PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)

Correct: Under CDM 2015, designers have a primary duty to eliminate foreseeable health and safety risks to anyone carrying out maintenance or cleaning of the structure. By redesigning the sensor placement for internal or ground-level access, the designer is applying the highest level of the Hierarchy of Control: Elimination. This removes the hazard of working at height entirely, which is the most effective way to manage risk during the design stage.

Incorrect: Specifying PPE and rescue plans are lower-level controls that should only be considered if the hazard cannot be designed out. Transferring the risk to the Principal Contractor is inappropriate because the designer has a legal obligation to reduce risks through design before the construction phase begins. Relying on administrative controls, such as weather-dependent maintenance schedules, does not address the inherent danger of the design itself when a safer alternative is possible.

Takeaway: Designers must prioritize the elimination of hazards at the source over the use of protective equipment or administrative procedures to comply with CDM 2015 duties.

Correct: Under the CDM 2015 regulations, the Principal Designer has a duty to prepare a health and safety file which contains information relating to the project which is likely to be needed during any subsequent project such as maintenance, cleaning, alteration, or demolition. Providing details on structural connections and lifting points for heavy pre-cast components is essential for the safety of those who will eventually dismantle the structure.

Incorrect: Focusing only on the installation phase fails to meet the lifecycle requirements of CDM 2015, which explicitly includes demolition. Assigning the documentation of deconstruction methods to facility management is incorrect as the Principal Designer holds the duty to compile this information during the design and construction phases. Requiring a definitive demolition method statement from the Principal Contractor is premature and impractical, as demolition techniques and site conditions will change significantly by the time the building reaches its end-of-life.

Takeaway: The Principal Designer must ensure the Health and Safety File contains sufficient information about the design and materials to allow for safe future demolition and disposal.

Correct: Under fire safety legislation and general health and safety duties, the ‘responsible person’ or site management must cooperate with emergency services. This includes providing essential information such as site layouts, the location of high-risk areas (like plant rooms or chemical stores), and a clear account of whether all persons are accounted for. This information is vital for the emergency services to conduct their own dynamic risk assessment safely and effectively.

Incorrect: Emergency services take control of the incident response, but they do not take ownership of the organization’s internal health and safety policies or risk registers. Waiting for emergency services to conduct a survey before providing information is dangerous and counter-productive, as they rely on site-specific knowledge to mitigate risks quickly. Delegating communication to a junior staff member who may lack a comprehensive overview of the building’s systems and hazards is inappropriate; liaison should be handled by a competent person with access to all necessary safety documentation.

Takeaway: Site management is responsible for providing immediate, accurate information regarding site hazards and occupant status to facilitate a safe emergency service response.

Correct: Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations and data protection principles, employers are entitled to receive the results of health surveillance in terms of ‘fitness to work’ and any necessary restrictions. They are not entitled to confidential clinical details. When health surveillance identifies a health issue, it serves as a ‘canary in the coal mine,’ indicating that current control measures (like dust suppression) may be inadequate and must be reviewed for the safety of the entire workforce.

Incorrect: Requesting clinical test data or medical histories (Approach A) violates medical confidentiality and is not necessary for the manager to fulfill their health and safety obligations. Employers must keep a ‘health record’ (containing names and outcomes), but not a ‘medical record’ (containing clinical notes). Permanently removing workers without considering reasonable adjustments or improvements to the working environment could lead to claims under the Equality Act and does not address the root cause of the failure in control measures.

Takeaway: Health surveillance results should be used as a trigger to review and improve workplace control measures while strictly respecting the medical confidentiality of the individuals involved.

Correct: Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015), the Principal Contractor is responsible for planning, managing, and monitoring the construction phase. This includes ensuring that the Construction Phase Plan is updated with relevant information and that all workers are provided with suitable site inductions and information to manage risks, such as underground services.

Incorrect: The Client is responsible for providing information but not for conducting site inductions, which is a management duty of the Principal Contractor. The Health and Safety File is a document prepared for the end of the project and does not require HSE approval before work can proceed. While sub-contractors have duties, the Principal Contractor cannot delegate the overarching responsibility to coordinate and provide essential pre-construction information to the workforce.

Correct: Under environmental legislation, discharging into a watercourse without a valid permit or consent is a legal offense, regardless of whether the water is treated or ‘clean’. The immediate priority is to stop the unauthorized activity to prevent potential environmental damage and to cease the ongoing legal breach. Work can only resume once the proper authorization is confirmed and in place.

Incorrect: Continuing the discharge while checking paperwork, testing the water quality, or reducing the flow rate does not change the fact that the activity is unauthorized. Operating without a required permit is a strict liability offense in many jurisdictions, meaning the intent or the actual level of pollution does not excuse the lack of legal consent. Mitigation measures are not a substitute for legal compliance.

Takeaway: Any activity requiring an environmental permit must be suspended immediately if it is discovered that the necessary legal authorization is not currently in place or cannot be verified.

Correct: Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015), the Principal Contractor has a legal duty to plan, manage, and monitor the construction phase. Effective coordination is best achieved through active communication, such as regular site meetings and integrated schedules, which allow contractors to identify and manage risks created by the ‘interface’ of their respective tasks.

Incorrect: Scheduling contractors in total isolation is often logistically impossible and does not fulfill the requirement for active coordination of overlapping risks. Delegating site-wide coordination to a sub-contractor is a failure of the Principal Contractor’s statutory duties. Relying only on initial documentation ignores the dynamic nature of construction sites where new hazards emerge that require ongoing teamwork and verbal communication.

Takeaway: Effective teamwork and coordination under CDM 2015 require the Principal Contractor to facilitate active, ongoing communication and shared planning to manage the risks where different trades overlap.

Correct: Engaging the workforce through collaborative workshops allows management to understand the underlying reasons for the disconnect between policy and practice. Co-developing solutions fosters a sense of ownership and ensures that the resulting actions are practical and address the specific cultural barriers identified, which is a core principle of a positive health and safety culture under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

Incorrect: Increasing disciplinary measures (option_b) often suppresses reporting and drives issues underground rather than addressing the root cause of production pressure. Focusing solely on numerical benchmarking (option_c) fails to address the qualitative cultural issues and can lead to data manipulation. Relying entirely on external consultants (option_d) to implement generic training ignores the specific site context and fails to demonstrate the internal leadership commitment necessary for genuine cultural change.

Takeaway: Translating culture assessment results into meaningful change requires a participative approach that involves the workforce in identifying root causes and developing practical solutions.

Correct: Under CDM 2015, the Principal Contractor is responsible for ensuring that every person who carries out construction work is provided with a suitable site induction. The induction must be site-specific and include information on the risks they may face that are unique to that site, the emergency procedures (such as fire and first aid), and specific rules from the construction phase plan. It is not intended to be a substitute for general health and safety training.

Incorrect: Providing general health and safety training is the responsibility of the contractor’s employer, not the purpose of a site induction. Legal liability cannot be signed away or transferred via an induction process as it is governed by statute. While the Principal Contractor must ensure RAMS are in place, the induction itself is a communication tool for site-specific hazards rather than a document review session for off-site activities.

Takeaway: A site induction must focus on site-specific hazards and emergency arrangements to comply with CDM 2015 requirements for contractor management on site.

Correct: Health surveillance is a statutory requirement under various UK regulations, including COSHH and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, when employees are exposed to specific risks. Its primary purpose is to identify the early onset of work-related ill health (such as Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome or respiratory issues) so that actions can be taken to prevent further harm. Furthermore, the results of health surveillance serve as a critical feedback loop to determine if the current hierarchy of controls is functioning effectively or if additional engineering or administrative measures are required.

Incorrect: Providing general health screenings for non-work-related illnesses is a wellness initiative, not a statutory health surveillance program. Health surveillance must never be used as a substitute for primary risk controls like elimination or engineering solutions; it is a secondary check to ensure those controls are working. While documentation may assist in legal defense, the primary purpose of health surveillance under health and safety law is the protection of employee health and the validation of risk management strategies, not merely litigation avoidance.

Takeaway: Health surveillance is a proactive risk management tool designed to detect early signs of occupational disease and verify that existing workplace controls are protecting employees.