Each year in the UK, people are killed, injured and suffer work-related illnesses while carrying out their jobs.

So Health & Safety is a significant concern. The government, employers and workers all have an essential role to play in reducing deaths and accidents and preventing ill-health at work.

This course is aimed at people starting out in the construction industry and can be used as part of their induction process or as preparation for the online accredited exam. Whilst this course, Level 1 Health & Safety in a Construction environment provides you with a qualification in its own right, it can also form part of your CSCS green card application.

The course starts with an introduction to the legal aspects of health and safety before covering the basics of risk assessment and safe working practices. It then goes into detail to cover the most common hazards encountered in construction environments from Working at Height and Respiratory Hazards to electrical and chemical hazards.

• Principles of risk assessment for maintaining and improving health and safety at work, Insurance, morale at work, injuries & accident, equipment, storage, work activities, reporting accidents.
• Importance of safe manual handling in the workplace, Pallet truck, Sling, Wheelbarrow, Trolleys moving and storing materials, manual handling, lifting.
• Importance of working safely at height in the workplace, Safe systems of work, protective measures, securing items, ladders, roofs, scaffolds, working at height.
• Risks to health within a construction environment, Hand Arm Vibration, Noise, Respiratory illness, Muscular skeletal problems, Eye Protection, Hand and arm protection.
• Importance of working around plant and equipment safely, Hazards by moving machinery, Striking cables and buried services, Trapped by moving machinery, Damage from flying debris, Electric shocks, Burns, Noise, Tripping, changing of tooling, Dust.

Undertaking the CITB: Health & Safety Awareness Course (HSA) is the first step in obtaining the CSCS Labourer (Green) Card.

The course provides an introduction to operating safely on a construction site and covers the following subject areas:

• Health and Safety legislation
• The prevention of accidents
• Risk assessments and method statements (RAMS)
• Operating in a safe manner and seeking support/advice
• Your role (in regard to safety) on a construction site
• Recognising and reporting unsafe acts

The second stage in obtaining your CSCS Labourer (Green) Card application is to book and pass the CITB: Health, Safety & Environment test.

This test can be undertaken at approved test centres and can be booked via the CITB Website or you can call the booking line on 0344 994 4488.

The test consists of 50 multiple choice questions and it costs £21.

You must pass this test prior to applying for the card and must have done so within the last two years.

On successful completion of stages 1 and 2 you will then be in a position to apply for your CSCS Labourer (Green) Card. This can be done over the phone on 0344 99 44 777 – but please ensure you email evidence of your qualifications (stage 1 and 2) to cscs@citb.co.uk prior to calling.

For more detailed information on key health and safety issues we offer a wide range of courses including Asbestos Awareness, Manual Handling, Electrical Safety, COSHH, Working at Height, Risk Assessment and many more.