CSCS Electrical Safety 3

Question 1

Which type of power tool is safest to use in wet conditions or confined spaces where electrical shock risk is highest?

Accepted Answer

Battery-powered or pneumatic tools

Answer

Battery-powered and pneumatic tools eliminate the electrical shock hazard entirely, making them the safest option in wet or confined environments.

Question 2

How often should portable electrical equipment on a construction site be checked?

Accepted Answer

Before each use by the operator and at formal intervals for PAT testing

Answer

A quick visual check before every use can identify obvious defects, while periodic formal PAT testing catches hidden faults that visual checks may miss.

Question 3

What is the purpose of a 'permit to work' system in relation to electrical work on site?

Accepted Answer

To formally control high-risk electrical work and ensure equipment is safely isolated before work begins

Answer

A permit to work is a formal document that controls who may perform electrical work, specifies the work to be done, and confirms safe isolation, preventing accidental energization.

Question 4

What does 'safe isolation' of an electrical circuit mean before maintenance work begins?

Accepted Answer

Switching off the supply, locking off the isolator, and confirming the circuit is dead with a voltage indicator

Answer

Safe isolation requires switching off, locking off (to prevent inadvertent re-energization), and proving dead with a calibrated voltage indicator before any work commences.

Question 5

Under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, what is the employer's primary legal duty regarding electrical systems?

Accepted Answer

To ensure all electrical systems and equipment are constructed and maintained so as to prevent danger

Answer

Regulation 4 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires that all electrical systems be constructed and maintained to prevent danger to any person.

CSCS - Construction Skills Certification Scheme Practice Test

CSCS - Construction Skills Certification Scheme Practice Test

CSCS Electrical Safety 3