Operatives Test – Safe-Assure Training

Construction Safety Awareness Test

This is a new version of the test. There are 66 questions, some carry more than one point when answered correctly, and the final score is out of 70, with the pass mark at 90%. Download your certificate when you pass !

Construction Safety Awareness Test for Workers

GDPR: Please see our Privacy Policy here

The purpose of this test is to enable you to demonstrate a basic understanding of safety on a construction site. This will help site managers verify your competence.

Please watch the CITB video above before moving on

(You will be asked later to confirm you did this)

We are now relying on ‘legitimate interest‘ as the lawful basis under the UK GDPR for the processing of your personal data, which we think is fair considering that you came here willingly to undertake this safety awareness assessment test for volunteering work on church building sites in the UK. Under these regulations we are required to process your personal data with extra care if you are under 18 years of age, which is why we ask on the next page if you are in this age range.

DO NOT CONTINUE IF you are not prepared to submit your personal data (name, email, locality, age range) or allow storage and processing of these details.

ALSO DO NOT CONTINUE UNLESS you are prepared to take the test under ‘exam conditions’, which means you will not use written/printed/displayed material of any kind, nor receive assistance from anyone else by any means. You must have an invigilator present who is over 21.

NB – at the end, we ask you to agree that you have complied with these conditions!

The pass mark is 90%. When you pass, your certificate will be emailed to you. Please note that this does not automatically confer any competency, which involves training and experience as well as knowledge.

NOTE: You should not undertake work on a construction site under normal circumstances unless you are at least 16 years old.

Your details and agreements

Your email address please. . . and confirm your email addressYour first name please. . . and your last name

Please confirm you watched the video above

I know I should be 16 before going onto a construction site

I confirm an invigilator, over 21, will be present during this test

I agree to put you in touch with my invigilator should you ask (This avoids asking their permission to store their details)

Your Locality (city position) pleaseWhat is your age range?

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If there is a contractor involved in the project, or the client has at least one employee, then as a site worker you have a duty to take care of your own health and safety and . . .

to check that everyone else is also acting safely

you can ignore everything else that happens on site

that of others who may be affected by your actions at work

that of others who may be affected by your actions at work, and to co-operate with employers and co-workers to help everyone meet their legal obligations

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What is a risk assessment?

The manager's assessment of what could go wrong on site this week

An estimate of whether the work risks not being completed on time

It looks at what might cause harm to people and whether enough is being done to prevent it

A historical record of safety incidents since the start of the project

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On a site where everyone is a volunteer, who is responsible for managing Health & Safety?

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE)

The Site Manager

The local council

NAVCA (The National Association for Voluntary and Community Action)

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What should you do if you cannot carry out your job in the way the method statement says?

Come up with a better way to do it and carry on

Contact the Health & Safety Executive (HSE)

Do not start work until you have talked to your supervisor or team leader

Ask other workers how they think it should be done

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You will be using a new machine and management want to talk to you about the safety hazards it poses. Why do you think this might be?

So that you can produce a risk assessment for the machine

To give you a chance to refuse to use it

So that you'll know you are to blame if anything goes wrong

So you can use it safely, and can report back any further hazards you notice

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You are given a Method Statement for a groundworks task you have been asked to help with. What is this?

Another piece of required paperwork for the records

It lists who should operate which bit of equipment

A step by step guide for carrying out the job safely with regard to the risks

It's pretty much the same as a risk assessment

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An inspector from the HSE wants to talk to you about an incident that happened on site. What should you say?

Discuss with your colleagues what to say

Ask the site managers what you should say

Try not to tell the inspector anything that would incriminate anyone else

Tell the inspector exactly what you saw

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There is something unsafe on site. Who has a duty to report this?

Everyone on site

A health and safety inspector

The Site Manager

The client

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Which THREE of these statements are true?

Volunteer workers are always exempt from the requirements of health and safety law.

The owners of premises undergoing maintenance or construction work have a duty of care towards anyone on the premises.

If the construction company has any employees, then the Health and Safety at Work Act applies to the project.

Managers of a voluntary construction site do not need to be concerned about their workers' competency.

Workers should always comply with and respect the provisions made for health and safety on site.

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10.

When you arrive on site what is the first thing you are expected to do?

Come in through the vehicle access if it is nearer to your work location

Have a look round, talk to the guys and see how the project is going

Unload your tools and start work

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11.

The job you are doing is creating offcuts. Who is responsible for clearing these away?

The site tidy team

The trustees or site management

Your team leader when you have left for the day

You are responsible to clear away any mess you make

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12.

What are TWO possible consequences for employers or trustees of NOT taking measures to prevent accidents and ill health on site?
(Select TWO answers)

Time and money will be lost due to the cost of any accident or ill health

They will have to change the site layout

They will need to employ more people

They will damage the environment

They could be prosecuted for failing in their duty of care

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13.

A noisy task looks like overrunning the normal site hours. How should this be handled?

Carry on doing the job and finish it as fast as you can

Check the likely neighbourhood impact with site management before proceeding

Go and speak with the neighbours to see what they think

Before proceeding, check other workers nearby are happy with the situation

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14.

If the work of another team is affecting your safety, who would be best to speak to?

The person who is carrying out the other job

The person in charge of the other team

Your friends on site

Your team leader or supervisor

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15.

If you already have HEAT, what are the other two factors needed for a fire to start?

Fuel and Carbon Dioxide

Oxygen and Fuel

Nitrogen and Oxygen

Oxygen and Argon

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16.

Which TWO types of extinguisher must you NOT use on an electrical fire?

Water

Foam

Dry Powder

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

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17.

If you discover a fire what should you do before anything else?

Try to extinguish the fire

Finish your job as fast as possible and go to the assembly point

Raise the alarm

Leave site and go home

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18.

You have been asked to drive a dumper on site but have never been trained to do so. What should you do?

Ask someone to keep other workers away while you practice

Watch someone else drive it so you can see how they do it

Find someone else who is happy to drive it

Tell your supervisor that you can't drive it without training

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19.

You have been asked to use a mobile access tower but you find that it is not assembled. What should you do?

Put up the tower yourself so that you can complete your task

Ask a supervisor on site to have it erected by a trained and competent person

Refuse to do the job and go home

Ask a couple of others to help you put it together

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20.

You are doing a very urgent job and come to use a machine on site which appears to have a guard missing. What should you do?

Make a temporary guard yourself and continue to use the machine

Ask a co-worker to keep everyone else away while you use the machine

If it's only a short job, it will be OK to go ahead and use the machine

Use another machine or wait for this one to be made safe before using it

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21.

What are TWO sensible reasons a chisel with a mushroomed head like this should not be used?

You might get AT LEAST a caution from an inspector

Pieces of burred metal can fly off during use and may cause injury to someone

It might appear that you're not looking after your tools

The handle may get too short

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22.

You have been asked to dig a trench for a new cable and have been given a cable avoiding tool (CAT) but have not been trained how to use it. What should you do?

Tell your supervisor you have not been trained to use it

Get someone to quickly show you how to use it

Google some instructions for the tool and carry on

As you don't know how to use the tool, just go ahead but dig carefully

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23.

When should you check tools and equipment for damage?

Every time you come to use an item

Once a week

At start of every shift

Set aside the time at the beginning of each project

Once a month

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24.

Which of these statements applies when you are climbing a ladder?

Wear a safety harness

Have someone stand on the bottom to stop the ladder slipping

Keep 2 points of contact at all times

Keep 3 points of contact at all times

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25.

Which is the best description of “Working at height”?

Working at over 2m high

Working 3m above the ground or higher

Working 1.2m above the ground or higher

Working at any height that could cause you an injury if you fell

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26.

What does this label tell you when you see it on packaging or a container?

This substance is expensive, so please use sparingly

Do not use this substance as it is banned under UK law

Wear goggles as this substance can harm your eyes

This substance is harmful – find out what level of protection you need before handling it

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27.

Why are wet cements, mortars and concrete hazardous? Give TWO answers

Cement can cause skin burns and dermatitis

Cement can damage your eyes

Cement can cause muscle aches and cramps

Cement can cause dizziness and headaches

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28.

In what age building are you most likely to find asbestos?

In a house built between 1950 and 2005

In commercial buildings built after 2000

Asbestos has now been removed from all buildings in the UK

In a building erected OR refurbished before 2000

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29.

You come across what you think might be asbestos – what should you do?

Remove it, put it in the hazardous waste bin, and carry on with your work

Stop work immediately and warn others

Take a sample to your supervisor

Find the first aider on site

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30.

If you find an injured person on the site, and you are on your own, what is your first priority?

Assess the situation first – could you get hurt too?

Call for a first aider

Tell your supervisor that someone has been injured

Ask the injured person what happened so you know what to do next

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31.

If you cut your finger, and it won’t stop bleeding, what should you do?

Wash it and carry on working

Find the site first aider, or get other medical help

Wrap tape around it and carry on working

Take a break for ten minutes or so to see if it stops

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32.

How should you learn what to do in an emergency on site?
Please give TWO answers

By reading the site notice boards

By asking the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

You should be told at the site induction

The health and safety file will tell you

By asking the police

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33.

What should you do if you have been asked to move a heavy or awkward load and think there is a better way to do it?

Discuss your idea with your team leader or supervisor

Dismiss your own idea and do it the way you have been told to

Have a discussion with the others on your team to decide the best way to move it

You should know best as at the spot, so do it your way

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34.

You need to lift a light load which is too big to see past. What is the safest way to manage this?

Ask someone else to help you carry the load so that you can both see where you are going

Get someone to walk in front of you to clear the way

Move the load on your own anyway because it is so big that everyone will see you coming and just get out of your way

Find someone to walk alongside you to give you directions

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35.

Why is it important to use good manual handling technique?

Correct practice will protect your back and reduce the risk of injury

Your muscles will be strengthened over time

Heavier loads will be manageable when pulling or lifting

Tasks will be completed more speedily and efficiently

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36.

How should pedestrians be best protected from vehicle movements on site?

By marked and segregated routes

This will be explained at the site induction

You will be given a map showing you where you can walk

Drivers on site will always sound their horn as a warning

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37.

You are walking behind a lorry which is reversing – what is the main reason why this dangerous?

Reversing warning systems on lorries do not detect people

Lorry drivers are not always good at reversing

The driver is quite likely not to know you are there

Not all lorries have an audible warning system

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38.

A telehandler is loading materials onto some scaffolding and you need to get past. What should you do?

Run behind the vehicle before it reverses

Quickly walk under the raised boom

Call out to let the driver know you are there

Wait until machine has finished or take a different route past

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39.

Under environmental law, which of the following can be prosecuted for ignoring the law?

Both companies and employees

Only employees

Only companies

Only directors

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40.

A can of paint has dirt in it and has to be disposed of. What must you do with it?

(Please select TWO answers)

Put it in a correctly labelled hazardous waste container

It can be put in any skip

Take it home and put it in your own wheelie bin

Keep it separate from other waste

Place it carefully in the rubbish skip

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41.

When must an entry be made in the accident book?

When an injured person has been off sick for 3 days

When any person on site has been injured in any way

When management thinks it is necessary

When your team leader or supervisor tells you to

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42.

A near miss is best defined as . . .
(Complete the sentence)

an incident where you were just too late to see what happened

any incident that could have resulted in injury or damage

an incident where someone was injured and nearly had to go to hospital

where someone was injured and nearly had to take time off work

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43. Properly protect your head! – which is the correct way to wear your safety helmet ?
(Click an image)

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44.

If your PPE is damaged, what should you do?

You may throw it away and work without it

Patch it up with tape or superglue and carry on working

Carry on wearing it but work more quickly

Stop work and continue only when it has been replaced

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45.

When should safety footwear be worn on site?

Only when you are working outside

Only if it is muddy

All of the time

Until the site is nearly finished

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46.

What do signs with a white pictogram on a blue circle indicate?

Information for your safety

You MUST do something

Warning you about a hazard

You must NOT do something

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47.

What does a sign like this indicate (red circle with a diagonal line across, on a white background)

Hazards or danger!

You must NOT do something

You MUST do something

Important information

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48.

Which is a ‘Safe Condition’ sign?

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49.

Which of the following tools is most likely to cause ‘Vibration White Finger’ or ‘Hand-arm Vibration Syndrome’ (HAVS)?

Battery screwdriver

Handsaw

Hammer and chisel

Hammer drill

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50.

What must you do when you enter a hearing protection zone?

Wear hearing protection if the noise gets too loud for you

Wear adequate hearing protection for the noise level at all times

Take hearing protection with you in case you need to use it

Work quietly so you don't add to the general noise level

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51.

Noise levels are likely to be a problem if you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone at what distance from you?

5 metres

4 metres

1 metre

2 metres

3 metres

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52.

Tetanus is a crippling infection that you can catch from contaminated water or land. How do the bacteria usually get into your body?

Through your mouth when you eat or drink

Through your nose when you breathe

Through an open cut in your skin

Through the pores in your skin

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53.

What must be provided as a minimum for hand washing on site?

A water container, bowl and paper towels

There is no need to provide washing facilities

Hot and cold water, soap, and a way to dry your hands

A cold water standpipe and paper towels

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54. Weil’s disease (leptospirosis) can be spread by animals on construction sites. Which animal is the most likely to carry the disease?
(Click an image)

Rat

Cat

Squirrel

Rabbit

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55.

What is the most common cause of LONG TERM health issues as a result of working in the construction industry?

Being hit by a moving vehicle

Working in a noisy environment

Breathing in hazardous dust and fumes

Slips, trips and falls

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56.

What is the legal requirement for a rest area on site?

A covered area, chairs and a way to boil water and heat food

A rest area does not have to be provided as long as rest breaks are allowed

A covered area with some comfortable chairs and running water

A canteen serving sandwiches, hot food, and drink

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57.

You uncover something yellow in the ground. What could this be?

Broadband Services

A water pipe

A gas pipe

An electric cable

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58.

You are part of a team digging a trench. When should it be battered back or stepped?

If the ground is wet or there is water in the bottom of the trench

If it is over 2m deep

If the soil is sandy

If there is a risk of the sides falling in, irrespective of the depth

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59.

What is the main cause of people dying while working in a confined space?

High levels of oxygen

Cold conditions leading to hypothermia

Low levels of Carbon Dioxide

The presence of asphyxiating or toxic gases

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60.

A large amount of dust might be created by your task. How could you BEST protect yourself AND other workers?

Use a dust extraction system, or a wet cutting tool, and wear a disposable dust mask as well

Use a dust extraction system, or a wet cutting tool, and wear FFP3 rated respiratory protective equipment as well

Wear FFP3 rated respiratory protective equipment

Wear disposable respiratory protective equipment

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61.

Silica dust is damaging to the lungs. Which TWO materials are most likely to produce silica dust when cutting?
(Select TWO answers)

Concrete blocks

Fibreglass insulation

Paving slabs

Timber

Plastic pipes

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62. Confirmation of Compliance

As mentioned at the start, we need you to confirm you played fair. Please confirm by selecting the appropriate button below. If you have to say ‘No’ you can go back and take the test again, that’s OK.

NO, sorry I didn't comply with the rules. (In this case please go back and try again!)

YES, my invigilator was present and the answers were all my own work

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