Mini-Lesson

Health and Safety

This mini-lesson covers Health and Safety for OCR A-level Product Design: hazard versus risk, the HSE five steps of risk assessment, the hierarchy of control, COSHH and PPE.

You will score a risk rating, meet COSHH and PPE, and sort hazards from controls. Press Start to begin.

Hazard vs risk

Hazard, risk and risk assessment

Two terms to keep separate:

A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm.
A risk is the chance that the hazard causes harm, and how serious it would be.

The HSE five steps of risk assessment: identify hazards; decide who might be harmed; evaluate risks and controls; record and act; review.

Quick check

Hazard or risk?

?A workshop has an open vat of solvent. Which correctly separates hazard from risk?

Controls

Risk rating and the hierarchy of control

Risks can be scored so the worst are tackled first:

risk rating = likelihood x severityeach rated, for example, 1 (low) to 5 (high)

Controls follow the hierarchy of control: eliminate or substitute, then engineering controls (guards, extraction), then administrative controls (training, signage), and finally PPE as a last resort.

Calculate

Your turn — risk rating

1A hazard is scored for likelihood = 2 and severity = 5 (each 1-5). Risk rating = likelihood x severity. Calculate the risk rating.

Hint: 2 x 5.

COSHH & PPE

COSHH and PPE

COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) requires exposure to hazardous substances to be assessed and controlled:

Dusts (such as MDF and wood dust), solvents, adhesives and fumes.
Controls include local exhaust ventilation (LEV), safe storage and correct disposal.

PPE is the final barrier: goggles, ear defenders, dust masks/respirators, gloves and safety footwear.

Quick check

What does COSHH cover?

?Which workshop risk does COSHH most directly address?

Sort it

Sort the safety items

Tap an item, then the group it belongs to.

⚠️ Hazard

🛡️ Control measure

🥽 PPE

Quick check

Where does PPE sit?

?Where does PPE sit in the hierarchy of control, and why?

Match it

Match each safety term to its meaning

Tap an item on the left, then its match on the right.

Term

Meaning

Recap

The big ideas to know

Hazard = potential to harm; risk = chance and severity of harm

Risk assessment: HSE five steps; risk rating = likelihood x severity

Hierarchy of control: eliminate/substitute > engineering > admin > PPE (last resort)

COSHH controls hazardous substances (MDF dust, solvents) via LEV and PPE

PPE: goggles, ear defenders, dust masks, gloves

You have covered how to identify, assess, score and control workshop health and safety risks.

🏆

Mini-lesson complete!

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You have worked through Health and Safety for OCR A-level Product Design. 🎉

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