16.2 Information Sources: Legislation, Guidance & Workplace Documents
Key Takeaways
Unit 210 legislation covers data protection (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018), equal opportunities (Equality Act 2010), health and safety and employment law.
The Equality Act 2010 protects nine characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Manufacturer guidance comes as installation instructions, service and maintenance instructions, and user instructions for the customer.
Delivery notes are checked against the order and the goods before signing, and time sheets record the hours worked on each job for wages and charging.
Work programmes (bar or Gantt charts) show the order and timing of tasks so labour and deliveries can be planned.
16.2 Information Sources: Legislation, Guidance & Workplace Documents
Learning outcome 2 is the largest part of the Unit 210 test: 9 of the 20 questions (45%). It covers the legislation and guidance that apply to the industry, the information used in the workplace, the information given to customers, and company policies. This section covers the first two; Section 16.3 covers the rest.
Statutory Legislation
| Area | Main law | What it means at work |
|---|---|---|
| Data protection | UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 | Personal information about customers and colleagues must be kept secure and used only for the purpose it was collected for. Never share customers' details, door or alarm codes, or key arrangements, and do not post photos of customers' homes without permission. |
| Equal opportunities | Equality Act 2010 (the Disability Discrimination Act still applies in Northern Ireland) | It is unlawful to discriminate against, harass or victimise people because of a protected characteristic, in recruitment, at work or when providing services. |
| Health and safety | Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the regulations made under it | The duties of employers and employees covered in Unit 201. |
| Employment | Employment Rights Act 1996, Working Time Regulations 1998 and National Minimum Wage Act 1998 | A written statement of the main terms of employment from the first day; an average working week of no more than 48 hours unless you opt out; a 20-minute break if you work more than 6 hours; 11 hours' rest between working days; 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year; and at least the national minimum wage (with a separate apprentice rate). |
The nine protected characteristics (Equality Act 2010)
Age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Regulations, Standards, Codes of Practice and Manufacturer Guidance
- Regulations are statutory instruments made under Acts of Parliament, such as the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, the Building Regulations and the water fittings regulations. Breaking them is a criminal offence.
- British Standards such as BS 7671 (wiring), BS 5839 (fire alarms) and BS 5266 (emergency lighting) are non-statutory, but following them is the accepted way to show that the law has been met.
- Codes of practice give practical guidance. HSE Approved Codes of Practice have a special legal status, and industry codes such as the IET Guidance Notes explain how to meet the standards.
- Manufacturer guidance comes in three forms, and BS 7671 requires equipment to be installed taking the manufacturer's instructions into account:
| Type | Purpose | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Installation instructions | How to fix, connect and commission the product: fixings, cable sizes, clearances, torque settings | The installer |
| Service and maintenance instructions | Inspection and servicing intervals, procedures, spare parts and fault finding | Maintenance staff and service engineers |
| User instructions | How to operate the product safely and look after it | The customer, handed over at completion |
Information Used in the Workplace
| Document | Purpose | Your responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Job specification | Describes the work to be done and the standards, materials and finishes required | Install exactly what is specified; query anything unclear before starting |
| Plans and drawings | Show layouts, routes, positions and details (Section 9.2) | Work from the current revision and record any changes for the as-fitted drawings |
| Work programmes | Bar (Gantt) charts showing the order, start dates and durations of tasks, so labour, deliveries and trades can be coordinated | Keep to your planned dates and tell your supervisor early about delays |
| Delivery notes | List the goods delivered by a supplier | Check the goods against the delivery note and order for quantity and damage before signing, and note any shortages or damage on the note |
| Time sheets | Record the hours worked, and on which job | Complete them accurately: they are used for wages, for charging the client (especially daywork) and for costing jobs |
| Policy documents | The company's health and safety policy (required in writing by employers with five or more employees), environmental policy and customer service policy | Read and follow them; they set out how the company expects work to be done |
Other everyday documents include job sheets (the tasks for the day), variation orders (written instructions for changes to the work), daywork sheets (records of extra work charged at hourly rates), requisitions and purchase orders (requests for materials), and the site diary.
Example: reading a simple work programme
| Task | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First fix containment | ■ | ■ | ||
| Cable installation | ■ | ■ | ||
| Plastering (other trade) | ■ | ■ | ||
| Second fix and testing | ■ |
Here cable installation must finish during week 3 before plastering takes over, so a two-day delay to the cables would hold up the plasterers and everyone after them.
Keeping information up to date
Information is only useful if it is current. Before starting work, check that you have the latest revision of each drawing and specification (Section 9.2), because work done from a superseded drawing may have to be removed. Return or clearly mark out-of-date copies, record changes made on site so that the as-fitted drawings can be updated, and keep signed records such as toolbox talk registers, inspection reports and test results where your company requires them. Good document control protects the company if there is a later dispute about what was agreed or installed.
Tip
If a delivery is short or damaged, write it on the delivery note before you sign. A signed, unmarked note is evidence that everything arrived complete and in good condition.
What should you do before signing a delivery note for materials delivered to site?
Check the goods against the note and the order for quantity and damage, and record any problems
Sign it straight away so that the driver can leave, then check the goods later in the day
Send it unsigned to the client's office, because only the client is allowed to accept deliveries
Throw it away once the goods are stored
What is the main purpose of a time sheet?
To list the materials ordered for a job and the prices agreed with the supplier
To record the hours worked on each job for wages, charging and costing
To show the planned sequence of work
To record electrical test results
Which of these is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010?
Trade qualification
Favourite football team
Religion or belief
Driving licence category
A customer gives you the code for their burglar alarm so that you can work while they are out. What should you do?
Write it on the job sheet so the whole team can see it
Share it with colleagues by text message
Write it on a label inside the van
Keep it confidential and use it only for that job
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.