Occupational Health, Safety and Workshop Practice
What the domain tests
The Occupational Health, Safety and Workshop Practice domain checks whether you can identify hazards, apply the hierarchy of control, select PPE and respond correctly to workshop emergencies. It also tests safe use of hand and machine tools, electrical awareness, fire prevention and good housekeeping.
Core rules
- Eliminate or substitute a hazard first; guarding, extraction and safe systems of work come before PPE. PPE is the last line of defence.
- Keep aisles clear, store material horizontally, and never leave a chuck key in a drill or a spanner on a machine.
- Use the fire triangle: remove fuel, oxygen or heat. Use CO2 or dry powder on electrical fires; never water.
- Isolate machines before changing blades, belts or drills. Check guards and emergency stops before starting.
- Report near misses and defects; do not improvise guards or defeat interlocks.
Worked example
A pedestal drill is to be used on a 10 mm steel plate. The risk assessment should list entanglement from the rotating spindle, swarf punctures, flying chips and manual handling of the plate. Controls: clamp the plate, fit a chuck guard, wear goggles, remove the chuck key, set the correct speed and keep hands clear. Residual risk remains, so the operator must be trained and supervised.
Traps
Marks are lost by naming PPE as the first control, choosing water on an electrical fire, ignoring swarf as a cut hazard, or describing “being careful” instead of a specific control. Also check that isolation is stated before maintenance.