BSEH Secondary NSQF Construction key terms

The helmet, safety boots, gloves, goggles, harness and similar gear a worker wears to reduce injury risk on site. It is the last line of defence after hazards have been removed or controlled.

A short, informal briefing held at the workplace before work starts, covering the day's hazards, method and controls. Attendance is normally recorded so the employer can show workers were informed.

A structured look at a task to identify what could cause harm, how likely and how serious that harm is, and what controls will reduce it. It is recorded and reviewed when conditions change.

A written authorisation allowing a specific high-risk job, such as hot work or confined-space entry, under stated precautions and time limits. Work may not start until the permit is signed and issued.

Standardised signs using shape and colour to convey prohibition, warning, mandatory action or safe condition, such as red circles for bans and yellow triangles for warnings. They supplement, never replace, physical controls.

A tag fixed to a scaffold showing whether it is safe for use, who checked it and when the next inspection is due. A red or missing tag means the scaffold must not be used.

The upper rail, mid rail and low upstand fitted to open edges of scaffolds, excavations and floors to stop people falling and to prevent tools or material being kicked off the edge.

Temporary supports such as timber, steel sheets or hydraulic braces used to stop the sides of a trench collapsing onto workers. Battering back the sides to a safe slope is an alternative control.

An enclosed or partly enclosed area with restricted entry and exit that is not meant for continuous occupancy and may hold toxic gas, low oxygen or flooding risk. Entry needs a permit and gas testing.

A supplier document giving the hazards, safe handling, storage, first-aid and spill measures for a chemical product such as cement, thinner or solvent. It must be available where the product is used.

A permanent lung disease caused by breathing fine crystalline silica dust from cutting, grinding or drilling concrete, stone and brick. Prevention relies on wet methods, extraction and suitable respiratory protection.

Methods used to stop fine particles becoming airborne, such as wetting down, water sprays on cutting tools, local exhaust ventilation and enclosed mixing. It protects both workers and nearby residents.

The measured sound exposure at which an employer must inform workers, provide hearing protection and arrange hearing checks. It is typically expressed as an average level over an eight-hour working day.

Separating construction waste at source into streams such as concrete rubble, timber, metal, plastic and hazardous items so each can be reused, recycled or sent to the correct disposal route.

The chemical reaction between cement and water that forms strong interlocking compounds and hardens the paste. It continues for a long time and needs moisture to proceed, so curing matters.

The mass of water divided by the mass of cement in a concrete mix. Lower ratios generally give stronger, denser, more durable concrete, while too little water makes the mix unworkable.

How easily a fresh concrete or mortar mix can be placed, compacted and finished without segregation. The slump test measures it by the drop of a moulded cone of concrete.

The distribution of particle sizes in the sand and coarse aggregate of a mix. Good grading fills voids efficiently, reduces the cement paste needed and improves strength and finish.

The amount of water a brick can soak up, expressed as a percentage of its dry mass. High absorption bricks are more porous, weaker in frost and more likely to draw moisture from mortar.

A white powdery salt deposit that appears on masonry or plaster surfaces when soluble salts migrate to the face with moisture and crystallise as it dries. It signals damp movement and is brushed off dry.

Keeping fresh concrete, mortar or plaster moist and at a suitable temperature for a set period so it gains strength and durability. Methods include water ponding, wet covers and curing compounds.

Removing trapped air from placed concrete by vibration or tamping so it fully surrounds reinforcement and forms a dense mass. Poor compaction leaves honeycombing and weak, permeable zones.

The proportion of cement, lime and sand in a mortar, written in parts by volume, for example 1:4. Richer mixes are stronger and less porous but stiffer and more prone to shrinkage cracking.

A brick walling pattern with alternating courses of stretchers and headers. It is strong and resists longitudinal cracking, though it is slower to lay than stretcher bond.

The corner stone or brick forming the external angle of a wall. Quoins are often laid as long and short blocks to give a neat, strong corner that ties the two wall faces together.

Checking that a vertical element is truly upright and a horizontal element is truly flat, using a spirit level, plumb bob or laser. Both checks are essential before masonry, joinery or pipework is fixed.

A tool with sealed vials of liquid and an air bubble, used to check horizontal and vertical alignment. The bubble centres between the marks when the surface is true.

A woodworking or metalworking tool with a stock and a blade fixed at right angles, used to mark and test square corners and to check that a face is straight.

A fixed cover over part of a grinding or cutting disc that stops fragments and sparks being thrown at the operator. It must never be removed, and the disc rating must match the machine speed.

A protective switch that cuts power quickly when it detects current leaking to earth, such as through a damaged cable or a person. Portable tools on site are normally supplied through one.

A power tool with a flexible poker or a vibrating head used to compact placed concrete and release trapped air. It must be inserted at regular spacing and withdrawn slowly to avoid voids.

The ratio between a distance on a drawing and the real distance it represents, such as 1:100, where one unit on paper equals one hundred on site. Every dimension should be read with the scale in mind.

The three standard orthographic views: a plan looks down from above, an elevation looks at a face from the side, and a section shows a cut-through revealing internal construction.

A thin line on a drawing, usually ending in arrowheads or oblique ticks, that shows the extent of a measured distance. The figure written above it gives the actual size in millimetres.

A chain-dotted line used on drawings to mark the axis of symmetry, the centre of a circular feature or the middle of a wall or pipe run. It helps set out positions accurately.

The process of measuring and listing quantities of work from drawings and specifications, such as cubic metres of concrete or square metres of plaster, so costs and materials can be estimated.

A priced document listing measured items of work with descriptions, units and quantities, used to obtain tenders and to value work as it proceeds. It is prepared from a quantity take-off.

A table giving the bar mark, size, shape, number, cutting length and total weight of each reinforcement bar in a concrete element. It is used for ordering steel and checking fixing on site.

The temporary mould of timber, plywood or metal panels that holds fresh concrete in shape until it hardens. It must be strong, tight against grout loss and correctly propped.

A strong wood joint in which a projecting tenon on one member fits into a matching rectangular mortise cut in the other. It is usually glued and sometimes pinned with a dowel.

A joint made of flared pins and matching tails that interlock and resist being pulled apart along the length of the members. It is common in drawer boxes and carcass corners.

Controlled drying of timber, in air or in a kiln, to reduce moisture content before use. Properly seasoned wood is stronger, more stable and less likely to shrink, warp or split after fixing.

A U-shaped bend in a drain that holds a small seal of water, stopping sewer gas and smells from entering the building. It needs a vent to prevent the seal being siphoned away.

The soil pipe carries sewage from water closets to the drain, while the vent pipe admits air to the system so traps keep their seals and gases escape safely above roof level.

An access point on a drainage run, fitted with a removable cover, where blockages can be rodded and the flow checked. It is placed at changes of direction, junctions and intervals along the drain.

Connecting exposed metal parts and the installation's earth conductor to the general mass of earth so fault current flows safely and protective devices operate quickly. It is fundamental to electrical safety.

An automatic switch that opens a circuit when current exceeds its rating, protecting cables from overload and short circuit. Unlike a fuse, it can be reset after the fault is cleared.

A wiring arrangement using two changeover switches so one lamp can be operated from either of two positions, as on a staircase or corridor. It needs a three-core strapper between the switches.

The period during which a plaster or mortar stiffens after mixing and can no longer be worked. Adding water to a mix that has begun to set weakens it and is not permitted.

Applying a thin final coat of fine plaster or filler over a prepared background to give a smooth, flat surface ready for decoration. It is worked tight and polished as it stiffens.

The preparatory paint layers applied before the finish coat: the primer seals and bonds to the surface, and the undercoat builds opacity and gives the topcoat an even base.

The layer of cement-based or ready-mixed adhesive, combed with a notched trowel, that bonds tiles to the substrate. Full, even coverage prevents hollow spots and loose tiles.

The workplace behaviours and attitudes employers expect alongside technical ability, such as punctuality, teamwork, safe working, clear communication and willingness to learn. They are assessed in the NSQF employability module.

Identifying a need in the market and organising money, materials, people and risk to meet it through a small business. For a construction worker it can mean contracting, supply or specialist services.

A calculated forecast of the money needed for a job, covering materials, labour, tools, transport and overheads, plus a margin. Accurate take-off quantities are the basis of a reliable estimate.