White Card Construction Hazards and Risks 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the most common cause of fatalities on Australian construction sites?
- Sunburn
- Falls from height (Correct answer)
- Paper cuts
- Excessive noise
Correct answer: Falls from height
Falls from height are consistently the leading cause of fatalities in the Australian construction industry.
Question 2: Under the WHS Act 2011, what does PCBU stand for?
- Personal Clothing and Body Uniform
- Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (Correct answer)
- Professional Construction and Building Union
- Public Construction Bureau Unit
Correct answer: Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking
PCBU stands for Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking — the primary duty holder under the WHS Act.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)?
- To schedule lunch breaks
- To identify hazards and describe control measures for high-risk construction work (Correct answer)
- To calculate project costs
- To assign parking spaces
Correct answer: To identify hazards and describe control measures for high-risk construction work
A SWMS must identify hazards, assess risks, and describe control measures for all high-risk construction work activities.
Question 4: Which is the MOST effective level of the hierarchy of controls?
- PPE
- Administrative controls
- Elimination (Correct answer)
- Engineering controls
Correct answer: Elimination
Elimination completely removes the hazard, making it the most effective control in the hierarchy.
Question 5: What must a principal contractor display at each construction site entry point?
- Company logo only
- Their name, phone number, and the location of the WHS management plan (Correct answer)
- The weather forecast
- A menu for the site canteen
Correct answer: Their name, phone number, and the location of the WHS management plan
Principal contractors must display signage at each entry showing their details and where to find the WHS management plan.
Question 6: What type of hazard does silica dust represent?
- Physical hazard
- Chemical/health hazard causing silicosis and lung cancer (Correct answer)
- Biological hazard
- No hazard at all
Correct answer: Chemical/health hazard causing silicosis and lung cancer
Respirable crystalline silica from cutting concrete and stone can cause silicosis, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
White Card Construction Hazards and Risks 1
What is the most common cause of fatalities on Australian construction sites?