SMSTS Practical Application in Site Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) operator's certification has expired. What action should the site manager take?
- Allow limited use under supervision until renewal
- Ground the MEWP and prohibit operation until valid certification is confirmed (Correct answer)
- Accept the operator's verbal assurance that they are competent
- Reduce the working height to below 2 m and continue
Correct answer: Ground the MEWP and prohibit operation until valid certification is confirmed
Operating a MEWP without valid certification is a legal breach; the equipment must be stood down immediately.
Question 2: Which hierarchy of control is most preferred when managing a site hazard?
- Administrative controls
- Personal protective equipment
- Elimination of the hazard (Correct answer)
- Substitution with a less hazardous alternative
Correct answer: Elimination of the hazard
Elimination removes the hazard entirely and is the highest and most effective level of the hierarchy of control.
Question 3: During an excavation, a worker notices the trench sides showing signs of cracking. What should happen immediately?
- Continue work while monitoring the cracks
- Stop work, evacuate the excavation, and reassess the support system (Correct answer)
- Reduce the number of workers in the trench
- Increase the rate of work to finish quickly
Correct answer: Stop work, evacuate the excavation, and reassess the support system
Cracking trench sides indicate imminent collapse risk and require immediate evacuation and re-engineering of supports.
Question 4: What is the minimum height at which edge protection is legally required on a construction site in most jurisdictions following CDM guidance?
- 1.0 m
- 1.5 m
- 2.0 m (Correct answer)
- 3.0 m
Correct answer: 2.0 m
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require edge protection where a fall could cause injury, with 2 m widely used as the trigger height for formalised protection.
Question 5: A COSHH assessment identifies a substance as a skin sensitiser. Which control should be implemented in addition to ventilation?
- Increase worker shift lengths to reduce exposure frequency
- Provide appropriate chemical-resistant gloves and skin monitoring (Correct answer)
- Allow acclimatisation through low-level repeated exposure
- Substitute with a higher-concentration alternative
Correct answer: Provide appropriate chemical-resistant gloves and skin monitoring
Skin sensitisers require dermal protection such as chemical-resistant gloves plus health surveillance to detect early sensitisation.
Question 6: Which of the following is the site manager's responsibility regarding welfare facilities under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015?
- Welfare facilities are the client's sole responsibility
- Ensure adequate welfare facilities are provided and maintained throughout the construction phase (Correct answer)
- Welfare is only required on sites with more than 20 workers
- Welfare facilities only need to be in place during the final phase of the project
Correct answer: Ensure adequate welfare facilities are provided and maintained throughout the construction phase
CDM 2015 Schedule 2 requires the principal contractor to ensure adequate, maintained welfare facilities are available from the start of construction.
Question 7: A site manager receives a prohibition notice from an HSE inspector. What must the manager do?
- Continue work and appeal the notice within 21 days
- Stop the specified activity immediately and do not resume until the notice is complied with (Correct answer)
- Reduce the scale of the activity and continue at a lower risk level
- Inform the client and wait for their instruction before acting
Correct answer: Stop the specified activity immediately and do not resume until the notice is complied with
A prohibition notice requires immediate cessation of the dangerous activity; work cannot resume until the specified conditions are met.
SMSTS Practical Application in Site Management 3
A mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) operator's certification has expired.
What action should the site manager take?