Mixed Deck — All CITB SPECIALISTS Topics Flashcards

How can a specialist contractor reduce their employees' vibration exposure practically?

Answer: Use low-vibration tools, limit daily trigger time, rotate tasks between workers, and maintain equipment properly

Practical vibration reduction includes selecting tools with lower vibration ratings, limiting daily tool use time, rotating tasks to spread exposure between workers, and maintaining tools in good condition (blunt tools vibrate more than sharp ones).

What precaution must a specialist contractor take when excavating near a building foundation?

Answer: Ensure the excavation does not undermine the foundation — use a design that maintains the bearing capacity of the soil supporting the building

Excavating near existing foundations can remove the lateral support to the soil beneath them, potentially causing subsidence or structural failure. A structural assessment must determine the safe angle of influence, and temporary works (underpinning, sheet piling) may be required to maintain the building's stability.

What hazard do LPG cylinders present on a construction site?

Answer: Fire, explosion, and BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion) if cylinders are heated or involved in fire

LPG cylinders are highly flammable and pressurised. In fire conditions, a cylinder can undergo BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion), releasing a massive fireball. Cylinders must be stored outside in secured upright cages, away from ignition sources.

What does 'stand-by person' mean in confined space operations?

Answer: A person stationed outside the confined space to raise the alarm and initiate rescue if the entrant is in difficulty

A stand-by person must be stationed outside the confined space throughout entry operations. They monitor the entrant, maintain communication, and raise the alarm and initiate rescue procedures if the entrant is in difficulty, without entering themselves unless trained.

A plumber is working with lead-based solder on an older property. What health hazard must be controlled?

Answer: Lead fume inhalation — use local exhaust ventilation and respiratory protection

Heating lead-based solder releases lead fumes which are toxic when inhaled. Local exhaust ventilation and appropriate respiratory protective equipment (RPE) are required to control lead fume exposure under COSHH regulations.

What is the hierarchy of control measures in a COSHH assessment?

Answer: Eliminate, substitute, enclose, extract (LEV), general ventilation, then RPE as a last resort

COSHH follows the same hierarchy as general risk control: eliminate the substance, substitute with something less hazardous, enclose the process, use local exhaust ventilation (LEV) to capture contaminants at source, improve general ventilation, then RPE as a last resort.

What must a specialist contractor do before working in a building with fire-resistant ductwork?

Answer: Check the fire safety strategy to ensure their work will not breach fire damper or duct fire resistance specifications

Before working on or near fire-resistant ductwork, contractors must check the fire safety strategy to understand the fire resistance specifications. Work must not compromise fire dampers, intumescent collars, or the fire resistance rating of the ductwork system.

Before any demolition work begins on a structure, what must a specialist demolition contractor produce under UK regulations?

Answer: A written demolition method statement based on a structural survey

BS 6187 and CDM 2015 require that a written method statement is produced before demolition begins, based on a thorough structural survey of the building. This must detail the sequence of demolition, precautions, exclusion zones, and emergency procedures. The method statement must be prepared by a competent person.

When specialist scaffolding is erected in a location exposed to high winds, what additional design consideration must be applied?

Answer: A wind loading assessment must be carried out, and the scaffold designed to resist the calculated wind forces, with additional ties and bracing as required

Wind loading is often the most significant force acting on a scaffold. A wind loading assessment (per TG20 or bespoke design) must calculate the forces based on location, height, topography, and whether the scaffold is sheeted or netted. Additional ties, bracing, and foundation loads are specified to resist these forces. Sheeted scaffolds attract significantly greater wind loads.

What is the main purpose of a permit-to-work system for high-risk working at height activities?

Answer: To provide formal authorisation and control, ensuring safety measures are in place before work starts

A permit-to-work system is a formal management control that ensures all necessary safety precautions are identified, in place, and communicated before hazardous work at height begins.

What is the noise obligation of a specialist contractor working in occupied premises?

Answer: Avoid or minimise noisy work during agreed quiet hours and warn occupants in advance of particularly noisy activities

While there is no absolute prohibition on noisy work during working hours, good practice and some site rules require minimising noise impact on occupants, giving advance warning of particularly noisy activities, and adhering to any quiet-hour restrictions agreed with the client.

What PPE must specialist contractors wear in occupied food preparation areas?

Answer: Clean overalls or disposable suits, hair covering, and protective footwear — no food contamination from tools or debris

Work in food preparation areas requires clean, food-appropriate protective clothing (clean overalls or disposables, hair covering). No tools, debris, chemicals, or contaminants should reach food contact surfaces, and works should be coordinated to minimise contamination risk.

What is the first step in a COSHH assessment?

Answer: Identify all substances used or generated that are hazardous to health

The first step in a COSHH assessment is identifying all hazardous substances used in or generated by the work, including chemicals used, dusts generated, and fumes produced. You cannot control what you have not identified.

What is a PAT test relevant to in construction fire safety?

Answer: Portable Appliance Testing ensures electrical tools are safe and will not cause a fire from electrical fault

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) checks that portable electrical equipment is electrically safe. Faulty equipment with damaged insulation or incorrect earthing can cause fires. Regular PAT testing on construction sites is an important fire prevention measure.

What welfare consideration must a specialist contractor make when working in an occupied care home?

Answer: Minimise disruption to residents, manage dust and noise, maintain clear fire escape routes, and conduct a specific vulnerable persons risk assessment

Occupied care homes present heightened welfare considerations as residents are particularly vulnerable. Works must minimise noise and dust, fire escape routes must remain clear at all times, and a specific risk assessment must consider the needs of residents with mobility, cognitive, or respiratory conditions.

Which qualification body specifically covers the erection, alteration, and dismantling of mobile access towers?

Answer: PASMA (Prefabricated Access Suppliers' and Manufacturers' Association)

PASMA provides the industry-recognised training and certification specifically for mobile access towers that are assembled from prefabricated components.

What is the purpose of a Thorough Examination scheme for specialist plant and equipment under PUWER and LOLER?

Answer: To provide a systematic, independent assessment that the equipment remains safe for continued use, identifying defects before they cause harm

A Thorough Examination is a detailed, systematic inspection by a competent person (typically an insurance engineering surveyor or competent engineer) that goes beyond routine maintenance. It identifies defects, wear, or deterioration that could lead to danger, and results in a formal written report. Any defects posing an immediate risk must be reported to the HSE.

What is a 'design check category' in relation to specialist temporary works under BS 5975?

Answer: A classification (1, 2, or 3) that determines the level of independent design checking required based on the complexity and risk of the temporary works

BS 5975 categorises temporary works into three design check categories based on risk and complexity. Category 1 requires a self-check by the designer, Category 2 requires an independent check by another competent person, and Category 3 (highest risk, such as large falsework or complex temporary structures) requires checking by an independent checking organisation.

What is respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and why is it hazardous?

Answer: Fine silica dust particles small enough to reach the lungs, causing silicosis, lung cancer, and COPD

Respirable crystalline silica consists of particles small enough (under 10 micrometres) to be inhaled deep into the lungs. It causes silicosis (irreversible lung scarring), lung cancer, and COPD. High-risk tasks include cutting, grinding, or drilling masonry, concrete, and sandstone.

What is Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)?

Answer: A permanent, irreversible condition affecting blood vessels, nerves, and muscles in hands and arms caused by vibrating tools

HAVS is a permanent, disabling condition affecting blood vessels (Vibration White Finger), nerves, and muscles in the hands and arms, caused by regular use of vibrating hand tools. It cannot be cured once developed.