SIA Door Health & Safety at Work 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes a 'hazard' in health and safety terms?
- The likelihood that harm will occur from a particular source
- Something with the potential to cause harm (Correct answer)
- An accident that has already happened
- A control measure put in place to prevent injury
Correct answer: Something with the potential to cause harm
A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm, whereas risk is the likelihood that the hazard will actually cause harm.
Question 2: What does PPE stand for in the context of workplace health and safety?
- Professional Practice Equipment
- Personal Protective Equipment (Correct answer)
- Preventative Protective Enforcement
- Primary Protection and Equipment
Correct answer: Personal Protective Equipment
PPE stands for Personal Protective Equipment — items worn to minimise exposure to hazards that can cause injury or illness, such as gloves or high-visibility vests.
Question 3: In the hierarchy of controls, when should PPE be used as a control measure?
- As the first and primary means of protection against any hazard
- Only when working in outdoor environments
- Only when other control measures are not available on site
- As a last resort, after other control measures have been implemented or considered (Correct answer)
Correct answer: As a last resort, after other control measures have been implemented or considered
PPE sits at the bottom of the hierarchy of controls and should only be relied upon when higher-level controls such as elimination, substitution, or engineering controls cannot adequately reduce the risk.
Question 4: Who is responsible for carrying out a workplace risk assessment?
- The Health and Safety Executive inspector
- A specialist external consultant only
- The employer or a competent person appointed by the employer (Correct answer)
- The most senior employee present on site at any given time
Correct answer: The employer or a competent person appointed by the employer
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 place the duty to carry out risk assessments on the employer, who may appoint a competent person to assist.
Question 5: A 'near miss' is best described as:
- An accident where only minor injury occurs
- An unplanned event that did not result in injury or damage but had the potential to do so (Correct answer)
- A hazard that has been identified but not yet assessed
- A safety drill conducted without prior warning to staff
Correct answer: An unplanned event that did not result in injury or damage but had the potential to do so
A near miss is an unplanned event that could have resulted in injury, illness or damage but did not — reporting near misses helps prevent future accidents.
Question 6: Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, an employer with five or more employees must:
- Display health and safety law posters in every room of the workplace
- Record the significant findings of their risk assessments in writing (Correct answer)
- Hire a full-time dedicated health and safety officer
- Submit risk assessments to the HSE for approval every year
Correct answer: Record the significant findings of their risk assessments in writing
Employers with five or more employees must record the significant findings of their risk assessments in writing under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
Question 7: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is primarily responsible for:
- Prosecuting individual employees who cause workplace accidents
- Enforcing health and safety law and providing guidance to workplaces across Great Britain (Correct answer)
- Providing financial compensation directly to injured workers
- Training all security industry personnel in first aid procedures
Correct answer: Enforcing health and safety law and providing guidance to workplaces across Great Britain
The HSE is the national regulator for workplace health and safety in Great Britain, responsible for enforcing health and safety legislation and providing guidance to employers and employees.
SIA Door Health & Safety at Work 2
Which of the following best describes a 'hazard' in health and safety terms?