Answers
1. b – Use a good OH text book or one of the resources below to refresh your knowledge of the hazards of excavation and confined spaces. Then consider the impact these hazards have on OH provision.
2. c – Carbon monoxide poisoning rarely affects people in well-ventilated areas, but extremes of temperature and exposure to the elements can, and there are several micro-organisms that are specific to outside workers. Use the resources listed below to explore this further.
3. a – Explore the Health and Safety Executive reference on statistics in the construction industry and compare them. Discuss with your colleagues why you think brick layers and labourers have the highest mortality rates.
4. d
5. a – Visit some of the resources below for further information on coronary heart disease. Consider what more you can do in your practice to improve the cardio-vascular health of your workforce.
6. b
7. c
8. c – This question was slipped in as a maths test to see whether you can convert figures to percentages. There are a number of websites that can help you with maths questions. It may be useful for you to carry out a search and brush up your skills.
9. d
10. c – Have a look at the Mens Health Forum website and some of the places Jane DeVille-Almond has carried out health promotion to get to the health message to men. Consider what you can do in your workplace to raise awareness of health issues and then evaluate your initiatives.
Online resources on construction industry health to help in your research and educational needs
The Men’s Health Forum provides an independent and authoritative voice for male health and to tackle the issues affecting the health and wellbeing of boys and men in England and Wales. It works with a wide range of people to tackle this problem. Jane Deville-Almond is vice-president of the Men’s Health Forum and a practice nurse. She has a realistic approach to getting men to think about healthcare, including carrying out health activities in pubs, clubs and betting shops and other men-friendly venues.
The national service framework for coronary heart disease (CHD) was published in March 2000. It sets out a strategy to modernise CHD services over 10 years. It details 12 standards for improved prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation and goals to secure fair access to high quality services.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website for the construction industry leads you to all the relevant and necessary legislation, codes of practice, guidelines etc, as well as the HSE statistics. It is an invaluable resource.
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The HSE website for confined spaces. There are also many different sections on the HSE site for different hazards.
This is the website for the Health Protection Agency, where you will find information on infectious diseases including tetanus and leptospirosis. It also has an A to Z compendium of chemical hazards with relevant information on each chemical.
