CITB Health and Safety — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a risk assessment on a construction site?
- To identify hazards and determine appropriate control measures to protect workers (Correct answer)
- To calculate project costs
- To schedule work activities
- To assign blame for accidents
Correct answer: To identify hazards and determine appropriate control measures to protect workers
Risk assessments systematically identify potential hazards and evaluate the measures needed to eliminate or reduce risks to workers.
Question 2: What does PPE stand for in construction safety?
- Personal Protective Equipment (Correct answer)
- Project Planning Estimate
- Pre-Production Evaluation
- Post-Project Examination
Correct answer: Personal Protective Equipment
PPE refers to equipment worn by workers to protect against health and safety hazards, such as hard hats, safety glasses, and steel-toe boots.
Question 3: What is the hierarchy of controls in construction safety?
- Elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE (Correct answer)
- PPE first, then everything else
- Training only
- There is no established hierarchy
Correct answer: Elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE
The hierarchy ranks controls from most to least effective: eliminating the hazard entirely, substituting safer alternatives, engineering solutions, administrative procedures, and PPE as the last resort.
Question 4: What is a COSHH assessment in construction?
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health - an assessment of chemical and substance risks (Correct answer)
- Cost of Safety and Health Handbook
- Construction Operations Safety and Health Handbook
- Certificate of Safety and Health
Correct answer: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health - an assessment of chemical and substance risks
COSHH assessments evaluate the risks of working with hazardous substances like dust, chemicals, and fumes, and determine appropriate protective measures.
Question 5: What should you do if you discover an unsafe condition on a construction site?
- Report it immediately to your supervisor and take steps to warn others of the danger (Correct answer)
- Ignore it and continue working
- Fix it yourself regardless of training
- Wait until the end of the day to report it
Correct answer: Report it immediately to your supervisor and take steps to warn others of the danger
Unsafe conditions must be reported immediately to prevent accidents. Workers should also warn others of the danger if possible.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a toolbox talk on a construction site?
- A short safety briefing focused on specific hazards relevant to the days work (Correct answer)
- A meeting to distribute tools
- A discussion about tool maintenance
- A formal training certification
Correct answer: A short safety briefing focused on specific hazards relevant to the days work
Toolbox talks are brief, informal safety meetings that address specific hazards and safe work practices relevant to current job tasks.
CITB Health and Safety
What is the primary purpose of a risk assessment on a construction site?