Free ECS Technical and Manual Handling Operations Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A portable electric generator on site has two power outlets, 110 volts and 230 volts. What colour would the 110-volt outlet be?
- Black
- Blue
- Red
- Yellow (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Yellow
Explanation: <br> Yellow is the usual colour of cables, socket outlets, plugs, transformers etc which are used with a 110-volt supply.
Question 2: What is most commonly used to reduce 230 volts to 110 volts on site?
- Circuit breaker
- Residual current device
- Step-down generator
- Transformer (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Transformer
Explanation: <br> A transformer, usually coloured yellow, will transform 230 volts (mains voltage) down to a relatively safe 110 volts.
Question 3: What do the letters SWL stand for?
- Safe working level
- Safe working load (Correct answer)
- Satisfactory weight limit
- Satisfactory working limit
Correct answer: Safe working load
Explanation: <br> Machinery and accessories for lifting loads should be clearly marked to indicate their safe working loads.
Question 4: You have been asked to operate a cherry-picker (mobile elevated work platform) when it is very windy. What should your FIRST consideration be?
- Does the wind speed make it unsafe to use the machine (Correct answer)
- Tie all light-weight objects to the hand rails of the basket
- Wear a safety harness and clip it to the structure that you are working on
- Wear an extra layer of clothing to keep warm
Correct answer: Does the wind speed make it unsafe to use the machine
Explanation: <br> The priority in safety is eliminating risk at source - in this case by not working in dangerous conditions - rather than trying to stay safe by using protective equipment.
Question 5: What is the most serious effect that electric shock can have if you come into contact with a live part?
- The electric current can cause a slight tingling in the fingers
- The electric current can cause burn marks on the fingers
- The electric current can cause the finger muscles to twitch
- The electric current can cause the heart to stop, resulting in death (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The electric current can cause the heart to stop, resulting in death
Explanation: <br> Contact with live electrical parts can be fatal. If you do not know otherwise, always assume that electrical parts are live.
Question 6: Which of the following do the Electricity at Work (EAW) regulations apply to?
- All persons engaged for work purposes (Correct answer)
- Employees only
- Employers only
- Self-employed persons only
Correct answer: All persons engaged for work purposes
Explanation: <br> The EAW Regulations impose duties on employers, employees, and the self-employed.
Question 7: In accordance with the Electricity at Work regulations, when considering whether to work live a responsible person should:
- Carry out a risk assessment (Correct answer)
- Do as the client demands
- Only work dead
- Only work live
Correct answer: Carry out a risk assessment
Explanation: <br> To identify and assess the risks involved and the methods of controlling them.
Question 8: When is live working permissible?
- When it is unreasonable in all circumstances for the equipment to be made dead and suitable precautions are taken (Correct answer)
- When the means of isolation cannot be identified
- When the person carrying out the work is a competent person
- When the person working on the equipment is wearing rubber gloves
Correct answer: When it is unreasonable in all circumstances for the equipment to be made dead and suitable precautions are taken
Explanation: <br> This is a requirement under r.14 of the EAW Regulations. However, it does not mean that live working is then 'safe'
Question 9: With regard to the effect of electrical current on the human body, one of the following is correct:
- A 3 amp fuse should prevent a person receiving a fatal electric shock
- A 30mA Residual Current Device (RCD) should prevent a person from receiving a fatal electric shock. (Correct answer)
- A 5 amp rewireable fuse should prevent a person from receiving a fatal electric shock
- A 6 amp circuit breaker should prevent a person receiving a fatal electric shock
Correct answer: A 30mA Residual Current Device (RCD) should prevent a person from receiving a fatal electric shock.
Explanation: <br> An RCD is a mechanical switching device intended to cause the opening of the contacts when the residual current attains a given value under specified conditions.
Question 10: What is the preferred nominal voltage for portable hand tools on construction sites?
- 110 volts (Correct answer)
- 12 volts
- 230 volts
- 24 volts
Correct answer: 110 volts
Explanation: <br> 110-volt reduced low voltage systems are strongly preferred for the supply of such equipment.
Question 11: As an approximate guide, the manual handling capacity of a two-person team is:
- The capacity of the strongest individual
- The capacity of the weakest individual
- The sum of their individual capacities
- Two-thirds the sum of their individual capacities (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Two-thirds the sum of their individual capacities
Explanation: <br> This is contained in HSE guidance on the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.
Free ECS Technical and Manual Handling Operations Questions and Answers
A portable electric generator on site has two power outlets, 110 volts and 230 volts.
What colour would the 110-volt outlet be?