CITB Working at Height 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of a toe board on a scaffold platform?
- To prevent workers from standing too close to the edge
- To prevent tools, materials, and debris from falling off the platform and striking workers below (Correct answer)
- To provide a footrest for workers sitting on the edge
- To mark the edge of the platform with a visible line
Correct answer: To prevent tools, materials, and debris from falling off the platform and striking workers below
Toe boards (typically 150mm high) at platform edges prevent objects from rolling or being kicked off, protecting workers at lower levels from falling materials.
Question 2: What safety measures are required when using a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP)?
- Only a high-visibility vest
- A full body harness attached to an anchor point in the basket, trained and competent operators, and a pre-use inspection (Correct answer)
- Barriers around the MEWP base only
- Verbal agreement from the site manager before each use
Correct answer: A full body harness attached to an anchor point in the basket, trained and competent operators, and a pre-use inspection
MEWP operators must be trained (IPAF or equivalent), wear a harness attached to the MEWP basket, and carry out a pre-use inspection to identify defects.
Question 3: How should a fragile roof surface be treated under the WAH Regulations 2005?
- Workers may walk on it provided they wear soft-soled boots
- No one should stand on a fragile roof unless unavoidable, with staging boards, nets, or covers provided to prevent falls through (Correct answer)
- Only workers over 70 kg are excluded
- A written method statement is all that is required before work begins
Correct answer: No one should stand on a fragile roof unless unavoidable, with staging boards, nets, or covers provided to prevent falls through
Fragile roofs can give way without warning — they must be treated as though they will fail, requiring staging, nets, or covers to prevent falls through the surface.
Question 4: What is a permit to work used for in working at height scenarios?
- It is a CSCS card endorsement for height work
- A formal documented system authorising specific individuals to carry out work at height under defined conditions (Correct answer)
- An HSE licence required for work above 5 metres
- A payment authorisation for high-risk tasks
Correct answer: A formal documented system authorising specific individuals to carry out work at height under defined conditions
A permit to work requires formal authorisation, hazard identification, and sign-off before high-risk work begins, and clearance when it is complete.
Question 5: Which fall protection system absorbs the energy of a fall to reduce forces on the user's body?
- Work restraint system
- Fall arrest system with shock-absorbing lanyard (Correct answer)
- Work positioning system
- Rope access system
Correct answer: Fall arrest system with shock-absorbing lanyard
A fall arrest system allows a fall to begin but arrests it before the worker hits a lower level; shock-absorbing lanyards reduce peak deceleration forces, preventing injury from the sudden stop.
Question 6: Before erecting scaffold on a site, which underground hazard must be identified first?
- Water table depth
- Buried services such as gas pipes, electrical cables, and water mains that could be struck by scaffold poles (Correct answer)
- Archaeological remains
- Previous planning applications
Correct answer: Buried services such as gas pipes, electrical cables, and water mains that could be struck by scaffold poles
Before driving scaffold poles into the ground, buried services must be located using drawings, cable avoidance tools, and visual inspection to prevent striking live utilities.
CITB Working at Height 2
What is the purpose of a toe board on a scaffold platform?