Health, Safety and Workshop Practice
Health, Safety and Workshop Practice
This domain tests hazard spotting, risk control and correct workshop conduct around hand tools, machines, electricity and fire. Expect applied scenarios rather than definitions alone.
Core rules
- Apply the hierarchy of control: eliminate, substitute, engineering controls, administrative controls, then PPE. PPE is the last line of defence, not the first.
- Machine guards are fixed or interlocked; never defeat an interlock. Emergency stops must be visible, unobstructed and tested before use.
- Fire triangle: fuel, oxygen, heat. Match extinguisher to class: water for Class A solids, foam for flammable liquids, CO2 for electrical and liquid fires, dry powder as general-purpose but messy around electronics.
- Electrical: inspect leads and plugs, use an RCD, keep liquids away, isolate and lock off before maintenance.
- Housekeeping: clear walkways, secure gas cylinders upright, store oily rags in a lidded metal bin.
Worked example
An angle grinder will cut steel beside an open tin of solvent. Sparks are the ignition source and solvent vapour the fuel. The first control is to eliminate the hazard by moving the solvent to a closed store. If that is impossible, substitute a cold-cutting method or screen and extract the sparks and vapour. A face shield and gloves are added last. PPE alone would not make the task safe.
Traps
Treating PPE as the first control; using water on an electrical fire; leaving a chuck key in a drill; removing a guard for a quick cut; blocking an emergency stop with stock.