion 46.      Structural fire protection -

In land-based buildings, offshore construction or onboard ships) is typically achieved via three means:

•     Passive fire protection (use of integral, fire-resistance rated wall and floor assemblies that are used to form fire compartments intended  to limit the spread of fire, or occupancy separations, or firewalls, to keep fires, high temperatures and flue gases within the fire compartment of origin, thus enabling fire fighting and evacuation)

•     Active fire protection (manual and automatic detection and suppression of fires, as in using and installing a Fire Sprinkler system or finding the fire (Fire alarm) and/or extinguishing it)

•     Education (ensuring that building owners and operators have copies and a working understanding of the applicable building and fire codes, having a purpose-designed fire safety plan and ensuring that building occupants, operators and emergency personnel know the building, its means of Active fire protection and Passive fire protection, its weak spots and strengths to ensure the highest possible level of safety)

Quesion 47.      Passive Fire Protection (PFP)

Is an integral component of the three components of structural fire protection and fire safety in a building. PFP attempts to contain fires or slow the spread, through use of fire resistant walls, floors, and doors (amongst other examples).

Quesion 48.      Goals of Fire Protection - Fire protection has three major goals:

•     Continuity of operations - this is intended to prevent the interruption of critical services necessary for the public welfare.

•     Property protection - this is intended to prevent area wide conflagrations. At an individual building level, this is typically an insurance consideration (e.g., a requirement for financing), or a regulatory requirement.

•     Life safety - the minimum standard used in fire and building codes

Quesion 49.      What is meant by “Building Security Council” (BSC)

BSC was established by professionals in the building security arena to address the security issues and to enhance public safety by promoting building security. The mission of the BSC is to administer and maintain rating systems that enable building owners and operators to evaluate and improve the security of their facilities. Their vision is to enhance public safety by promoting building security.

Quesion 50.      Building security systems –

In buildings there are many types of security systems and equipments that can be deployed as potential solutions to address specific vulnerabilities. Their purpose is to help ensure that a building is safe to use and that protection is provided for materials equipment, information, personnel, physical facilities and preventing influence that are undesirable, unauthorised or detrimental to the goals of the particular organization being secured. These are of,

·         Monitoring of security systems

·         Physical barriers

·         Building exterior walls

·         Security monitoring

·         Wireless Duress pendants (Used for security in the parking or remote locations)

·         Asset tracking

·         Personnel tracking methods

·         Closed Circuit TV

Quesion 51.      What is QS contribution to H & S

·         Understand that H & S is responsibility of everyone in a project.

·         Make sure that H & S subject is included in all project meetings

Quesion 52.      In your project how you will make sure good health & safety

·         Preparing / contributing work method statement / risk assessment.

·         Wearing PPE

·         Adhere to main contractor’s safety rules

·         Make sure that H & S subject is included in all project meetings

·         Always coordinate with safety officer.

Quesion 53.      What is meant by VOC Materials -

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapour pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere. A wide range of carbon-based molecules, such as aldehydes, ketones, and other light hydrocarbons are VOCs. The term often is used in a legal or regulatory context and in such cases the precise definition is a matter of law. These definitions can be contradictory and may contain "loopholes"; e.g. exceptions, exemptions, and exclusions.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a VOC as any organic compound that participates in a photoreaction.

For a sustainable environment low VOC materials are highly recommended.

Source: J Thomas (July 2010)