Practice test 3: 50 questions from all five areas, as in the real test, where you need 45 correct answers out of 50.
About these questions
These are FreeExamPath's own questions on the topics of the operatives test, written from UK law and HSE guidance. They are not CITB test questions, and FreeExamPath is not affiliated with CITB or CSCS. The CSCS website
You wear ear defenders in a noisy area but lift one side off to chat for a few minutes. What is the effect?
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Correct answer: C — It can greatly reduce the protection you get
Why?HSE advises wearing hearing protection all the time in noisy work and hearing protection areas, because removing it even briefly cuts the protection a lot. Short breaks are not averaged out harmlessly.Source
You are working from the basket of a boom-type MEWP and wearing a harness. Where should the short lanyard be attached?
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Correct answer: C — To the anchor point provided in the basket
Why?In a boom-type MEWP the restraint lanyard should be clipped to the designated anchor point in the basket. Attaching to a nearby structure could pull you out if the basket moves.Source
Hot cutting is planned near stored cardboard. What control should come before sparks are produced?
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Correct answer: C — Remove or protect the nearby combustible materials
Why?Hot work must be controlled to prevent sparks igniting combustibles. A watcher does not replace clearing or protecting combustible materials.Source
On a project with more than one contractor, who must appoint the principal designer and the principal contractor?
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Correct answer: C — The client who commissions the work
Why?Under CDM 2015 the client must appoint both dutyholders where more than one contractor will work on the project. HSE enforces the law but does not appoint anyone to these roles.Source
Which simple sign suggests that noise at work may be high enough to need action?
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Correct answer: A — Having to raise your voice to talk at about 2 m
Why?HSE says that needing to raise your voice for a normal conversation at about 2 m apart indicates noise may need action. Being audible off site does not by itself show a risk to hearing.Source
A leaning ladder is set up for a short task. What angle does HSE recommend?
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Correct answer: D — About 75 degrees: one out for every four up
Why?HSE recommends the 1-in-4 rule, which gives an angle of about 75 degrees. A flatter angle risks the foot sliding out; a steeper one risks it falling backwards.Source
Before a building is demolished, what should happen to its gas, electricity and water supplies?
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Correct answer: B — They are disconnected or made safe beforehand
Why?Services must be isolated or disconnected before demolition so workers do not strike live gas or electricity. Gas and water can be as dangerous as electricity.Source
You must wear ear defenders and safety glasses together. What should your employer make sure of?
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Correct answer: D — The items are compatible and both still protect
Why?The PPE at Work Regulations require items worn together to be compatible and still effective. Dropping one item for comfort leaves a hazard uncontrolled.Source
A construction project is large enough to be notifiable under CDM 2015. Who has the duty to notify HSE?
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Correct answer: A — The client for the project
Why?Regulation 6 of CDM 2015 places the notification duty on the client. The principal contractor manages the construction phase, but notifying HSE is not its legal duty.Source
Your employer arranges regular hearing checks for workers exposed to high noise. What is their main purpose?
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Correct answer: D — To detect early hearing damage so action can be taken
Why?Health surveillance for hearing picks up early signs of damage so the employer can act. It does not replace noise controls or allow anyone to stop wearing protection.Source
While working on a ladder you need to reach a little further to one side. What should you do?
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Correct answer: A — Climb down and reposition the ladder
Why?HSE says do not overreach: keep your belt buckle within the stiles and move the ladder instead. Footing the ladder does not stop it tipping sideways when you lean.Source
Asbestos lagging has been found in a building due for demolition. When should it normally be removed?
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Correct answer: C — Before the main demolition work begins on site
Why?The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 require asbestos to be removed, so far as reasonably practicable, before major demolition work starts. Knocking it down with the building spreads fibres.Source
Since April 2022, which workers do the PPE at Work Regulations protect besides employees?
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Correct answer: B — Limb (b) workers, such as many casual workers
Why?The 2022 amendment extended employers' PPE duties to limb (b) workers, who often work on a casual basis. The duty does not depend on age or length of service.Source
A homeowner hires two building firms for a house extension. Under CDM 2015, who normally carries out the client duties?
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Correct answer: B — The principal contractor for the project
Why?Domestic clients are covered by CDM 2015, but where more than one contractor is involved their client duties pass to the principal contractor (or to the principal designer by written agreement). Home projects are not exempt.Source
You regularly use vibrating tools outdoors in winter. Which step helps keep the blood circulating in your hands?
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Correct answer: B — Keep your hands warm and dry throughout the day
Why?HSE advises keeping warm and dry to encourage good blood circulation, which helps protect against vibration white finger. A tight grip increases the vibration passed into the hands.Source
A ladder is used for access to a scaffold platform. Unless another secure handhold exists, how far should it extend above the landing point?
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Correct answer: A — At least 1 metre above it
Why?HSE says access ladders should be tied and extend at least 1 m above the landing point to give a secure handhold. A ladder level with the platform leaves nothing to hold when stepping off.Source
A new trench will run close to the footings of an existing wall. What must be considered?
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Correct answer: A — Whether digging could undermine the wall
Why?HSE warns that excavations must not undermine the foundations of nearby buildings or walls. Removing ground near footings can make a structure unstable.Source
You are given a type of respirator you have never used before. What should your employer provide?
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Correct answer: C — Information, instruction and training on its use
Why?Employers must give adequate information, instruction and training so PPE is used correctly. Leaving workers to read the packaging does not meet that duty.Source
You must change into special work clothing on site. What must be available for the clothes you are not wearing during working hours?
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Correct answer: D — A place where they can be locked away
Why?CDM 2015 Schedule 2 requires changing rooms where special clothing is worn and facilities for locking away workers' own clothing. Open hooks or a van do not keep clothing secure.Source
Why should blunt or worn tool bits and discs be replaced promptly?
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Correct answer: C — Worn parts can increase vibration and exposure time
Why?Poorly maintained, blunt tools vibrate more and take longer to do the job, increasing exposure. Maintenance is a key HSE control for hand-arm vibration, not just a matter of finish.Source
While digging, you damage a pipe and smell gas. What should you do?
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Correct answer: D — Move away, avoid ignition sources and raise the alarm
Why?A gas leak can ignite, so people must move away, ignition sources must be kept clear and the emergency procedure started. Switching on electrical equipment can create a spark.Source
Correct answer: A — In the storage provided, kept clean and undamaged
Why?Employers must make sure PPE is properly stored, and workers should use that storage. Loose or exposed storage can damage PPE and stop it protecting you.Source
What must washing facilities on a construction site include?
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Correct answer: C — Hot and cold, or warm, water, soap and drying
Why?Washing facilities must provide clean hot and cold, or warm, water (running where reasonably practicable), soap or similar, and towels or another way of drying. Sanitiser gel does not replace washing facilities.Source
Besides vibration white finger, which condition is linked to regular use of hand-held vibrating tools?
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Correct answer: B — Carpal tunnel syndrome
Why?HSE links hand-arm vibration with both hand-arm vibration syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome. Asthma and dermatitis are caused by substances, not vibration.Source
A scaffold working platform is one from which a person could fall 2 metres or more. How often must it be inspected at minimum?
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Correct answer: D — At intervals not exceeding 7 days
Why?The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require such platforms to be inspected at least every 7 days, as well as after events likely to affect them. A single check after erection is not enough.Source
Demolition is taking place beside a public footpath. How should the public be kept out of the site?
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Correct answer: C — A secure perimeter, such as hoarding or fencing
Why?CDM 2015 requires steps to prevent unauthorised access to the site, and the 1974 Act protects the public. Signs or tape alone do not keep people out.Source
What is the purpose of an emergency stop control on a machine?
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Correct answer: C — To stop the machine quickly in an emergency situation
Why?PUWER requires emergency stop controls where needed so a machine can be stopped quickly. An emergency stop is not a means of isolation for maintenance.Source
Besides seating, what must a site rest area provide?
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Correct answer: A — Facilities to prepare and eat meals and boil water
Why?Rest facilities must include arrangements for preparing and eating meals and a means of boiling water. Cleaning work tools in a rest area would bring contamination into it.Source
A product label shows a pictogram of liquid dripping onto a hand and onto a surface. What does it warn of?
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Correct answer: A — The substance is corrosive
Why?The corrosion pictogram warns that a substance can burn skin, damage eyes or eat into materials. Flammable substances show a flame symbol instead.Source
Before climbing a mobile access tower, what must be checked at its base?
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Correct answer: C — The castor brakes are locked on at every wheel
Why?Castor brakes must be locked so the tower cannot roll while someone is on it. Stabilisers or outriggers should be fitted as the instructions require, not folded away.Source
Why are long-reach machines often used to demolish tall structures?
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Correct answer: B — They keep workers away from falling material and weak floors
Why?Using machines at a distance keeps people out of the most dangerous areas during demolition. An exclusion zone, a plan and asbestos checks are still needed.Source
When may men and women use the same toilet on a construction site?
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Correct answer: B — When it is in its own room that locks from the inside
Why?Separate rooms for men and women are needed unless each toilet is in a separate room with a door that can be secured from the inside. Site size or duration does not remove this requirement.Source
A product label shows a person's outline with a star-shaped mark on the chest. What does this pictogram warn about?
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Correct answer: D — A serious longer-term health hazard
Why?This health hazard pictogram is used for effects such as cancer or breathing sensitisation. Minor irritants use the exclamation mark pictogram instead.Source
You must reach a valve on a roof covered with old cement sheets and roof lights. What applies?
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Correct answer: D — Treat them as fragile and use platforms or covers
Why?The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require precautions where people could fall through fragile surfaces such as old cement sheets and roof lights. Walking on bolt lines still means standing on the fragile sheets.Source
You need to speak to an excavator driver while the machine is working. What should you do?
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Correct answer: B — Catch the driver's eye and wait for a signal
Why?Approaching working plant without the driver's agreement puts you in blind spots and the machine's path. Wait until the driver has seen you and made the machine safe.Source
A small offcut jams the feed of a running machine. What should you do?
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Correct answer: A — Switch off and make it safe before clearing the jam
Why?Reaching into or near moving parts risks serious injury, so the machine must be stopped and made safe first. Pushing material through still keeps you close to dangerous parts.Source
A low beam that people could walk into is marked with tape. Which pattern is a standard marking for this kind of obstacle?
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Correct answer: D — Alternating yellow and black stripes
Why?The Safety Signs Regulations 1996 mark obstacles and dangerous locations with alternating yellow and black (or red and white) stripes. Green signals a safe condition, not a hazard.Source
A water-based cleaner would do the same job as the solvent cleaner your team uses. Under COSHH, what should happen?
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Correct answer: D — Switch to the less hazardous cleaner if practicable
Why?COSHH puts preventing exposure first, including substituting a less hazardous substance. Relying on gloves or habit leaves the avoidable hazard in place.Source
A hole in a floor has been covered with a board. What makes this cover acceptable?
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Correct answer: B — It is fixed in place and clearly marked
Why?Covers over holes must be secured so they cannot be moved and marked so people know what they are. A cover that blends in invites someone to lift or step on it unknowingly.Source
Your team wants to use an excavator to lift and place drainage pipes on a chain. What must be confirmed first?
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Correct answer: C — It is suitable and set up for lifting under LOLER
Why?An excavator used for lifting is lifting equipment under LOLER and must be suitable, marked and set up for the lift, with the lift properly planned. Digging experience alone is not enough.Source
You will work near the rotating spindle of a pillar drill. Which practice reduces the risk of entanglement?
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Correct answer: B — Keep loose clothing, long hair and jewellery away
Why?Rotating parts can catch loose items and pull a person in. Loose gloves or sleeves can themselves be caught, so they increase rather than reduce the risk.Source
Your site uses a siren for emergencies. Under the Safety Signs Regulations 1996, how must an evacuation signal sound?
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Correct answer: A — Continuous
Why?The Regulations require the sound of an evacuation signal to be continuous so it cannot be mistaken for other signals. Short or repeated blasts are used for other messages on many sites.Source
You have been working with a hazardous substance and want a snack. What should you do?
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Correct answer: B — Wash your hands and eat away from the work area
Why?COSHH controls include not eating, drinking or smoking where substances may contaminate you, and washing first. Gloves or a rag can transfer the substance onto food.Source
You need to clear rubble from a scaffold platform to the ground. What is acceptable?
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Correct answer: A — Lower it in a controlled way, such as a chute
Why?The Work at Height Regulations 2005 forbid throwing or tipping materials from height where this could injure someone. A warning shout does not make throwing safe.Source
A dumper's mirrors are caked in mud at the start of a shift. What should happen?
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Correct answer: D — Clean them and check the view before driving
Why?Visibility aids such as mirrors only work if kept clean and checked before use. Relying on others to shout does not make up for poor visibility.Source
Which type of portable power tool carries the lowest risk of electric shock on site?
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Correct answer: D — Cordless battery-powered tools
Why?Battery-powered tools remove the mains supply altogether, so they are the lowest-risk option. Where mains is needed, reduced-voltage 110 V is preferred over 230 V.Source
You discover a small fire starting in a waste skip. What should you do first?
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Correct answer: C — Raise the alarm at once so that others are warned
Why?Raising the alarm first starts the site emergency procedure and warns others; only tackle a fire if trained and it is safe. Fighting it before telling anyone delays help if the fire grows.Source
Which disease can result from breathing respirable crystalline silica dust over time?
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Correct answer: C — Silicosis
Why?Silica dust from cutting materials such as concrete and stone can cause silicosis, as well as lung cancer and COPD. Mesothelioma and asbestosis are caused by asbestos.Source
