Q. What is Safety?

Safety is the condition or state of being protected from risk of injury, harm or property loss. (The word
SAFETY is derived from Latin word “SALVUS” that means Safe, unharmed and Healthy).

Q. Define the term ‘Risk’

Risk can be defined as the likelihood that a hazard will cause any unwanted event in combination with
the consequence or severity of that event.

Q. What are the Responsibilities of an HSE Officer / What were your roles in your previous job?

The core duty of HSE officer is providing advice and assistance to the workers and the management for
Prevention of accidents, injuries, work-related illness and property loss in the workplace. Other duties
include:

· Development, implementation and maintenance of Health and Safety Management System.

· Identification and development of Health and Safety Training and ensuring delivery of those training.

· Promoting positive safety culture.

· Assisting in the compliance of applicable laws and regulations.

· Maintaining relevant HSE logs and documentations.

· Participating in creating Health and Safety Policy and ensuring these policies are implemented by the
management and employees.

· Implementing Health and Safety Standards in the workplace.

· Participating in carrying out risk assessment and other safety assessments to support safety, health
and environmental management

· Ensuring valid Work Permit obtained and available at the site for all jobs.

· Ensuring Job Hazard Analysis or Safety Task Assignment has done for all activities.

· Organising Tool Box Talk and explaining work related hazards and precaution to the workers.

· Regularly inspecting the workplace in their area of responsibility and identifying the hazards, unsafe
acts and unsafe conditions, and recording those hazards and taking appropriate action to mitigate or
eliminate those hazards.

· Monitoring workers for exposure to Health and Safety Hazardous Conditions.

· Taking part in incident investigations and recommending any improvement to the H&S (Health and
Safety) management system.
· Taking appropriate action to protect the environment.

· Conducting safety awareness and safety incentive programs.

· Participating in H&S planning meetings.

Q. What have been your key achievements in your previous HSE role?

In response of this question candidates should highlight their achievements including Awards,
Appreciations that they received in their previous role.

A good answer might sound like the following:

I was a part of 10 million safe man-hours project in my previous job. Due to our performance and hard
work on Health and Safety and Environmental aspects, we have achieved different appreciation awards
from our client and different Health and Safety bodies. Personally I have received Appreciation
Certificate from our client FDH-JV in recognition for my outstanding performance at KNPC-Clean Fuels
Project, Mina Abdullah, Kuwait.

Q. Why do you think you are suitable candidate for this position?

For this type of question candidates should highlight their qualifications, experience and expertise.
Here is the sample answer:

I do possess different Health and Safety qualifications along with nebosh, iosh, osha, diploma in
Industrial Safety, and 5 years’ experience as a Safety Officer in oil and gas industries. That is why I
strongly believe I am a suitable candidate for this position.

Q. What would you do if a site supervisor /engineer asked you to ignore a safety violation.

Interviewer asks you this question to evaluate how you balance ethics, professional responsibility and
common sense.

A good answer might be:

If it were a minor violation that was unlikely to result in injury, I might give the supervisor/engineer a
deadline to fix it depending upon level of risk. However, if it were a major hazard, I would have to refuse
to ignore it.

Q. What is HSE Policy? What are its main parts? And why we need HSE Policy?

The health and safety policy of an organisation is an important legal document that sets out the
organisation’s aims with regard to health and safety, explains who is responsible for achieving these
aims, and how the aims are to be achieved.
There are three main parts or sections of HSE policy:

1) Statement of Intent- In this section importance of health and safety of the employees for the
company, and commitment and leadership regarding health and safety is demonstrated by the top
management of the company. Health and Safety aims and objectives are also set in this section.

2) Organisation section- This section highlights the roles and responsibilities from top to bottom
within the organisation to achieve the organisational aims and objectives. It shows lines of responsibility
and accountability for managing health and safety.

3) Arrangement section- This section provides the detail on how the organisation manages
health and safety. It outlines the general and specific arrangements that relate to health and safety
management.

HSE policy is one of the primary documents all organisations should have in place. It sets out health and
safety objectives, responsibilities and arrangements. Having a good HSE policy delivers many benefits,
including clear communication of Health and Safety Management. It is also a legal requirement by many
H&S acts and regulations like, Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and The Management of Health and
Safety at Work Regulation (1999).

Q. What is Management System? Identify different types of Management System.

A Management System is the framework of policies, process and procedures used by an organisation to
ensure that it can fulfil all the tasks required to achieve its objectives.

Examples of Management System Standards include:

· ISO-9001: Quality Management System (QMS).

· ISO- 14001: Environmental Management System (EMS).

· OHSAS-18001: Occupational Health and Safety Management System Standard.

· ILO-OSH 2001: Occupational Safety and Health Management System.

· ISO-45001: Occupational Health and Safety Management System.

· ISO-50001: Energy Management System.

Q. What is HSE Audit? Identify its types.

HSE audit is the systematic, objective and critical evaluation of an organisation’s health and safety
management system. Audit is based on three different types of evidences: Documents and records,
Interviews, and Direct observation in the workplace. The objectives of health & safety audit are to
evaluate and inform the company that,

· How well it is performing in Health & Safety,

· Whether managers and others meeting the standards set by the company itself,

· Whether the company is complying with the H&S laws.

Types of audit could be:

1) Internal Audit: That is normally performed by internal team to evaluate current status and
effectiveness of management system.

2) External Audit: It is second type of audit which is usually conducted by third party certifying
body and Insurance companies to evaluate and examine effectiveness of current management system.

Q. What are the sources of evidence / information auditors look for?

Auditors use three methods to gather factual information:

1) Documents and Records (e.g., method statement, HSE policy, procedures, training record,
maintenance record, inspection, record risk assessment, incident records, civil claims, accident
investigation reports, statutory examinations record etc).

2) Interviews (of workers and management)

3) Direct observation (of the site, activity and behaviour of individuals)

Q. Explain the process of Audit OR Explain the steps of an Audit.

Audit is carried out into three steps:

1) Pre-Audit Preparations before the audit starts the following should be defined:

· The scope of the audit- will it cover just health and safety, or environmental management as well?

· The area of the audit – one department, one whole site, all sites?

· The extent of the audit- fully comprehensive (which may take weeks), or more selective?

· Who will be required – auditors will need to be accompanied during their visit and will need access
to managers and workers for information-gathering,

· Information-gathering – it is common practice for auditors to ask for copies of relevant

documentation before starting the audit so that they can prepare.

2) During the Audit Auditors use three methods to gather factual information:

· Reference to paperwork – the documents and records that indicate what should be happening and
what has happened relevant to a particular issue.

· Interviews - word-of-mouth evidence given by managers and workers.

· Direct observation - of the workplace, equipment, activities and behaviour.

3) At the End of the Audit – Verbal feedback or presentation to the management team is
usually provided at the end of an audit; This verbal feedback will be followed by a written report. The
report will make recommendation for improvement and indicate priorities and timescales.

Q. What is Active and Reactive monitoring in terms of H&S?

Active / proactive Monitoring: is the type of monitoring that is performed before any unwanted event
for ex. routine safety inspection of the workplace, safety sampling safety survey, safety tour, health
surveillance, benchmarking of the performance, etc.

Reactive monitoring: is the type of monitoring that is performed after things gone wrong. For example,
investigating accidents and incidents, monitoring the cases of ill-health and sickness absence records.

Q. What is Safety Inspection? AND its Types?

Safety inspection is the process of looking for safety hazards, unsafe acts and unsafe condition at the
workplace.

Safety inspections are based on 4Ps:

P- Plant e.g., Machinery, equipment etc.

P- Premises e.g., Workplace and working conditions.

P- People e.g., Acts and behaviour.

P- Procedure e.g., System of work.

A safety inspection may be concentrated on one, more or all above aspects.

Types of safety inspection:

1) Routine inspection of a workplace to determine if general standards of health and safety are
acceptable, or if corrective action is necessary.

2) Statutory inspection of an item by a competent person to fulfil a legal requirement (e.g. the
annual thorough examination of an item of lifting equipment)

3) Periodic inspection of plant and machinery as part of a planned maintenance programme

(e.g. a mechanic inspects the brakes on a lorry on a regular basis to ensure they are not excessively
worn).

4) Pre-use checks carried out by workers before they use certain items of plant and machinery
(e.g. the start-up checks carried out by a forklift-truck driver).
Q. What is Safety Sampling?

Safety sampling is the technique of monitoring compliance with a particular workplace standard by
looking at a representative sample only. If a big enough sample is collected, then there is a strong
likelihood that the results of the sample will reflect the results for the workplace as a whole.

For example, if the standard in a large office complex is that all 1,000 fire extinguishers must be
inspected annually by a competent engineer, then there are several ways to monitor this standard:

1) Check the maintenance records to ensure each and every fire extinguisher has been signed
off.

2) Check all 1,000 fire extinguishers directly by inspecting each one.

3) Check a representative sample of, say, 50 extinguishers selected at random from various
locations around the complex. (This method is safety sampling).

Q. What is Safety Survey?

A safety survey is a detailed examination of one particular issue or topic, e.g. a detailed examination of
the provision of emergency lighting within a building.

Q. What is Safety Tour?

A safety tour is a high-profile inspection of a workplace carried out by a group or team, including
managers, worker representatives, occupational health & safety specialists, engineers and workers from
the area.

Q. What is Health Surveillance?

Health surveillance is the method of monitoring workers’ health. E.g., hearing check-ups.

Q. What is Benchmarking?

The comparison of an organisation’s performance with others in the industry or sector is known as
“benchmarking”. This provides an indication of how well the organisation is performing compared to
similar companies.

Q. What is the difference between Safety Inspection and Audit?

Safety inspections look for hazards and risks. Meanwhile, safety audits examine whether programs and
strategies are meeting a company’s goals. Both are important components of a workplace safety plan.
Q. What is Accident Investigation and Its benefits?

Accident investigation is the process of determining the immediate and root causes of an accident, so
that corrective action can be taken to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Benefits of investigating an accident/incident:

· It identifies causes of the incidents.

· It identifies corrective actions to prevent reoccurrence.

· Records facts of the incident for future evidence.

· Meeting legal compliance.

· Improves staff morale.

· Identifies individuals for disciplinary action.

· It enables risk assessment to be updated.

· Discovers trends.

Q. Explain what are the steps of Accident Investigation.

investigation procedures:

Basically, the accident investigation is done into four steps that are:

Step 1: Gather factual information about the event.

Step 2: Analyse that information and draw conclusions about the immediate and root causes.

Step 3: Identify suitable control measures.

Step 4: Plan the remedial actions.

Q. Define Accident, Incident and Near miss?

Accident- an unwanted, unplanned event which leads to injury, death, property loss or environmental
damage.

Incident- an unwanted and unplanned event that may or may not results in injury, death, property loss
or environmental damage.

Near miss- An unwanted event that had the potential to cause harm, but, in fact did not do so. Or, an
incident that does not resulted in injury or loss.

Note: Every accident and near-miss are incident.

Q. What is Hazard and types of the hazards?

The inherent property of something or the condition that has the potential to cause harm, injury or
property loss.

Hazards can be grouped into five categories:

· Physical

· Chemical

· Biological

· Ergonomics

· Psychological

EXAMPLES:

Physical Hazards

Work at height, Electricity, Moving vehicles, Moving parts of machinery, Noise, Vibration, Naked flames,
Uneven surface, Poor lighting, Sharp objects, Temperature extremes etc.
Chemical Hazards

Cleaning products, Gases, Solvents, Fumes, Dusts, Smoke etc.

Biological Hazards

Blood or other body fluids, Human waste, Animal and bird droppings, Bacteria and viruses, Insects and
animal bites, Fungi etc.

Ergonomic Hazards

Awkward movements, Repetitive movements, Poor workstation design, Frequent lifting etc.

Psychological Hazards

Over load, Tiredness, Lack of procedure, Violence in the workplace, Bullying and harassment etc.

Q. What is Line of Fire?

“Line of fire” is the military term that describes the path of a discharged missile or firearm. When it
comes to health and safety, it may be defined as the path a hazardous object will travel.

There are many objects that have potential to create line of fire exposure, such as:
Suspended load, objects with fall or roll potential, vehicles path, drop zone of working aloft etc.

Q. What is Risk Assessment? Explain it steps?

Risk assessment is the formal process of identifying hazards, evaluating risks and then deciding control
measures to eliminate or control those risks to an acceptable level. This can be used to determine
whether enough precautions have been taken or whether more should be done to prevent harm.

The aim of the risk assessment is to identify hazards and decide and implement control measures.

The main objective of risk assessment is the prevention of accidents, ill-health and property damage.

Risk assessment is carried out into five steps:

1) Identify the hazards

Hazards may be identified by:

· Inspecting the workplace

· Asking employees if they have noticed any hazard

· Checking manufacturer’s data sheets and instructions

· Checking accident, near miss and ill-health records

2) Identify the people who might be harmed and how

People may be:

· Employees

· Visitors

· Public

· Vulnerable group like, children, expectant mothers, young workers, new workers, lone workers,
individuals with disability etc.

3) Evaluate the risks and decide on precaution

Generally, risk matrix is used to evaluate the risk. Then control measures are decided considering
existing control measures that are already being used.
4) Record significant findings and implement them

If a company has five or more employees, a record of the significant findings of the risk assessment must
be kept electronically or in writing. It involves recording of, what hazards were found, who are at risk
and how, what you are already doing to control the risk and what further action is necessary, by whom
and by when.

5) Review and update as necessary

A risk assessment should be reviewed after:

· Any additional control measures have been introduced

· After significant changes to work process, equipment or personnel

· After an accident

· After several near misses

Q. What is Risk Matrix?

Risk Matrix is the matrix that is used during Risk Assessment process to define the level of risk by
considering the likelihood and the severity.

Risk is rated as Risk Rating= Likelihood X Severity

The example below is a 5 x 5 matrix. The result will provide a risk rating of 1 to 25

Q. What is Hot Work? What are the hazards and risks of Hot Work? And suggest some precautions.

Any work that involves sparks, open flame or heat, are considered as Hot Work for example, welding,
cutting, grinding etc.

Hazards and Risks of Hot Work:

· Fire and Explosion

· Welding fumes and dusts

· Skin and eye burn from the sparks or flame

· Ultraviolet and infrared radiation from the welding arc

· Physical injury from grinders and other tools

· Flying particles

· Heat stress specially in summer season

· Trip over trailing cables

· Electricity.

Precautions that could be taken before starting the Hot Work:

· Carrying out all possible fabrication and welding outside unit area.

· Inspecting the area and testing the atmosphere where hot work is to be performed to ensure that
the area is free of fire hazard.

· Flammable Gas Test within15 meters radius is compulsory prior to hot work.

· Clear combustible materials and heavy oil deposits within 8 meters radius.
· Valid Hot Work Permit must be obtained.

· Cover and seal severs, drains, vents or any other gas escaping points within 15 m radius.

· Provision of welding booth.

· Providing adequate lighting.

· Provide adequate ventilation or respiratory protection against welding fumes.

· A trained fire watcher must be assigned near hot work.

· Fire protection equipment such as fire extinguishers, water hose must be readily available.

· Ensure pre-use checks of hand-held and power tools and equipment.

· Proper grounding of welding machine.

· Ensuring that hot work is done only by the competent workers.

· Cables must be managed properly to avoid tripping.

· Providing frequent breaks and drinking water for the workers.

· Avoiding loose clothing.

· Welders/fabricators must wear leather or flame-resistant gauntlets/gloves, eye protection, apron,
face shield and high safety boots.

· They must use leather shoulder covers in addition of other PPEs for overhead works.

Q. What is Confined Space and Permit Required Confined Space? Its common hazards, Risks and
Controls?

Confined space is any enclosed area where there are limited access and egress and the area is not for
regular occupancy. For example, tanks, large pipes, vessels, manholes, pits etc.

OSHA uses the term ‘’permit-required confined space’’ to describe a confined space that has one or
more additional characteristics like confined space that:

Contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere; OR contains material that has the
potential to engulf the entrant; OR has inwardly converging walls; OR contains any other recognised
safety and health hazard, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress.

Common health and safety hazards of confined space:

· Oxygen deficiency and enrichment.

· Flammable or explosive atmosphere (methane, gasoline fume, propane etc).

· Toxic atmosphere (CO, NH3, hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen cyanide etc.).

· Presence of corrosive materials.

· Restricted means of access and egress.

· Excessive heat (poor ventilation).

· Limited space (restricted movement inside).

· Poor visibility.

· Pressurised liquid.

· Risk of fall from unprotected edge.

Note: Oxygen enrichment, in the presence of combustible materials, can cause increased risk of fire and
explosion.

Control measures for confined space:

· Avoiding entry if possible, if not then

· Carrying out hazard identification and risk assessment of the space prior to commencing the work.

· Obtaining valid confined space entry permit that confirms some of the essential requirements:
· Isolation, de-energisation, lockout-tagout.

· Purging, flushing and ventilation.

· Standby safety personnel.

· Emergency arrangements e.g., full body harness, lifeline, resuscitator, emergency escape
retrieval equipment etc.

· Atmospheric gas test and continuous monitoring.

· Providing adequate lighting that is intrinsically safe (explosive proof) and attached with RCD.

· There should be sign-in and out procedure.

· Only authorised workers having valid confined space entrant card, provided with appropriate
information, instruction and training, should be allowed to enter the space.

· Provision of relatively safe access and escape route.

· Proper edge protection must be in place such as high visibility barriers, flashing lights etc. positioned
around the entries.

· Providing appropriate safe tools and equipment.

· Providing appropriate breathing apparatus if required.

· Provision of proper and clear means of communication (such as two-way radio or satellite phones).

· Entrants should wear full body harness, attached with the lifeline, to avoid delayed rescue.

Q. What do you mean by Hazardous Atmosphere?

OSHA defines a hazardous atmosphere as one that may expose employees to the risk of death,
incapacitation, impairment of ability to self-rescue (i.e., ability to escape unaided from any space), injury
or acute illness from flammable gas, vapor or mist OR oxygen deficiency or enrichment OR airborne
combustible dust OR toxic gases OR any other atmospheric condition that is Immediately Dangerous to
Life or Health (IDLH)

Q. What is excavation, Explain Its hazards and precautions?

Excavation is any man-made cut, trench, cavity or depression in the earth surface formed by earth
removal either manually or mechanically.

Hazards of the excavation include:

· Collapse - when the unsupported sides of the excavation slip and cave in. Severe crush injuries can
result from even relatively small collapses because soil is very heavy.

· Striking buried services - when high-voltage electrical cables, gas pipes, mains pipes or other buried
services are struck during the excavation work. This can lead to electric arcing, shock, burns and fire, or
gas explosion, or rapid flooding of the excavation.
· People and objects falling into excavation- from an unfenced edge or while climbing in to or out of
the excavation from ladders.

· Flooding - from surface water during heavy rain, groundwater, or a ruptured water main.

· Vibration - from heavy vehicle/machinery operations near the excavation.

· Struck/hit- by excavating machinery or hand-held equipment like excavator, pick-axe, spade, shovel
etc.

· Soil dust.

· Trip over equipment, debris or spoil.

· Possibility of flammable or toxic gas release.

· Exposure to contaminated soil.

Safety precautions for Excavation:

· Careful planning of the work.

· Carrying out risk assessment.

· Obtaining valid excavation authorisation.

· Using valid scan report to locate underground services and these to be marked on ground. pipe &
cable locator kit should be used during the course of excavation work.

· Ensuring that mechanical means of digging are not used within 0.5 m of underground services and
spades and shovels should be used instead of pick-axe and forks to avoid piercing the cables / pipes.

· Once services are exposed, they should be supported.

· Determining soil type.

· Using battering, benching or shoring systems, whichever is suitable, to prevent cave-ins.

· Height of each step of bench must not exceed 1.5 m.

· Providing substantial barriers around the edge and placing signages and blinking lights. (barrier is
must if depth exceeds 2 m).

· Providing proper means of access and egress.

· Checking all the equipment prior to use.

· Diesel and petrol engined equipment should not be allowed into excavations without proper
arrangement of exhaust and ventilation.
· Performing gas test inside the excavation before entry if the depth of the excavation is greater than
1.2 m and hazardous atmosphere reasonably be expected to exist.

· Excavated materials (spoils, debris etc) must be placed at least 1m away from edge of the excavation.

· Ladders used in the excavation must be secured.

· Workers must maintain safe distance from others while digging.

· Using appropriate PPEs like hard hat, dust mask, safety shoes, hand gloves, eye glasses etc.

Q. What is Trench?

Trench is a narrow excavation made below the surface of the ground, the depth of a trench is greater
than its width and the width is no greater than 15 feet (4.6 m).

Q. Which area is considered as Hazardous Location? And what are the classification of hazardous
location?

The National Electrical Code (NEC) defines hazardous location as those area where fire or explosion
hazards may exist due to flammable gases or vapor flammable liquids, combustible dusts, or ignitable
fibres or flyings.
Classification of Hazardous locations:

There are three classes of hazardous locations:

Class I locations – is created by the presence of flammable gases and vapours in the air in sufficient
quantities to be explosive or ignitable.

Examples of Class I location:

Petroleum refineries, aircraft hangers and fuel servicing areas, spray finishing areas etc.

Class II locations – Class II locations are those that are hazardous because of the presence of
combustible dust.

Some typical Class II locations are:

Flour and feed mills, grain elevators, plants that manufacture, use or store magnesium or aluminium
powders, etc.

Class III locations – This class of location is created by the presence of easily ignitable fibres & flyings.

Q. What is H2S, its health effects and safety precautions for entering into H2S prone areas?

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a colourless, highly toxic and flammable gas with a “rotten egg” smell at low
concentration (up to 30 ppm), it has sweet odour at (30 to 100 ppm). At higher concentration or
continuous low-level exposure, it is not detectable by the sense of smell. The TLV-TWA, TLV-STEL and
IDLH for H2S is 10 ppm,15 ppm and 100 ppm respectively.

It occurs naturally in crude petroleum and natural gas, and can be produced by the breakdown of
organic matter and human/ animal wastes (e.g., sewage). It is heavier than air (with density 1.19) and
can collect in low-lying and enclosed, poorly ventilated areas such as basements, manholes, sewer lines
and underground vaults.

Health effects of H2S:

· Low concentration - irritation of eyes, nose, throat, or respiratory system.

· Moderate concentration - more severe eye and respiratory effects, headache, dizziness, nausea,
coughing, vomiting and difficulty breathing.

· High concentration - shock, convulsions, unable to breathe, coma, death; effects can be extremely
rapid (within a few breaths).

Safety precautions:

· The air needs to be tested for the presence and concentration of hydrogen sulphide by a qualified
person. Necessity of fire prevention should also be determined.
· If gas is present, the space should be ventilated.

· If the gas cannot be removed, use appropriate respiratory protection and any other necessary
personal protective equipment (PPE), rescue and communication equipment.

· Atmospheres containing high concentrations (greater than 100 ppm) are considered IDLH and a self-
contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is required.

Q. What is Radiography, Its application in Oil and Gas industries, Its common Health effects & the
control measures?

The work that involves use of electromagnetic radiation like X-rays or Gamma rays known as
Radiography. Radiography is used in oil & gas industry to examine internal strength and integrity of
various manufactured components. This process is known as Radiographic Test (RT). Through this
process any defects like discontinuity or internal porosity in a welding can be detected. Usually Iridium-
192 and Cobalt- 60 are used as radiation source.

Health effects of Radiography:

All the cells of the body are affected by the radiation, but some more than others. If dose is large
enough then death will follow in weeks, days or hours. The effects of radiation can be categorised in two
part, acute and chronic.

Acute effects include:

· Radiation sickness (symptoms-nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea).

· Blistering and ulceration of the skin.

· Hair loss.

· Dermatitis (symptoms- itchiness, inflammation, red skin, rash etc.).

· Cataracts (clouding of the lenses in the eyes that affects vision).

· Anaemia (due to red blood cell damage).

· Reduced immune system (due to white blood cell damage).

· Infertility (inability to conceive after having regular unprotected intercourse).

Chronic effects include:

· Leukaemia (blood cancer) and thyroid cancer.

· Kidney damage.

· Genetic mutations.

· Birth defects.
Safety measures for Radiography:

Radiography emits ionising radiation like X-rays and Gamma rays which are destructive for human body.
Some of the steps that should be taken to minimise the risks are:

· Keeping radiation dose As Low as Reasonably Achievable (ALARA), by using beam limiting device like
collimator or by other method.

· Maximising the distance between the radiation source and the personnel, using remote access,
barricading the area up to safe distance and placing warning signages and signals (radiation up to 0.25
mR/hr is considered as safe).

· Minimising the exposure duration, through job rotation etc.

· Performing RT in off time (at night, during lunch break etc.).

· Providing shielding screen for operator and the operator should stay behind the screen or at least 6
feet away from the source of radiation.

· The operator should be competent.

· Health surveillance of the workers involved in radiography must be done at regular basis.

· The operators should wear personal alarm dosimeter, electronic dosimeter and PPEs like lead
containing hand gloves, goggles, aprons etc.
Q. What is Work-at-Height? Its main hazards and precautions?

Work at height means work in any place where, if there were no precautions in place, a person could fall
a distance liable to cause personal injury. In general any work that requires workers to be at or above
the elevation of 2 meters, are considered as work at height situation.

Some common hazards/risks of working at height are:

· Fall of person from unprotected edge of the working platform.

· Fall of person from unsecured or poorly placed ladder or due to carrying materials in hand while
climbing.

· Fall of materials and tools on workers, because of not using the toe board and not securing the tools
through tools lanyard.

· Overturning, toppling and collapse of structure or elevated working platform.

· Electrocution from overhead power cables.

· Ladder slip and fall.

Safety measures to minimise work at height risk:

· Avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable to do so.

· Where work at height cannot be avoided, assess the risk and prevent falls either by providing
guardrails or right type of equipment such as full body harness or safety net.

· Doing as much work as possible from the ground.

· Inspect the scaffold and ladders (from base plate to hand rail) to ensure they are secured and safe.

· Any opening in the scaffold platform, and missing or defected components must be fixed or replaced.

· Platforms must not be overloaded.

· Overhead power lines must be identified and isolated or avoided.

· Workers should keep both hands free to maintain three-point control while climbing the ladder

· Materials or tools must not be thrown from height.

· PPEs like safety helmet, safety shoes, hand gloves etc. should be used by the workers.

Q. What is Hierarchy of risk control?

The hierarchy of risk control is a list of control measures, in priority order, that can be used to eliminate
or minimise exposure to the hazard. In this system elimination is considered before all other options.
The hazard/risk controls in the hierarchy are, in order of decreasing effectiveness:

· Elimination - Hazard elimination is a hazard control strategy based on completely removing a

material or process causing a hazard. Elimination is the most effective of the five members of the
hierarchy of hazard control. Ex- eliminating work inside confined space.

· Substitution - Hazard substitution is a hazard control strategy in which a material or process is

replaced with another that is less hazardous. Ex- Replacing silica sand or coal slag with alternative less
toxic blasting material like sodium bi carbonate, Dry ice etc.

· Engineering Control – Engineering controls are strategies designed to protect workers from
hazardous conditions by placing a barrier between the worker and the hazard or by removing a
hazardous substance through air ventilation. Ex- machine guards, positive ventilation system etc.

· Administrative Control – Administrative controls are training, procedure, policy, or shift designs that
lessen the threat of a hazard to an individual. Ex- job rotation, safe system of work etc.

· Personal protective equipment (PPE) – The purpose of PPE is to reduce employee exposure to
hazards. It is used in combination with other more effective control measures. PPE does not eliminate
the hazard and may result in employees being exposed to hazards if the equipment fails.

Q. What is Safety Sign? Name some standard safety sign.

Safety signs combine shape, colour and pictograms to convey specific health and safety informations or
instructions.

While there are regional variations, the standard safety signs are divided into five categories:

1) Prohibition - directed at stopping dangerous behaviour, e.g. “No Smoking”.

2) Warning - tell people to be careful of a particular hazard, e.g. “Fork Lift Trucks Operating in
The Area”.

3) Mandatory action - instruct people to take a specific action, often relating to wearing
personal protective equipment, e.g. “Eye Protection Must Be Worn”.

4) Safe condition - identify safe behaviour or places of safety, e.g. “First-Aid Station”

5) Fire-fighting equipment - identify particular items of equipment, e.g. “Hose Reels”

Q. Define Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?

Equipment or clothing that is worn or held by a worker that protects them from one or more risks to
their safety or health. E.g., safety boots, safety helmet, hand gloves etc.
Q. What is Collective Protective Equipment (CPE)?

Equipment that protects the workers from one or more risk collectively. It is not worn or held by
personnel. It provides protection for every worker in any particular area.

Examples of CPE – safety net, noisy equipment casing, barriers, protective screens etc.

Q. Which is the latest safety regulation / standard?

As of now (June 2018), ISO 45001-2018: Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Management System is
the latest standard in the field of occupational health and safety, published in March 2018. The standard
is based on OHSAS 18001, labour standards, conventions, and recommendations of the International
Labour Organization, and national standards. The goal of ISO 45001-2018 is the reduction of
occupational injuries and diseases.

Q. What is ILO and OSHA?

ILO (International Labour Organisation) – ILO is a “United Nation’s” agency. The two primary outputs of
the ILO are “conventions” and “recommendations”. These set international standards. The ILO is
devoted to universal social justice and protecting human rights.187 countries are the members of the
ILO.
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) – is an agency of the “United States Department
of Labour”. The agency is established under the “Occupational Safety and Health Act” in 1971.

OSHA’s mission is to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by
setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.

Q. What are the responsibilities of workers?

Article 19 of ILO Convention C155 states that all workers and their representatives have to co-operate
with their employer so that he can fulfil his safety obligations.

Article 16 of ILO Recommendation R164 says that workers should:

· Take reasonable care of their own safety and that of others who might be affected by their acts and
omissions.

· Comply with safety instructions and procedures.

· Use all safety equipment properly and not tamper with it.

· Report any situation that they believe could be a hazard and which they cannot themselves correct.

· Report any work-related accident or ill-health.

Q. What are the responsibilities of an employer?

As per ILO Convention C155 article 16,

· Employers shall be required to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the workplace, equipment,
machinery and process under their control are safe and without risk to health.

· Employers shall be required to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the chemical, physical
and biological substances under their control are without risk to health when appropriate measures of
protection are taken.

· Employers shall be required to provide, where necessary, adequate protective clothing and
protective equipment to prevent risk of accident or adverse effects on health.

Apart from these providing information, instruction, training and supervision to workers and ensuring
competency of the workers are also the important responsibility of employer.

Q. what is Self-contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), its types and components?

A self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is a type of respiratory protection equipment or device

worn by rescuers, fire-fighters and others to provide breathable air in an Immediate Dangerous to Life of
Health (IDLH) atmosphere. SCBA supply fresh air or oxygen to the wearier for 30-60 minutes.

SCBA are found in two types:

1) Closed-circuit type (or Rebreather) – This type of SCBA filters, supplements and recirculates
exhaled gas. CO2 from exhaled gas absorbed and fresh O2 recirculated. Closed-circuit SCBA contains
pure oxygen in their cylinder.

2) Open-circuit type – This type of SCBA are filled with filtered, compressed air rather than pure
oxygen.

Components of SCBA:

SCBA typically has three main components –

1) High pressure tank (e.g., 153 to 310 bars) - air cylinders are made of aluminium, steel or of a
composite construction (usually carbon-fibre). Carbon fibre cylinders are the lightest in weight,
therefore preferred,

2) A pressure regulator,

3) And an inhalation connection (e.g., mouth-piece, mouth mask or face mask).

Q. What is ELSA?
An Emergency Life Support Apparatus (ELSA) is a type of breathing apparatus used in an emergency
situation to escape from a confined space or building following a fire, chemical accident or explosion. An
ESLA is needed when breathable air is insufficient or highly contaminated.

An ELSA provides a constant flow of breathable air to the user for about 10 to 15 minutes. Generally, it
consists of the following parts:

· A pressure release valve, pressure gauge and whistle attached to cylinder’s neck.

· A hood with visor and/or a mouthpiece connected to a pipe that supplies air from the cylinder

· A carrying pouch with a waist belt or neck strap

Q. What is escape respirator?

Escape respirators are similar as ELSA in terms of their use. It is also the small size respirator which is
used in an emergency to escape from a highly contaminated zone.

Q. What is TLV, PEL, REL and IDLH?

TLV (Threshold Limit Value) – The threshold limit value of a toxic gas or chemical is believed to be a
concentration level to which a worker can be exposed day after day for a working lifetime without
adverse effects. The TLV is a recommendation by American Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists (ACGIH), with only a guideline status.
PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit) –Permissible exposure limit is similar to TLV, but it has regulatory
status. PEL is published and enforced by OSHA.

REL (Recommended Exposure Limit) – The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
publishes recommended exposure limits (REL) which OSHA takes into consideration when promulgating
new regulatory exposure limits.

IDLH (Immediate Dangerous for Life or Health) – OSHA defines the term IDLH as "an atmosphere that
poses an immediate or delayed threat to life, would cause irreversible adverse health effects, or would
impair an individual's ability to escape from a dangerous atmosphere."

Note: some materials, for example, hydrogen fluoride gas and cadmium vapor, poses no immediate
adverse effect, but are followed by sudden fatal collapse after 12 to 72 hours.

Q. How many types of TLV?

There are three types of TLV for toxic gases and chemicals:

1) Threshold Limit Value – Time-Weighted Average (TLV-TWA): Average exposure on the basis
of 8h/day, 40h/week work schedule.

2) Threshold Limit Value – Short-Term Exposure Limit (TLV-STEL): Spot exposure for a
duration of 15 minutes, that cannot be repeated more than 4 times per day with at least 1 hour gap
between exposure periods.
3) Threshold Limit Value – Ceiling Limit (TLV-C): Absolute exposure limit that should not be
exceeded at any time.

Q. What is LEL/LFL and UEL/UFL?

LEL (Lower Explosive Limit) / LFL (Lower Flammability Limit) - is defined as the lowest concentration (by
percentage) of a gas or vapor in air which can lead to flame propagation, detonation or an explosion, in
presence of an ignition source (spark, flame, heat).

UEL (Upper Explosive Limit) / UFL (Upper Flammability Limit) - is defined as the highest concentration
(by percentage) of a gaseous or vaporized fuel, in air, which can lead to flame propagation, detonation
or an explosion, in presence of an ignition source (spark, flame, heat).

Note: Concentrations lower than the Lower Explosive Limit are 'too lean' to burn; those above the Upper
Explosive Limit (UEL) are too rich to burn. Fuels will burn, only if their concentration in air is within the
range of their LEL and UEL.

Q. What is flash point, autoignition temperature and Fire point?

Flash point – Flash point is the lowest temperature at which a liquid gives off enough vapours to form a
mixture with air that can be ignited, when given an ignition source.
Autoignition temperature – is the temperature at which vapour ignite spontaneously without an ignition
source.

Fire point – is the lowest temperature at which vapours of the material will keep burning after being
ignited and the ignition source removed.

LEL, UEL, Flash Point and Autoignition temp. of different combustible and flammable substances:

Q. What is manual handling, Risks and Safety Precautions?

Any transporting or supporting of a load (including pushing, pulling, lifting, lowering, carrying or moving)
by hand or bodily force.

Risks associated with manual handling:

Manual handling can result in fatigue, and lead to injuries of the back, neck, shoulders, arms or other
body parts. Two groups of injuries may result from manual handling:

· Cuts, bruises, fractures etc., due to sudden, unexpected events such as accidents.
· Damage to the musculoskeletal system of the body (muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, joints,
blood vessels and nerves) because of gradual and cumulative wear and tear through repetitive manual
handling. These injuries are called ‘musculosketal disorders’ (MSDs).

Safety precautions for manual handling:

· Avoid manual handling as far as possible. If not then,

· Assess the risks involved.

· Plan the lift.

· Consider using lifting aid such as fork lift, hoist or conveyor.

· Reduce the weight of the load where possible.

· Reduce the amount of twisting, stooping and reaching.

· Avoid lifting from floor level or above shoulder height, especially heavy loads.

· Remove obstructions from the rout.

· Make good grip and the load should be hugged as close as possible to the body and keep the load
close to the waist.

· Load should be lifted by bending the knees not the back.

· Provide information, instruction, training and supervision.

Q. What are the factors that makes manual handling hazardous?

· The load – too heavy, too large, difficult to grasp, unbalanced or unstable and difficult to reach.

· The task – to strenuous, require awkward posture or movements.

· The environment – space available, floor, climate and lighting.

· The individual – level of competency, physical capability etc.

Q. What is abrasive blasting / sand blasting? Its Hazards and Precautions?

Abrasive blasting / sand blasting is the process of cleaning an object or surface, removing burrs, rust for
the application of paint or other types of coatings. abrasive blasting uses compressed air or water to
direct a high velocity stream of an abrasive material. Commonly used abrasive materials include silica
sand, garnet sand, coal slag, nickel slag etc.

Hazards associated with abrasive blasting:

· Silica sand can cause silicosis, lung cancer, and breathing problem in exposed workers.

· Garnet sand, coal slag, copper slag and nickel slag have the potential to cause lung damage.

· Slags can contain trace amounts of toxic metals such as arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium,
nickel, lead, silver etc.

· Abrasive blasting produces noise level that can cause permanent hearing loss.

· Exposure to toxic dusts.

· Tiny particles becoming imbedded in skin.

· Eye damage.

· Severe cuts, loss of body parts (e.g., fingers and hands).

· Electric shock (from static electricity generated by abrasive blasting equipment and the surface being
blasted).

· Accumulated dusts have the potential for explosion.

· Trip over trailing cables and pipes.

Note: The current permissible exposure limit (PEL) for noise exposure is 90 dBA, with employers
required to take action at 85 dBA, both measured as eight-hour time-weighted averages (TWA)
However, in this type of operation, noise levels range from 85 dBA to 145 dBA.
Safety precautions for abrasive blasting:

· When possible, alternative, less toxic blasting materials should be used to help prevent or reduce
worker exposure to airborne hazards during abrasive blasting operations. Some less toxic abrasive
blasting materials include plastic bead media, sponge, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) etc.

· Risk assessment should be carried out before starting the blasting operation.

· Provision of job rotation and frequent breaks for the workers exposed.

· To prevent build-up of static electricity, proper grounding or other methods should be used.

· Providing information, instruction, training and supervision for the workers involved in blasting
operation.

· Maintaining good housekeeping.

· Provision and proper use of Supplied Air Abrasive Blasting Hood.

· Barricading and putting sign boards.

· Proper laying of cables and hose pipes.

· provide workers with the appropriate PPE to protect them from the hazards.
Q. What do you think is the number -one priority for a health & safety officer?

The biggest priority for a health & safety officer is to keep employees and visitors safe and to protect the
company from liability.

Q. Which kinds of liabilities an employer can face?

An employer could face a range of liabilities for not maintaining health and safety standards in the
workplace. Liabilities may range from direct and indirect costs to legal actions against an employer if
employer’s negligence led to an accident.

Some examples of liabilities are:

· Fines in criminal court.

· Compensation payable to the victim.

· First-aid treatment.

· Workers sick pay.

· Repair to or replacement of damaged equipment.

· Lost production time while dealing with the injury.

· Loss of staff from productive duties in order to investigate the incident, undertake hospital visits,
deal with relatives of victims and court proceedings.

· Loss of staff morale.

· Project delay that leads to loss of goodwill of customers and penalty for failing to meet delivery
dates.

· Damage to public image and business reputation.

Q. Why we maintain Safety?

There are three reasons behind it:

· Moral responsibility

· Legal responsibility

· Financial reason

Q. What is Permit-to-Work (PTW) / Safe Work Permit? And name different types of Work Permit?
A permit-to-work system is a formal written system used to control certain types of work that are
potentially hazardous. Basically, it is a formal written permission to perform a particular job specially for
significant risk activity. It specifies the work to be done and the precautions to be taken. It is a formal
part of safe system of work. It allows work to start only after safe procedures have been defined and
they provide clear record that all foreseeable hazards have been considered.

Types of permit-to-work:

· HOT WORK PERMIT (Hot Work Permit is required for carrying out any hazardous activity or those
produces sufficient heat to cause fire in a inflammable air-vapour mixture. E.g., welding, cutting, brazing,
grinding, vehicle entry into hazardous area, etc.).

· COLD WORK PERMIT (This permit is required for carrying out any activity inside plant that are non-
critical in nature and does not produces sufficient heat to ignite a flammable substance. E.g., cleaning,
manual handling, cold work at height etc.).

· CONFINED SPACE ENTRY PERMIT (Confined Space Entry Permit is required for entry into any confined
space.).

· EXCAVATION PERMIT (Excavation permit is required for carrying out any excavation inside plant.).

· RADIOGRAPHY PERMIT (Radiography Permit is required for Radiographic Testing).

· ROAD / SITE CLOSURE PERMIT (for closure of road/cutting of road or blockage of main roads is
required in a section or unit.).

· ELECTRICAL ISOLATION AND ENERSISATION PERMIT (this permit is required for all electrical isolation
and energisation of electrical equipment.).
Note: In some organisation Confined space Entry Permit and Excavation Permit are called
Authorisations or associated certificates with the major permits.

Works exempted from requirement of permit:

· Routine works carried out into the workshop (except Hot Work Permit)

· Routine testing of samples and handling chemicals in Quality Control laboratory (except Hot Work
Permit)

· Jobs carried out during emergencies (fire/explosion, uncontrolled release of hazardous chemicals,
rescue, natural disaster etc.) to control the emergency.

Q. What are general conditions / requirements of Permit-to-Work?

· Display the permit at work site with associated authorisations.

· Separate permits are required so different maintenance crafts and jobs.

· Only authorised personnel holding valid “work permit issuer/executer” card can sign permit.

· Only field operators/contractors with work “permit awareness training” can sign respective column.
· Only authorised gas testers holding valid certification for gas test can sign gas test section.

· Issuer may authorise work only if the gas tests results are within the permissible range.

· Field operator must check site and sign the permit before start of the work.

· Executer must provide adequate supervision and must be always present during critical work.

· Executer must ensure providing all recommended protectives before starting work and compliance
to all permit conditions. He must ensure his people are wearing appropriate PPE

· Suspend all work in case of plant emergency or accident.

· Issuing division and safety personnel have the right to stop the job any time on safety reasons

· Field operator shall monitor permit conditions and site conditions frequently.

· Executer must renew the permit if the work is “stopped” or “not started” for over 2 hrs.

· All tools and equipment shall be secured, and personnel protected from falling objects.

· Do not anchor to or suspend loads on process piping.

· Do not use scaffolds without valid green scaffold tag.

· Do not use wooden planks in running units.

· Close the permit by completing relevant section of original and field operator copy. Keep in file for 1
month.

Q. How many sections are in the Work Permit?

Formats and sections of Work Permit vary from company to company. But the typical sections of a Work
Permit are:

Section 1- Exact Location and Description of Work.

Section 2- Work is Critical (Yes or No, if Yes then, Fire station informed? Issuer & Executor jointly
checked worksite? Risk Assessment done & attached?)

Section 3- Safety Requirements, it has 3 columns:

· Has the equipment been

Isolated, depressurised, blanked, blinded, disconnected, flushed, purged, drained?

· Engine with exhaust spark arrester & valid safety certificate.

· Expected residual hazards.

· Protection measures.
Section 4- Gas Test and Electrical Isolation.

Section 5- Authorisation/Renewal (It is safe to proceed with this job).

Section 6- Permit Closure (Agreed, site was checked and found safe).

Q. What is Scaffolding? And its Types?

Scaffolding or Staging is a temporary platform constructed for supporting both men and materials
Scaffolds are widely used on site to get access to heights and areas that would be otherwise hard to get
to.

Types of scaffolding:

1. Tube and coupler type Scaffold

2. Trestle Scaffold

3. Patented or Readymade Scaffold

4. Suspended scaffold

5. Cantilever Scaffold
6. Mobile Scaffold

Q. What are the potential hazards / risks of working on scaffolding?

There are several hazards to watch out for when using scaffolding:

· Unsecured and excessive over hanged planks cause workers to fall.

· Unsecured or overloaded scaffold can collapse

· Missing toe boards and guardrails can cause workers to fall and the materials falling on workers.

· Scaffolding planks can also break if overloaded

· Overhead electrical lines can cause electrocution

· Bad housekeeping on scaffolding platform also create risks of slip, trip and fall.

· Unsafe access such as ladders.

· Bad whether condition effects integrity and sustainability of scaffold.

Q. What are the safety measures that can be taken to avoid risks of using scaffolds?

· Ensure that scaffold is designed by qualified person.

· Ensure the use of base plate, guard rails, toe board, bracing etc.

· Ensure providing safe access.

· Scaffold must be secured.

· Ensure users are trained and all the foreseeable risks of using scaffold are communicated.

· Ladders used in scaffold for access should be secured and extended at least 3 feet from the landing
platform.

· Inspect the scaffold every week and on daily basis before use and whenever exposed to adverse
whether condition such as rain and heavy wind.

· There should be tag system to identify when the scaffold is safe to use.(Red tag- do not use, Green
tag- safe to use, yellow tag- caution)

· Scaffold must not be overloaded.

· Work on or from scaffolds is prohibited during storms or high winds unless a competent person has
determined that it is safe for employees to be on the scaffold and those employees are protected by a
personal fall arrest system or wind screens.

· The area below the scaffold to which objects can fall, shall be barricaded, and employees shall not be
permitted to enter the hazard area

· Provide fall protection system in the form of full body harness or safety net.

Q. What are the standard safety requirements for scaffold erection / design?

Some of the standard safety requirements, related to scaffold erection, those are mentioned in OSHA
standard are:

· Scaffolds shall be designed by a qualified person and shall be constructed and loaded in accordance
with that design.

· Any gap on the scaffold platform shall not be more than 1 inch.

· The front edge of all platforms shall not be more than 14 inches from the face of the work, unless
guardrail systems are erected, and/or personal fall arrest system is used.

· Each scaffold platform and walkway shall be at least 18 inches wide.

· On scaffolds where platforms are overlapped to create a long platform, the overlap shall occur only
over supports, and shall not be less than 12 inches (30 cm) unless the platforms are nailed together or
otherwise restrained to prevent movement.
· Wood platforms shall not be covered with opaque finishes, except that platform edges may be
covered or marked for identification.

· Scaffold components manufactured by different manufacturers shall not be intermixed.

· Footings shall be level, sound, rigid, and capable of supporting the loaded scaffold without settling
or displacement.

· Unstable objects shall not be used to support scaffolds or platform units.

· The employer shall provide safe means of access for each employee erecting or dismantling a
scaffold where the provision of safe access is feasible and does not create a greater hazard.

· Scaffolds and scaffold components shall not be loaded in excess of their maximum intended loads or
rated capacities.

· The use of shore or lean-to scaffolds is prohibited

· Any part of a scaffold damaged or weakened shall be immediately repaired or replaced.

· Scaffolds shall be erected, moved, dismantled, or altered only under the supervision and direction of
a competent person.

· Platforms shall not deflect more than 1/60 of the span when loaded.

· Guardrail systems shall be installed along all open sides and ends of platforms.
· The height of top rail are 42 inches, plus or minus 3 inches, above the walking-working surface. And
mid rail height shall be 21 inches.

· Ladder shall be placed at1:4 ratio and extended at least 3 feet above the platform for safe landing of
workers.

· Workers involved in scaffold erection must be trained.

Q. What are the capacity requirement for scaffold?

Each scaffold and scaffold components must support without failure its own weight and at least 4 times
the maximum intended load applied to it. (suspended scaffold must support its own weight and at least
6 times of intended load).

Q. How wide does the work area need to be on scaffold?

Each scaffold platform and walkway must be at least 18 inches wide, otherwise guardrails and/or
personal fall arrest system must be used.

Q. What is the base width to height ratio of scaffold?

The base width to height ratio of scaffold is 1:4. For example if base width is 2 m, the maximum height
would be 8 m.

Q. Can you tell me the names of different scaffold components?

Typical scaffold components include:

· Sole plate- first component of scaffold putted on ground to distribute the load.

· Base plate/jack- in which the standard or vertical tube is fitted. it provides stability to scaffold.

· Standard- the vertical scaffold poles that bear weight of the scaffolding.

· Coupler- a fitting used to join components together.

· Plank/board- they are used to make working platform.

· Mid rails & guardrails- the scaffolding tubes fixed to the edges of scaffold to prevent fall of persons.

· Toe boards- they are planks or boards fitted to the edges to prevent material fall.

· Braces- they are scaffold tubes fitted diagonally or horizontally to provide strength to the scaffold.
· Transoms- a horizontal cross-section load-bearing component which holds the boards or decking
unit.

· Ledgers- a horizontal brace attached 90 degree to the transoms.

· Ladder- used to get access to the scaffold.

Q. What is transom?

Transom is a horizontal cross-section load-bearing component which holds the boards or decking unit.

Q. How often should a scaffold be inspected?

A scaffold used for construction should be inspected before it is used for the first time and then every
seven days. It should also be inspected each time it is exposed to conditions likely to cause deterioration
eg. Following adverse weather condition or following substantial alteration.
Q. How high should the guardrails on a scaffold be?

The top guardrail should be a minimum of 950mm above the working platform and any gap between top
rail and the mid rail should not exceed 470mm.

Q. What is the maximum height a ladder can be used?

There is no maximum height for using a ladder. However, where a ladder rises 9 meters or more above
its base, landing areas or rest platforms should be provided at suitable intervals.

Q. What are the common hazards of crane lifting activity?

Hazards of crane lifting operation include:

· Crane toppling.

· Suspended load falling.

· Striking by moving load.

· Crane collapse.
· Crushing between load and structure.

· Equipment failure.

· Contact with overhead power lines.

· Pinch point.

Q. What safety precautions should be taken for crane lifting or rigging operation?

Some of the typical precautions for crane lifting are:

· Prepare lifting plan.

· Carry our JSA (Job Safety Analysis) or JHA (Job Hazard Analysis), or JRA (Job Risk Analysis) or
STA(Safety Task Assignment).

· Place the crane on firm and level ground, extend the outriggers properly and use mats.

· Cordon off (barricade) the lifting zone and place the warning signages.

· See the load chart and do not overload the crane.

· Inspect the crane and all tools and tackles prior to use.
· Check the validity of crane/tools third party inspection certificates, safety certificate of crane, and fill
the daily checklist after carrying out visual inspection.

· Ensure crane operators and riggers are competent holding relevant cards and certificates.

· Lifting should not be performed in bad weather conditions

· Use tagline to control the load.

· Provide appropriate communication device for signal.

· Isolate the power if working near overhead power line.

· Use rigging pad to prevent load slippage and cuts to the sling.

· Wear personal protective equipment like safety helmet, safety shoes, hand gloves etc.

Q. What is Critical Lift?

According to OSHA 1926.751, critical lift means a lift that meets one of two criteria:

1) The load exceeds 75% of the rated capacity of the crane or derrick, OR
2) The load requires the use of more than one crane or derrick.

Q. What do you mean by Lifting Plan or Lift Study?

Lift plan is a document that provides information about lifting activity. It is an important planning
process that will identify all hazardous situations that might be encountered during lifting.

Components of lifting plan/information gathered in the lifting plan:

· Overview of the area (atmospheric and environmental condition of the site, objects in the vicinity
including plants and overhead power cables etc.).

· The weight of lift (load).

· Centre of gravity of the load being lifted.

· The dimension of lift.

· Crane being used and its lifting capacity.

· The rigging tools and tackles being used (shackles, slings, chain blocks, etc.).

· Boom and sling angle.

· Evaluate hazards to determine consequences resulting from collision, upset or load drop.

· Good rigging practices etc.

Q. What is pre-engineered lift?

A pre-engineered lift is a repetitive or routine lift performed for assembly or disassembly of components
or systems in which the item to be lifted are identical in terms of dimensions, weight, centre of gravity,
load path, attachment to the lifting equipment and selection of the lifting equipment. In this type of lift
all items can be lifted in adherence to a specific routine step-by-step procedure that eliminates rigging
decisions or calculations.

Q. How many types of cranes are there?

Cranes can be categorised into two ways:

1 a) Hydraulic crane (e.g., telescopic mobile crane, rough terrain crane, truck mounted crane
or loader).

b) Mechanical crane (e.g., crawler crane tower crane, overhead or gantry crane, derricks).
2 a) Mobile crane (e.g., telescopic boom mobile crane, crawler, rough terrain crane, truck
mounted crane).

b) Fixed crane (e.g., tower crane, overhead/gantry/suspended crane)

Note: crawler comes into both hydraulic and mechanical type.

Q. How many types of crane booms are there?

There are mainly three types of booms being used in cranes:

1. Telescopic Boom

2. Lattice Boom

3. Articulating Boom
Nylon Slings capacity (WLL)

Q. What are the various sling hitches used during lifting and their effect on Working Load Limit?

Mainly three types of sling hitches are used to attach load to the crane hook.

1. Vertical hitch

2. Choker hitch

3. Basket hitch
Effect of sling hitches on WLL

Vertical hitch- When a sling is used in a vertical hitch, full lifting capacity of the sling is utilised.

Choker hitch- In case of choker hitch, 25% of the capacity is decreased due to stress created at the choke
point.

Basket hitch (90°)- The capacity of the sling in this hitch is twice that of the same sling in a vertical sling
because two ends (legs) of the sling function as they were two separate slings. It requires two hooks or a
spreader to attach both end of the sling.

Basket hitch (less than 90°)- When slings or sling legs are used at an angle during a lift, the sling capacity
is reduced. Lesser the angle, lesser the capacity. There are Sling Angle Factor that is used to calculate the
capacity.

Q. What is Safe Working Load (SWL)?

SWL or Rated Capacity or MRC (Maximum Rated Capacity) is the maximum gross load which may be
applied to the crane, hoist or winch.
Q. What is Working Load Limit (WLL)?

Working Load Limit is the maximum load which may be applied to the lifting components including
shackles, hooks, chain blocks, slings etc.

Formula for calculating WLL of slings at specified angle

WLL=vertical hitch WLL X no. of legs X sling angle factor

Example:

WLL of grey nylon sling with 2 legs at an angle of 60°

WLL=vertical hitch WLL x no. of legs x sling angle factor

= 4000kg x 2 x 0.866

=6928 kg

Wire Rope WLL

Q. Can you tell the name of some Industrial Vehicles.

Some vehicles those are used in an industry are:

cranes, trailers, dumper trucks, fork lifts, excavators half lorries, pickups, water and oil tankers etc.

Q. What is an Emergency and its types?

A serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation that requires immediate action.

Types of Emergency:

· Fire/explosion emergency.

· Dangerous chemical spillage.

· Toxic gas release e.g., H2S

· Natural calamities e.g., flood, earthquake etc.

· Security threats.
Q. What is Emergency Planning?

Emergency planning can be defined as a control measure. It can control the accidents safe guard people
and provide information to media. An emergency plan specifies procedures for handling sudden or
unexpected situations.

Q. What is Work Method Statement/ Standard Operating Procedure? and what headings it consists?

A work method statement, sometimes called a "safe system of work", is a document that details the way
a work task or process is to be completed. The method statement should outline the hazards involved
and include a step by step guide on how to do the job safely. The method statement must also detail
which control measures have been introduced to ensure the safety of anyone who is affected by the
task or process.

Typical headings of Method Statement:

· Title e.g., Method Statement.

· Brief description of work, task or process.

· Company details (name, address etc.).

· Start & completion date.

· Site address and contact details including emergency numbers etc.

· Document no., issue date, revision date etc.

· Permit to work.

· Staff, training and PPE.

· Risk assessments.

· Machinery/plant shutdown and lock off procedures

· Site access and egress.

· Material handling.

· Scaffold and access to height.

· Welfare and first-aid. Etc.

Q. What types of activities was being carried out at your previous site? OR

What types of work activities have you monitored in your previous role as a Safety Officer?
Candidates should answer this question as per his own experience. however, a sample answer is given
below:

Number of different work activities was being carried out at my previous site such as:

· Hot work such as welding, cutting, grinding etc. on CS piping, structures, tanks etc.

· Lifting activity e.g., erection of different pipe spools, structural beams, valves, flanges, scaffolding
components etc.

· Scaffolding erection and dismantling.

· Garnet blasting on pipe joints, tank walls etc.

· Radiographic Tests.

· Excavation and cable laying.

· Confined space works.

· Electrical installations.

· Painting.

· Pipe insulation etc.

Q. What are the main hazards and controls for welding works?

Hazards of welding activity include:

· Fire and Explosion.

· Welding fumes and dusts.

· Skin and eye burn from the sparks or flame.

· Ultraviolet and infrared radiation from the welding arc.

· Personal physical injury from grinders and other tools.

· Flying particles.

· Heat stress specially in summer season.

· Trip over trailing cables.

Control measures for Welding hazards:

· Inspecting the area and testing the atmosphere where welding is to be performed to ensure that the
area is free of fire hazard.

· Flammable Gas Test within 15 meters radius.

· Clear combustible materials and heavy oil deposits within 8 meters radius.

· Valid Hot Work Permit must be obtained.

· Carry out all possible welding outside unit area.

· Cover and seal severs, drains, vents or any other gas escaping points within 15 m radius.

· Provision of welding booth.

· Providing adequate lighting.

· Provide adequate ventilation or respiratory protection against welding fumes.

· A trained fire watcher must be assigned.

· All the power and hand-held tools and the welding machine must be checked before use and
defected tools must be replaced.

· Proper grounding of welding machine.

· Ensuring that welding done only by the competent workers.

· Cables must be managed properly to avoid tripping.

· Providing frequent breaks and drinking water for the workers.

· Welders must wear fire-retardant cover all, leather gauntlets/gloves, eye protection, apron and high
safety boots, they must use leather shoulder covers for overhead works.

Q. What are the contents of Welding Fumes?

Welding fumes consist number of hazardous gases such as:

· Nitrous Oxide (Oxides of Nitrogen, NOx).

· Carbon dioxide (CO2).

· Carbon monoxide (CO).

· Shielding gas (e.g., Argon gas used in welding).

· Ozone (O3).
Note- Stainless steel fume is more hazardous than Carbon steel fume due to higher chromium and
nickel contents.

Q. What is Fire?

Fire is the chemical chain reaction between three element fuel, heat and oxygen (air).

Q. What is Fire Triangle/Combustion Triangle?

The fire triangle is the illustration of three essential elements of fire (Fuel, Heat and Oxygen). In absence
of any one element triangle will not form i.e., fire will not occur.

Q. What are the methods for extinguishing the fire?

There are three main methods to extinguish a fire. These involves removing one of the essential
elements of fire (Fuel, Heat, Oxygen):

1) Cooling – removal of Heat (by water generally for class A fire)

2) Smothering – removal of Oxygen (by using CO2 or DCP)

3) Starvation – removal of Fuel (by cutting fuel supply)

Q. What is the difference between flammable and combustible substances?

According to NFPA 30 Classification of flammable and combustible substances:

Substances which have a flash point less than 100.0 °F are called flammable — whereas fuels having a
flash point above that temperature are called combustible.

Further classification:

Flammables:

Class 1A – Flash point < 73 °F, Boiling point < 100°F

Class 1B – Flash point < 73 °F, Boiling point > 100°F

Class 1C – Flash point > 73 °F < 100°F

Combustibles:

Class II – Flash point > 100 °F < 140 °F

Class IIIA – Flash point >140 <200 °F

Class IIIB – Flash point > 200 °F.

Q. What are the US and UK based classification of fire?

UK based classification of fire:

Class A – Solid fire (wood, paper, textiles etc.)

Class B – liquid fire (diesel, kerosene etc.)

Class C – Gas fire (propane, methane etc.)

Class D – Metal fire (sodium, potassium etc.)

Class F – Kitchen fire (cooking fats and oil)

Note: Previously there was a class E – Electrical fire, but later this class removed, considering electricity
as a heat source.

US based classification of fire:

Class A – Solid fire

Class B – Liquefiable solid (waxes, plastics etc.), Liquid and Gas fire

Class C – Electrical fire

Class D – Metal fire

Class K – Kitchen fire.

Q. What is fire extinguisher, its types and application of each, and colour coding for different fire
extinguisher?

A portable device that discharges a jet of water, foam, gas, or other material to extinguish a fire is called
fire extinguisher.

Types of fire extinguishers and their application:

Water type extinguisher – Water fire extinguishers have a class A rating and are suitable for fighting fires
involving solid combustibles such as wood, paper and textiles.

AFFF Foam type extinguisher – AFFF (aqueous film forming foam) foam fire extinguishers are highly
effective on class A and class B fires (the foam agent helps to prevent re-ignition). Some foam
extinguishers have been dielectrically tested to 35000 Volt (35kV) and can be used on or near electrical
appliances.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) type extinguisher – They are ideal for electrical fires, as CO2 is not a conductor and
they do not leave behind any harmful residue.

ABC Dry chemical powder type extinguisher – ABC powder fire extinguishers are extremely versatile and
can be used on class A, class B, class C and electrical fires.

Water mist type extinguisher – They are highly effective on class A,B,C,F and electrical.

Wet chemical type extinguisher – Wet chemical fire extinguishers are designed specifically for use on
class F kitchen fire

Colour coding for fire extinguishers:

Water type – Red

AFFF Foam – Cream

Carbon dioxide – Black

ABC Powder – Blue

Water mist – White

Wet Chemical – Yellow

Q. What is PASS method?

PASS is the acronym for Pull the safety pin, Aim nozzle at base of the fire, Squeeze the lever and Sweep
side to side. This is fire extinguishing method or steps that is followed to extinguish a fire using fire
extinguishers.

Q. What depth of an excavation is considered as confined space?

Practically, the excavation in an area (where oxygen deficiency or hazardous atmosphere exists or could
reasonably be expected to exist) that is greater than 1.22 m in deep is considered as confined space.

Q. What is the depth of a confined space?

Depth of confined space is not defined. But generally the space that is greater than 4 feet(1.22m) in
deep and meeting all other criteria of confined space, considered as confined space.

Q. What is Induction training?

Induction training is the form of introduction for new employees about the company, work activitivities,
company’s health & safety policy, current hazards involved in different sites, general laws of the country
if workers are from other place, emergency evacuation and fire safety etc. to enable them work safely.

Q. What is toolbox talk?

A toolbox talk is a brief informal group discussion that focuses on hazards involved in a particular job
and safety precautions to be taken to minimise the risks.

toolbox talk can be organised on daily basis to promote site safety culture as well as to facilitate health
and safety discussions on the job sites.

Q. What are the hazards and safety precautions for working with the electricity?

Hazards of electricity:

· Electric shock

· Fire and explosion

· Arcing

· Direct and indirect burns

· Secondary effects like fall from ladder as a consequence of electric shock

· Ultra violet radiation from arcing.

Safety precautions for electricity:

· Suitable electrical equipment should be selected for the purpose.

· Power should be isolated before working on electricity and lock-out tag-out procedure
should be followed.

· Electrical works should be restricted to the competent workers only.

· All electrical installations, equipment and appliances should be subject to user checks, formal visual
inspections and testing.

· Electrical equipment should not be used in wet condition.

· Various protective systems should be used such as fuses, RCB, ELCB, GFCI, earthing etc.

· Non-conductive tools to be used while working with electricity.

· Work permit system should be followed.

· Workers should wear appropriate PPEs such as electric shock proof gloves, boots etc.
Q. Explain Factories Act 1948 briefly.

Factories act 1948 is an Indian act that serves to assist in formulating national policies in India with
respect to occupational safety and health. Its objective is to secure health, safety, welfare, proper
working hours and other benefits to workers. The act is administrated by the Ministry of Labour and
Employment in India.

The act is applicable to any factory having 10 or more workers and manufacturing process carried out
with the aid of power. OR, factory having 20 or more workers and manufacturing process carried out
without the aid of power.

Q. What are four legs of fire safety?

1. Fire protection

2. Fire prevention

3. Quantity control

4. Preventive Maintenance
Q. What is the difference between fire prevention and fire protection?

Fire prevention is about taking steps to prevent a fire from happening. For example regular inspection,
provision of booths for hot work, housekeeping, properly storing materials etc.

Fire protection is the combination of different fire safety equipment and procedures that are used to
control the fire and to protect the people and property. Fire protection often includes equipment like
fire alarms, extinguishers and fire sprinkler system.

Q. What is CPR and process of giving CPR?

CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) It is a life saving medical procedure which is given to someone
who is in cardiac arrest. It helps to pump blood around person’s body when their heart unable to do
this. It combines chest compression and artificial breathing.

Steps to follow:

Step 1- shout for help and bring the victim to the safe place.

Step 2- check for response by shaking victim’s shoulder and asking something.

Step 3- check for normal breathing by looking, listening and feeling. If the person is breathing normally
then put them in recovery position and call ambulance.

If the victim is not breathing:

Step 4- ask someone to call ambulance immediately.

Step 5- Place one hand on the person’s forehead, gently tilt their head back, then lift their chin using two
fingers of your other hand under their chin, this is for opening airways.

Step 6- start CPR:

· Kneel next to the person.

· Place the heel of one hand in the centre of their chest. Place your other hand on top of the first.
Interlock your fingers.

· With straight arms, use the heel of your hand to push the breastbone down firmly and smoothly, so
that the chest is pressed down between 5–6 cm, and release.

· Do this at a rate of 100 to 120 chest compression per minute – that’s around 2 per second.

· Give 30 chest compressions.

· Open the airway again by tilting the head back and lifting the chin. Pinch the soft part of the person’s
nose closed.

· Give 2 rescue breath.

· The person’s chest should rise and fall. Keeping the person’s head back and the chin lifted, take your
mouth away, take another normal breath, and give a second rescue breath. The two breaths should take
no longer than five seconds.
· Repeat 30 compressions and two rescue breaths until ambulance arrives.

Q. What are the 3 qualities that a safety officer should have?

A safety officer should have:

· Leadership & decision-making quality

· Good documentation and communication skill

· Good observation skill

· Strong sense of responsibility towards staff and company’s health and safety

· A safety officer should not do anything that would lose his respect, such as inventing facts or
violating safety rules himself.

Q. What is smoke detector?

Smoke detector: A smoke detector is a device that senses smoke, typically as an indicator of fire.
Types:

Ionization smoke detector – ionisation smoke detector uses a radio isotope, typically americium-241 (an
alpha emitter) to ionize air. A difference is detected in ionising process due to smoke and an alarm is
generated.

Photoelectric or optical smoke detector – It contains a source of infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light
(typically incandescent light bulb or LED), a lens, and a photoelectric receiver (typically a photodiode).
The light emitted by the light source passes through the air being tested and reaches the photosensor.
The receives light intensity will be reduced because light is scattered due to smoke particles. The circuit
detects the intensity reduction and generates the alarm.

Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide detection – fire produces carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide,
and they can be detected through these detection systems. They are particularly suitable for dusty and
dirty environment where ionising and optical detection systems tend to give false alarm.

Q. What is Fire Sprinkler System?

A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection method that consists pressurised water supply through
piping distribution and provides water flow through the sprinkler heads when fire is detected.

Sprinkler Head

Sprinkler head is a component of the fire sprinkler system that discharges water when fire is detected or
temperature of that location exceeds the predetermined level. It has colour-coded heat sensitive glass
bulb filled with liquid (mixture of alcohol and water or glycerine and water) that works as a plug which
prevents water from flowing. The colour of the bulb indicates the activation temperature. When
temperature around the sprinkler head exceeds the activation temperature, the bulb breaks and water
starts flowing through the head.
Colour-code and activation temp. of bulb

Orange - 57 °C Green - 93°C

Red - 68°C Blue - 141°C

Yellow - 79°C Purple - 182°C

Q. How will you define Hazardous Waste?

The waste that is dangerous or potentially harmful to our health or the environment is known as
hazardous waste.
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