CITB Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS)

Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015), who holds the overall duty to make suitable arrangements for managing a project and to ensure welfare facilities are provided?

• AThe principal designer
• BThe client
• CThe CDM co-ordinator
• DThe HSE inspector

On a project involving more than one contractor, which CDM 2015 duty holder is responsible for planning, managing and coordinating health and safety during the construction phase?

• AThe principal designer
• BThe client
• CThe principal contractor
• DThe designer

Under CDM 2015, when must a principal designer be appointed by the client?

• AOn every construction project, regardless of the number of contractors involved
• BOnly when the project is notifiable to the HSE on an F10 form
• CWhen more than one contractor is, or is likely to be, involved
• DOnly on projects that involve demolition or structural alteration work

A construction project is expected to last 45 working days with 25 workers on site at the same time. What is the correct action under CDM 2015?

• ANo notification is needed because it is private work
• BNotify the HSE using form F10 before construction begins
• CNotify the local authority building control only
• DSubmit a RIDDOR dangerous-occurrence report to the HSE instead

Which document must the principal contractor draw up before the construction phase begins on a CDM 2015 project?

• AThe health and safety file
• BThe construction phase plan
• CThe pre-construction information pack
• DThe F10 notification

What is the primary purpose of the health and safety file required under CDM 2015?

• ATo record the daily site inductions delivered throughout the construction phase of the pr…
• BTo provide the information needed for safe future maintenance, cleaning and demolition
• CTo list the CSCS card numbers of every worker employed on the project
• DTo hold the near-miss and accident reports gathered while the project ran

Under CDM 2015, what is a designer's main duty in relation to health and safety?

• ATo directly supervise the operatives who construct the design out on site through each wo…
• BTo eliminate foreseeable risks through design and, where not possible, reduce or control…
• CTo notify the HSE of the project before the construction phase begins
• DTo provide first-aid cover and welfare facilities for everyone working on the site

Which Act is the primary piece of UK legislation placing general duties on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of employees at work?

• AThe Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• BThe Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• CThe Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
• DThe Factories Act 1961

Under section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, what duty is placed on every employee?

• ATo carry out and personally sign off the company's risk assessments for each task
• BTo take reasonable care of themselves and others, and to co-operate with their employer
• CTo purchase and maintain their own personal protective equipment
• DTo report all safety concerns directly to the HSE before raising them with their own empl…

What does the phrase 'so far as is reasonably practicable' require a duty holder to do when deciding on control measures?

• ASpend whatever money is necessary to remove the risk entirely
• BWeigh the level of risk against the time, trouble, cost and effort of controlling it
• CChoose the cheapest available control measure in every case
• DEliminate every conceivable risk whatever the cost, time or physical difficulty involved

Which regulations specifically require employers to carry out a 'suitable and sufficient' assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees?

• AThe Work at Height Regulations 2005
• BThe Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• CThe Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
• DThe Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005

What are the five steps of risk assessment as set out in traditional HSE guidance?

• APlan the work, do the work, check the outcome against targets, act on the findings, revie…
• BIdentify hazards; decide who might be harmed and how; evaluate risks and precautions; rec…
• CAvoid the hazard, prevent exposure, minimise the harm, monitor the controls, report any d…
• DEliminate, substitute, isolate, apply engineering controls, then protect the worker with…

In the hierarchy of control, which measure should always be considered FIRST when controlling a hazard?

• AProvide personal protective equipment (PPE)
• BEliminate or avoid the hazard altogether
• CProvide information and training
• DUse administrative controls such as signage

What is the main purpose of a method statement (or safe system of work) on a construction site?

• ATo record the names of everyone who attended the site induction that day
• BTo set out step by step how a high-risk task will be carried out safely
• CTo summarise the project budget and programme for the commercial team
• DTo remove the legal requirement for a separate risk assessment

Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, what is the correct order of the hierarchy a manager must apply?

• AMinimise the consequences of any fall first, then prevent falls, then avoid work at heigh…
• BAvoid work at height first; then prevent falls; then minimise the fall distance and conse…
• CIssue personal harnesses first, then guard rails, then working platforms
• DIssue a permit to work first, then inspect the access equipment, then train all the opera…

A scaffold has been in continuous use on a project. How often, as a minimum, must it be inspected by a competent person while it remains in use?

• AAt intervals not exceeding 14 days
• BAt intervals not exceeding 7 days
• CAt intervals not exceeding one month
• DOnly when it is first erected

When MUST a scaffold be re-inspected in addition to the routine 7-day interval?

• AOnly at the end of the project, when the scaffold is about to be taken down and removed
• BAfter any event likely to affect its strength or stability, such as high winds or impact
• CEach time a new operative or subcontractor starts using the scaffold as their workplace
• DOnly if an accident or a reported near miss has already occurred on the scaffold itself

Which of the following is a 'collective' fall-protection measure, protecting everyone in the area rather than only the individual?

• AA personal fall-arrest harness and lanyard
• BA double-guarded edge protection / guard rail system
• CA work-positioning belt and adjustable lanyard
• DA single-point fall-arrest anchor and karabiner

Before a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) is used to lift people, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) require it to undergo a thorough examination at what maximum interval?

• AEvery 3 months, the same as portable electrical tools
• BEvery 6 months (for equipment used to lift people)
• CEvery 12 months, the same as equipment lifting loads only
• DEvery 24 months, provided pre-use checks are carried out

What is the most reliable way to protect workers from collapse when working in a deep, vertical-sided trench?

• ARely on the ground being self-supporting because the soil looks firm, dry and undisturbed
• BSupport the sides with shoring or trench boxes, or batter them back to a safe angle
• CPlace a guard-rail barrier around the top edge of the trench
• DLimit each worker's time in the trench to short spells

A site manager hears that 'excavations under 1.2 metres deep do not need any support'. How should this be treated?

• AAs correct - excavations shallower than 1.2 m are automatically safe
• BAs a myth - there is no depth at which support is automatically unnecessary
• CAs correct for cohesive clay soils, though not for sands and gravels
• DAs a threshold set out in CDM 2015 for supporting excavations

Before digging an excavation, which control is essential to prevent contact with buried services such as electricity cables and gas mains?

• ADig quickly with the excavator and stop only if a service is struck
• BLocate services with utility drawings and a CAT scanner, then hand-dig trial holes near t…
• CAssume no services are present unless the client's pre-construction drawings show them
• DRely on a trained banksman watching the excavator bucket to spot services as digging proc…

Under the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997, what is the correct general approach to confined-space work?

• AEnter quickly with the job well planned so that time spent inside is kept to a minimum
• BAvoid entry where possible; otherwise use a safe system of work with rescue arrangements…
• CVentilate the space thoroughly beforehand and then enter without any further precautions
• DPost a standby worker at the entrance while the entrant works inside without any air moni…

Which of the following is a recognised specified risk that can make a space a 'confined space' under the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997?

• AThe space is poorly lit and requires artificial task lighting throughout the work
• BA flammable or toxic atmosphere, oxygen deficiency or enrichment, or free-flowing solids
• CThe space has restricted headroom and only a single means of access and egress
• DThe space is located below ground level, for example a basement, culvert or deep service…

What is the recommended standard voltage for portable electric hand tools on a UK construction site to reduce the risk of fatal electric shock?

• A230 V single-phase, the standard UK mains supply
• B110 V centre-tapped to earth (giving a maximum of 55 V to earth)
• C400 V three-phase, taken from the site distribution board
• D12 V supplied from battery packs for every tool

Which regulations place the main legal duties on duty holders to prevent danger from electricity in the workplace, including on construction sites?

• AThe Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• BThe Wiring Regulations BS 7671 only
• CThe Work at Height Regulations 2005
• DThe Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998

What is the safest first action when an overhead power line crosses a site where tall plant such as cranes or tipper lorries will operate?

• ABrief all drivers to keep watch and pass beneath the line with care
• BHave the line diverted or isolated, or set up goalposts and barriers with safe clearances
• CFit every machine with a height-limiting proximity alarm and rely on it to warn the drive…
• DSchedule plant movements under the line for dry, calm weather only

According to HSE guidance, at roughly what interval should 110 V portable tools used on a construction site receive a combined inspection and electrical test?

• AEvery week, the same interval HSE guidance suggests for user checks
• BAround every 3 months, reflecting the harsh site environment
• CEvery 12 months, in line with office equipment practice
• DOnly when the tool is first brought into service on the site

Before any maintenance is carried out on an electrical circuit, what is the essential procedure to follow?

• ASwitch off at the nearest local socket or switch and begin the work straight away
• BSafe isolation: identify, isolate, lock off with a sign, then prove dead with an approved…
• CWear insulating rubber gloves and carry out the work with the circuit remaining live
• DHave a colleague stand guard beside the isolator to stop anyone re-energising the circuit…

Which three elements must be present together for a fire to start, as described by the 'fire triangle'?

• AHeat, smoke and a supply of oxygen
• BFuel, oxygen and a source of ignition (heat)
• CFuel, water vapour and moving air
• DA spark, a naked flame and flammable dust

What control should be put in place before 'hot works' such as welding, grinding or using a blowtorch are carried out on site?

• AA general fire-risk assessment covering the whole site, with no task-specific controls ad…
• BA hot-works permit with combustibles removed, extinguishers to hand and a fire watch kept
• CA verbal reminder to the operatives to take care with sparks and flame
• DA rule that hot works happen after hours when the site is quieter

On a construction site, which fire-prevention measure is most effective at reducing the amount of available fuel for a fire?

• AStoring flammable liquids beside the hot-works area so quantities stay visible
• BGood housekeeping - clearing combustible waste often and storing flammables away from ign…
• CKeeping timber offcuts stacked at the workface so they can be reused
• DSilencing the fire-alarm call points throughout the working day to prevent disruptive fal…

Which type of fire extinguisher is generally suitable for a fire involving live electrical equipment?

• AWater (red label)
• BCarbon dioxide (CO2, black label)
• CFoam (cream label)
• DWet chemical (yellow label)

What is the primary purpose of a site fire and emergency plan?

• ATo record the annual premium and the excess payable on the project's fire insurance policy
• BTo set out escape routes, alarm raising, assembly points and evacuation arrangements
• CTo list the extinguisher types and their label colours provided across the whole site
• DTo schedule material deliveries so combustible stock stays low

Under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, at which daily or weekly average noise exposure must employers provide hearing protection and designate hearing-protection zones?

• AThe lower exposure action value of 80 dB(A)
• BThe upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A)
• CThe peak sound pressure value of 112 dB(C)
• DAny daily average exceeding 70 dB(A)

Which occupational health condition is caused by prolonged exposure to vibration from hand-held power tools such as breakers and grinders?

• AOccupational asthma triggered by inhaling sensitising dusts and fumes
• BHand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), including vibration white finger
• CIrritant contact dermatitis affecting the hands and forearms
• DLeptospirosis contracted from water contaminated by rats

Which Regulations require employers to assess and control the risks to health from hazardous substances such as silica dust, solvents and cement?

• ACOSHH - the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
• BRIDDOR - the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013
• CPUWER - the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
• DLOLER - the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998

What is the most effective way to control respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust when cutting paving slabs or concrete?

• AIssue FFP3 masks to the operatives and rely on them as the only control measure
• BUse on-tool water suppression or extraction (LEV), with suitable RPE for residual dust
• CCarry out the cutting outdoors in the open air where the dust can disperse on the wind
• DSweep the dry dust away with a stiff brush once the cutting work is finished