Unit 1: Health and Safety in the
Engineering Workplace
Unit code: T/600/0249
QCF Level 3: BTEC National
Credit value: 10
Guided learning hours: 60
Aim and purpose
This unit will give learners an understanding of the key features of health and safety legislation and regulations
and how these are applied in engineering to ensure safe working conditions.
Unit introduction
The welfare of people working or operating within any manufacturing or engineering environment is of
prime importance. All workers should expect to be able to carry out their work in a safe manner that has
no negative effect on their health and wellbeing. In fact, many organisations not only reduce risks and make
improvements to the working environment but try to make their own working environment superior to
others, making it a competitive aspect when recruiting staff.
Health and safety in the workplace is about measures designed to protect the health and safety of employees,
visitors and the general public who may be affected by workplace activities. Safety measures are concerned
with controlling and reducing risks to anyone who might be affected by these activities.
Health and safety is controlled largely by legislation and regulations and the law is continually being revised
and updated. It is important that organisations are aware of these changes and keep up to date with
developments.
This unit will give learners an understanding of hazards and risks associated with health, safety and welfare in
an engineering workplace, the associated legislation and regulations and of their roles in complying with the
related legal obligations. Learners will also be required to undertake full risk assessments and to appreciate the
significant risks encountered in the workplace and the measures taken to deal with them. They will also study
the principles of reporting and recording accidents and incidents, again within a legal context.
This unit could form a key component within many learning programmes since the content is highly applicable
to many manufacturing, engineering and industrial situations.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit a learner should:
1 Understand the key features of health and safety legislation and regulations
2 Know how to identify and control hazards in the workplace
3 Be able to carry out a risk assessment, identifying control measures
4 Understand the methods used when reporting and recording accidents and incidents.
Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Nationals specification in Engineering
– Issue 1 – January 2010 © Edexcel Limited 2009
1
, Unit content
1 Understand the key features of health and safety legislation and regulations
Key features of legislation and regulations: legislation eg Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Employment
Act 2002, Factories Act 1961, Fire Precautions Act 1971; regulations eg Employment Equality (Age)
Regulations 2006, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Provision and Use of
Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
Regulations 2002, Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, Manual Handling
Operations Regulations 1992, Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, Confined Spaces
Regulations 1997, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005,
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995, Working Time
Regulations 1998, Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, Health and Safety (First Aid)
Regulations 1981, Supply of Machinery (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/831)
Roles and responsibilities of those involved: employers; employees; Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
eg span of authority, right of inspection, guidance notes and booklets; others eg management, sub-
contractors, public, suppliers, customers, visitors
2 Know how to identify and control hazards in the workplace
Within the workplace: methods to identify hazards eg statements, analysis of significant risks, prediction of
results or outcomes of those risks, use of accident data, careful consideration of work methods
Working environment: consideration of the workplace and its potential for harm eg confined spaces,
working over water or at heights, electrical hazards, chemicals, noise
Hazards which become risks: identification of trivial or significant risk; potential to cause harm; choosing
appropriate control measures; electrical safety eg identify and control hazards, cause of injury, effects of
electricity on the body, circuit overloading; mechanical safety eg identify and control hazards, cause of
injury, rotating equipment, sharp edges; safety devices eg residual current device (RCD), fuses, guards, fail
safe, sensors
3 Be able to carry out a risk assessment and identify control measures
Risk assessments: items/area to be assessed eg machine operation, work area; five steps (principal hazards,
who is likely to be injured/harmed, evaluate the risks and decide on adequacy of precautions, recording
findings, review assessment)
Use of control measures: eg remove need (design out), use of recognised procedures, substances control,
guarding, lifting assessments and manual handling assessments, regular inspection, use of Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE), training of personnel, other personal procedures for health, safety and
welfare
Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Nationals specification in Engineering
2 – Issue 1 – January 2010 © Edexcel Limited 2009
Engineering Workplace
Unit code: T/600/0249
QCF Level 3: BTEC National
Credit value: 10
Guided learning hours: 60
Aim and purpose
This unit will give learners an understanding of the key features of health and safety legislation and regulations
and how these are applied in engineering to ensure safe working conditions.
Unit introduction
The welfare of people working or operating within any manufacturing or engineering environment is of
prime importance. All workers should expect to be able to carry out their work in a safe manner that has
no negative effect on their health and wellbeing. In fact, many organisations not only reduce risks and make
improvements to the working environment but try to make their own working environment superior to
others, making it a competitive aspect when recruiting staff.
Health and safety in the workplace is about measures designed to protect the health and safety of employees,
visitors and the general public who may be affected by workplace activities. Safety measures are concerned
with controlling and reducing risks to anyone who might be affected by these activities.
Health and safety is controlled largely by legislation and regulations and the law is continually being revised
and updated. It is important that organisations are aware of these changes and keep up to date with
developments.
This unit will give learners an understanding of hazards and risks associated with health, safety and welfare in
an engineering workplace, the associated legislation and regulations and of their roles in complying with the
related legal obligations. Learners will also be required to undertake full risk assessments and to appreciate the
significant risks encountered in the workplace and the measures taken to deal with them. They will also study
the principles of reporting and recording accidents and incidents, again within a legal context.
This unit could form a key component within many learning programmes since the content is highly applicable
to many manufacturing, engineering and industrial situations.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit a learner should:
1 Understand the key features of health and safety legislation and regulations
2 Know how to identify and control hazards in the workplace
3 Be able to carry out a risk assessment, identifying control measures
4 Understand the methods used when reporting and recording accidents and incidents.
Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Nationals specification in Engineering
– Issue 1 – January 2010 © Edexcel Limited 2009
1
, Unit content
1 Understand the key features of health and safety legislation and regulations
Key features of legislation and regulations: legislation eg Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Employment
Act 2002, Factories Act 1961, Fire Precautions Act 1971; regulations eg Employment Equality (Age)
Regulations 2006, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Provision and Use of
Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
Regulations 2002, Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, Manual Handling
Operations Regulations 1992, Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, Confined Spaces
Regulations 1997, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005,
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995, Working Time
Regulations 1998, Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, Health and Safety (First Aid)
Regulations 1981, Supply of Machinery (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/831)
Roles and responsibilities of those involved: employers; employees; Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
eg span of authority, right of inspection, guidance notes and booklets; others eg management, sub-
contractors, public, suppliers, customers, visitors
2 Know how to identify and control hazards in the workplace
Within the workplace: methods to identify hazards eg statements, analysis of significant risks, prediction of
results or outcomes of those risks, use of accident data, careful consideration of work methods
Working environment: consideration of the workplace and its potential for harm eg confined spaces,
working over water or at heights, electrical hazards, chemicals, noise
Hazards which become risks: identification of trivial or significant risk; potential to cause harm; choosing
appropriate control measures; electrical safety eg identify and control hazards, cause of injury, effects of
electricity on the body, circuit overloading; mechanical safety eg identify and control hazards, cause of
injury, rotating equipment, sharp edges; safety devices eg residual current device (RCD), fuses, guards, fail
safe, sensors
3 Be able to carry out a risk assessment and identify control measures
Risk assessments: items/area to be assessed eg machine operation, work area; five steps (principal hazards,
who is likely to be injured/harmed, evaluate the risks and decide on adequacy of precautions, recording
findings, review assessment)
Use of control measures: eg remove need (design out), use of recognised procedures, substances control,
guarding, lifting assessments and manual handling assessments, regular inspection, use of Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE), training of personnel, other personal procedures for health, safety and
welfare
Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Nationals specification in Engineering
2 – Issue 1 – January 2010 © Edexcel Limited 2009
