Health, Safety and Occupational Practices
What the exam tests
Hazards in garment and textile workplaces, machine safety, ergonomics, chemical and fire safety, first aid and the hierarchy of controls.
Core rules
- Hazard groups: physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and psychosocial.
- Hierarchy of controls: elimination → substitution → engineering controls → administrative controls → PPE. PPE is the last line of defence.
- Machine safety: needle guard, eye guard, pulley guard, no loose hair or jewellery near rotating parts, power off during needle change.
- Ergonomics: adjustable chair, feet supported, work at elbow height, micro-breaks, anti-fatigue mat; repetitive strain and back pain are common.
- Chemicals: read the safety data sheet (SDS), use ventilation, gloves and goggles; never mix cleaning agents.
- Fire: keep exits clear, know the fire triangle and extinguisher type; report near misses.
Worked example
A sewing line has missing needle guards. Likelihood of injury is rated 4 and severity 4 on a 1–5 scale. Reasoning: risk score = 4 × 4 = 16, which is high. The first control should be an engineering control - fit the guard - not simply instructing operators to be careful. Administrative controls and PPE support the fix but do not replace it.
Traps
- Starting with PPE instead of eliminating the hazard.
- Treating ergonomic risks as minor because they are not immediate.
- Failing to record near misses, so the hazard is never corrected.