The construction industry is vast, yet new people keep joining. It involves many risks; those working must know how to stay safe. Health and safety are of considerable interest to people in the construction industry, explaining why certification is necessary. The same way you want to be safe is how you should care for other workmates.
What the CSCS Health and Safety Course entails
The initial step to joining the construction industry in the UK is taking the CSCS Health and Safety course. It is a requirement for anyone willing to join the construction industry. It offers a strong understanding of health and safety law in the UK. An individual must prove to know how to prevent accidents and handle risks.
Additionally, they must also understand the need for safety and the role they play concerning safety in the bigger construction workplace. The course aims to capture those who just began their journey, are almost beginning laborers, or are planning to look for employment in construction.
Workers need to be sensitized about health and safety every day of their working period. As a result, they can detect or recognize danger when working. Measures to ensure workers’ safety are in place, like taking the Construction Training Industry Board CITB Health and Safety Awareness Course to ensure everyone understands what’s expected of them.
Mitigating risks and creating a secure workplace culture is the most essential part of ensuring safety. With proper safety measures, everyone feels safe working and becoming more productive. Keeping workers safe and involving them in decision-making and accountability makes them feel valued.
What’s the CITB Health and Safety Awareness (HSA) Course?
It’s a one-day course that teaches construction workers about workplace safety for everyone. The course provides an understanding of probable risks construction staff are exposed to on-site. Those intending to join the trade must take the CITB HSA course, the most recognized qualification, to get a CSCS Labourer’s card.
A CSCS laborers card is a certification that indicates a worker’s understanding of health and safety practices at work. Additionally, CITB Site Safety Plus accommodates workers already in the construction and civil engineering industry or considering joining. The course will teach you the following:
- A worker’s responsibilities towards their safety and that of others
- Normal construction hazards and how to control them
- How everyone can play a role in achieving practical standards of safety on-site
- Legal requirements and liabilities
- Working at height
- Fire prevention
- Manual handling
- Safe handling of work equipment
- Occupational health
What the CITB Exam Entails
When beginning the course, participants receive the mandatory course publication ‘Construction Health and Safety Awareness (GE707). The material is aimed at helping workers during the course. After completing the course, the publication is retained for future reference.
The course is taught in a day, and a test is done in the end. It’s a 30-minute examination consisting of 25 multiple-choice questions. A learner is expected to score 25 marks out of 30 to pass. Of the 25 questions, 20 are worth 1 mark, while the remaining 5 are worth 2 marks each.
Should a participant fail, there’s an opportunity to retake the exam, but they must attend the course afresh. Certification from a successful learner is valid for 5 years, and you must retake the course to renew your CSCS Labourers card. It should happen before the certificate expires.
Summary
Health and safety in the construction and engineering sector is a priority. For a worker to be certified, they must take the relevant courses to be considered as a qualified worker.