Revision- Questions and
Complete Solutions Graded A+
State the five categories of health hazards. Give an example for each - Answer: - Physical (eg. noise)
- Chemical (eg. lead, dust)
- Biological (eg. Legionella)
- Psycho-social (eg.stress)
- Ergonomic (eg. repetitive handling)
Outline some of the main sources of data used by the HSE to compile occupational ill-health statistics -
Answer: - RIDDOR - which requires the reporting of specific occupational diseases by the employer
- Labour Force Survey (LFS) - a national survey of private households in the UK each quarter. The survey
is managed by the office for National Statistics
- The Health and Occupation Reporting (THOR) network - a voluntary surveillance scheme for work-
related ill health under which specialist doctors systematically report all new cases that they see in their
clinics
- The Industrial Injuries Scheme - administered by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to
compensate workers who have been disabled by a prescribed occupational disease
- Death certificates - as a source of deaths from asbestos-related and other occupational lung diseases
Give three examples of occupations where there are defined fitness-to-work standards - Answer: -
Vehicle driving eg. forklift trucks (FLT), Large Goods Vehicles (LGV), cranes, buses, trains etc.
- Working in confined spaces
,- Emergency service workers
- Night shift workers
- Divers
- Working at heights
Define what the Equality Act 2010 means by a disabled person - Answer: a person is disabled if they
have "a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their
ability to carry out normal dat-to-day activities".
What is the bio-psyshosocial model? - Answer: A way of considering ill health as being more than simply
a case of a biological disease.
It takes a more holistic view that includes:-
- Biological - refers to the physical or mental health condition
- Psychological - recognises that personal/ psychological factors also influence functioning and the
individual must take some measure of personal responsibility for his or her behaviour
- Social - recognises the importance of the social context, pressures and constraints on behaviour and
functioning
Outline the meaning of vocational rehabilitation - Answer: the process of returning a worker back to
meaningful work as a way of aiding their recovery and return to health, following a period of physical or
mental ill health.
It can also be a way of improving the health of an individual through getting them into work and keeping
them in work
,Outline the typical functions of an occupational health service - Answer: - Pre-employment screening -
general health assessment of both general fitness and specific job fitness.
- Health surveillance - routine checks or tests focusing on specific aspects of health as a result of
exposure to a specific hazard
- Return-to-work rehabilitation programme - management of the rehabilitation of specific workers back
into work.
- Sickness absence management - recording and analysis of absence data and involvement in sickness
absence procedures
- Counselling - formal or informal listening service with in-house or external referral as required
- Risk assessments - involvement in some general workplace assessments and conducting specific
assessment, such as those for pregnant women.
- Health education and promotion -running campaigns and providing support on various public health
issues
- Providing advice - to employers and workers on specific health issues and queries
- Treatment services and first aid - such as management of maintenance treatment facility and
assessment and management of first-aid provision
When is health surveillance a legal requirement under MHSWR 1999? - Answer: Where the following
criteria are met
- there is an identifiable disease or adverse health condition related to the work concerned
- valid techniques are available to detect indications of the disease or condition
, - there is a reasonable likelihood that the disease or condition may occur under the particular conditions
of work
- surveillance is likely to further the protection of the health and safety of the employees to be covered
What is the purpose of carrying out a workplace health needs assessment (HNA)? - Answer: carried out
to identify the occupational health priorities that are of concern to the workplace so that an appropriate
occupational health service response can be planned and implemented
What is SEQOHS? - Answer: Safe, Effective, Quality Occupational Health Service
A set of standards and a voluntary accreditation scheme for occupational health services established by
the Faculty of Occupational Medicine.
It provides an assurance to service users that service providers achieve the minimum standards
established under the scheme.
Describe how oxygen enters the bloodstream - Answer: Inhaled air passes through the nose or mouth,
down the trachea, bronchi and bronchioles, into alveoli.
Here, the very thin lining of alveoli and blood vessels flows oxygen to diffuse into the bloodstream
where it then diffuses into red blood cells and is bound to haemoglobin. Carbon dioxide is excreted by
the same process
Identify the main purpose of the circulatory system - Answer: To deliver oxygen to all parts of the body
and remove impurities and waste products
What are the three essential components of the circulatory system - Answer: - The heart (the pump
- Blood vessels (pipes for carrying the fluid)
- Valves within the heart (valves for regulating the fluid flow)
What is the function of the retina? - Answer: When light strikes the retina, electrical impulses are
generated and transmitted via the optic nerve to the brain