CITB Managers Hazardous Substances and COSHH 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) provide for a hazardous substance?
- A list of workers previously exposed to the substance
- Comprehensive information on hazard properties, safe handling, storage, and emergency measures (Correct answer)
- Purchase cost, supplier contact details, and delivery schedule only
- Annual usage records and environmental impact reporting figures
Correct answer: Comprehensive information on hazard properties, safe handling, storage, and emergency measures
Safety Data Sheets contain 16 mandatory sections covering identification, hazards, composition, first aid, firefighting, handling, storage, exposure controls, and emergency procedures.
Question 2: Silica dust generated from cutting concrete, stone, or brick on construction sites is classified as:
- A nuisance dust with no significant long-term health effects
- A mild respiratory irritant requiring standard dust masks only
- A hazardous substance capable of causing silicosis, lung cancer, and COPD (Correct answer)
- A low-hazard substance controlled adequately by good housekeeping
Correct answer: A hazardous substance capable of causing silicosis, lung cancer, and COPD
Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is a Group 1 human carcinogen that can cause silicosis, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; it requires robust controls under COSHH.
Question 3: What is the purpose of biological monitoring under COSHH?
- To test workers' general physical fitness before commencing exposure work
- To measure the amount of a hazardous substance or its metabolites in workers' bodies (Correct answer)
- To count airborne microorganisms in the workplace atmosphere
- To assess hygiene standards for canteen and welfare facilities
Correct answer: To measure the amount of a hazardous substance or its metabolites in workers' bodies
Biological monitoring measures substances or their breakdown products in biological samples such as blood or urine, indicating the actual amount that has been absorbed into the body regardless of the route of entry.
Question 4: Which of the following substances is most commonly associated with occupational asthma in construction?
- Softwood timber dust
- Steel reinforcement bar
- Portland cement in its dry form
- Isocyanates found in spray paints, lacquers, and adhesives (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Isocyanates found in spray paints, lacquers, and adhesives
Isocyanates are the leading cause of occupational asthma in the UK, requiring strict exposure controls including supplied-air respirators when spraying.
Question 5: Under COSHH Regulations, health surveillance is required when:
- Any hazardous substance is present anywhere on site
- There is a valid technique to detect the disease and exposure creates a reasonably foreseeable risk of that disease (Correct answer)
- Workers request it or a trade union representative demands it in writing
- A COSHH assessment has been in place for more than two years
Correct answer: There is a valid technique to detect the disease and exposure creates a reasonably foreseeable risk of that disease
Health surveillance is required where there is an identifiable occupational disease or adverse health condition linked to the work and a valid, reliable means of detecting it exists.
Question 6: A site manager discovers solvents stored in unmarked containers. What should they do?
- Allow storage to continue provided experienced workers know the contents
- Ensure all containers are properly labelled with product name and hazard information before work continues (Correct answer)
- Dispose of all unlabelled containers immediately without further investigation
- Cover the containers with warning tape until the end of the working shift
Correct answer: Ensure all containers are properly labelled with product name and hazard information before work continues
COSHH and CLP Regulations require all containers holding hazardous substances to be clearly labelled with the product identity and relevant hazard information; work should not continue until this is rectified.
Question 7: What is the Short-Term Exposure Limit (STEL) for a hazardous substance?
- The maximum concentration permitted over an 8-hour working day
- The maximum concentration permitted over any 15-minute reference period (Correct answer)
- The total cumulative exposure allowed over a worker's lifetime
- The minimum safe concentration at which a substance may be used
Correct answer: The maximum concentration permitted over any 15-minute reference period
The STEL is a 15-minute time-weighted average concentration that must not be exceeded during any 15-minute period, even if the 8-hour WEL is not exceeded.
CITB Managers Hazardous Substances and COSHH 2
What does a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) provide for a hazardous substance?