SSSTS Risk Assessment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a dynamic risk assessment, and when might a site supervisor need to carry one out?
- A risk assessment that is updated annually
- A continuous, real-time assessment of changing conditions, used when site conditions change unexpectedly and the formal written assessment no longer covers the situation (Correct answer)
- A risk assessment for moving vehicles only
- A risk assessment completed after an accident
Correct answer: A continuous, real-time assessment of changing conditions, used when site conditions change unexpectedly and the formal written assessment no longer covers the situation
A dynamic risk assessment is an ongoing, real-time process of identifying and assessing risks as conditions change on site. Supervisors use it when unexpected hazards arise, conditions change (e.g., weather), or when the planned work differs from what was anticipated in the formal risk assessment.
Question 2: What information should be recorded when documenting a risk assessment for a construction activity?
- Only the name of the assessor
- The hazards identified, who is at risk, existing controls, risk rating, additional controls needed, responsible person, and review date (Correct answer)
- Only a description of the activity
- Only the date of the assessment
Correct answer: The hazards identified, who is at risk, existing controls, risk rating, additional controls needed, responsible person, and review date
A comprehensive risk assessment record should include: the activity/task being assessed, hazards identified, who might be harmed and how, existing control measures, a risk rating (likelihood x severity), any additional controls required, the person responsible for implementation, and a review date.
Question 3: A risk assessment identifies that a task involves manual handling of heavy blocks. What should the supervisor consider under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992?
- Manual handling is always acceptable if workers are strong enough
- Whether the task can be avoided, and if not, whether mechanical aids can be used, and if manual handling is unavoidable, how to reduce the risk of injury (Correct answer)
- Manual handling regulations only apply to loads over 50kg
- Only female workers need protection from manual handling risks
Correct answer: Whether the task can be avoided, and if not, whether mechanical aids can be used, and if manual handling is unavoidable, how to reduce the risk of injury
Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, the hierarchy is: (1) avoid hazardous manual handling so far as reasonably practicable, (2) assess the risk of injury from any manual handling that cannot be avoided, and (3) reduce the risk of injury to the lowest level reasonably practicable, using mechanical aids where possible.
Question 4: What is a COSHH assessment and when is it required on a construction site?
- An assessment of construction costs
- An assessment under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, required whenever workers may be exposed to hazardous substances such as cement dust, solvents, or silica (Correct answer)
- An assessment of site security
- A check on the quality of concrete
Correct answer: An assessment under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, required whenever workers may be exposed to hazardous substances such as cement dust, solvents, or silica
A COSHH assessment is required under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 whenever workers may be exposed to hazardous substances. On construction sites, this includes cement dust, silica dust from cutting, solvents, adhesives, asbestos, and lead paint.
Question 5: How should a supervisor assess the risk of working at height on a construction site?
- Working at height does not require a specific risk assessment
- Consider the Work at Height Regulations 2005: avoid working at height where possible, use the safest means of access (scaffold, MEWP), assess weather conditions, check edge protection, and ensure rescue plans are in place (Correct answer)
- Only scaffold work needs assessment
- Risk assessment is only needed above 3 metres
Correct answer: Consider the Work at Height Regulations 2005: avoid working at height where possible, use the safest means of access (scaffold, MEWP), assess weather conditions, check edge protection, and ensure rescue plans are in place
Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, working at height must be avoided where possible. Where it cannot, the supervisor must select the safest means of access, assess environmental conditions (wind, rain, ice), ensure edge protection is adequate, verify equipment inspection, and have rescue plans for falls.
Question 6: What is a risk matrix and how does it help in prioritising control measures?
- A mathematical formula used only by engineers
- A tool that plots likelihood of harm against severity of harm to produce a risk rating, helping to prioritise which risks need the most urgent attention (Correct answer)
- A list of all possible accidents
- A tool used only for financial risk
Correct answer: A tool that plots likelihood of harm against severity of harm to produce a risk rating, helping to prioritise which risks need the most urgent attention
A risk matrix combines the likelihood of an event occurring with the severity of the potential harm to produce a risk rating (e.g., low, medium, high). This helps supervisors prioritise their response — high-risk activities need urgent attention and more robust controls than low-risk ones.
SSSTS Risk Assessment 2
What is a dynamic risk assessment, and when might a site supervisor need to carry one out?