CSCS test practice questions: site safety and health (UK)
by Quizhat · 15 questions · Updated · CC BY
SafetyEnglish
Revision for the CITB Health, safety and environment (HS&E) test for operatives: duties on site, noise, vibration, dust, asbestos, skin, welfare, reporting and fire. Free quiz with instant feedback and a short explanation citing the rule for every answer. Based on the law and official guidance that apply in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales); Northern Ireland has its own, very similar regulations. Practice material written by Quizhat: these are not the questions of any official test, and Quizhat is not affiliated with CITB, CSCS or HSE. Sources: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005; Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005; RIDDOR 2013; Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992; HSE construction guidance (hse.gov.uk).
Under section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, what must every employee do?
Follow only the instructions that are written down
Take reasonable care of themselves and others, and co-operate with their employer on safety
Buy their own protective equipment
Report every accident directly to HSE
Question 2 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
On a construction site, who must make sure a suitable site induction is provided?
The principal contractor
The client's architect
Each worker, by reading the site rules alone
The local council
Question 3 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
You notice a guardrail missing on a scaffold you are about to use. What should you do?
Use it carefully and report it at the end of the shift
Fix it yourself with whatever is to hand
Carry on, as scaffolds are someone else's job
Stay off that area and report it to your supervisor straight away
Question 4 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
At what daily noise exposure must your employer provide hearing protection and set up hearing protection zones?
70 dB(A)
75 dB(A)
85 dB(A)
95 dB(A)
Question 5 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
Which is an early sign of hand-arm vibration syndrome?
A sore throat
Tingling and numbness in the fingers
Pain in the knees when climbing ladders
Blurred vision after using a grinder
Question 6 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
You are cutting concrete blocks with a power saw. What is the best way to control the silica dust?
Use water suppression or on-tool extraction, with suitable RPE as well
Work quickly so there is less time to breathe it
Wear a paper nuisance-dust mask only
Cut downwind of your colleagues
Question 7 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
While drilling a wall in a building built before 2000 you uncover material you think might be asbestos. What should you do?
Wet it down and carry on drilling
Bag it up and put it in the general skip
Sweep up the dust so nobody steps in it
Stop work, keep people away and tell your supervisor
Question 8 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
Leptospirosis (Weil's disease) is most often caught from what?
Breathing in cement dust
Working in very cold weather
Water or wet ground contaminated by rat urine
Using vibrating tools
Question 9 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
Why should you wear gloves and protect your skin when working with wet cement?
Cement is only harmful once it has set
Wet cement can cause dermatitis and serious burns
It is just to keep your hands clean
Cement is harmless unless swallowed
Question 10 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
A worker breaks their wrist in a fall on site and is off work for ten days. Under RIDDOR, by when must it be reported?
As soon as practicable, and within 15 days of the accident
Within 24 hours
Within three months
Only if the worker asks for it to be reported
Question 11 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
Which supply does HSE recommend for portable electric tools on construction sites?
230 V straight from the nearest socket
400 V three-phase
Any voltage, as long as the cable is long enough
110 V centre-tapped-earth reduced low voltage
Question 12 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
Which of these must be provided for workers on every construction site?
A canteen with hot meals
Free parking
Toilets, washing facilities with running water, drinking water and somewhere to rest
A shower for every worker
Question 13 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
What is the first thing to consider for a heavy manual handling task?
How many people can lift it together
Whether it can be avoided, for example with a hoist or a trolley
Whether a back belt is available
How quickly it can be done
Question 14 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
A fire breaks out in a site cabin. What should you do first?
Raise the alarm and leave by the escape route to the assembly point
Collect your tools before leaving
Open all the windows to let the smoke out
Try to put it out whatever its size
Question 15 · Single choice · 60s · 1 pt
When must an employer write down the significant findings of a risk assessment?
Only after an accident
Only when HSE asks for it
Never: a verbal assessment is always enough
When it employs five or more people
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