CSCS Excavations and Confined Spaces Mock Test

HS&E TEST

Excavations and Confined Spaces

1 / 27

Identify which of the following is best suited for accessing an excavation.

A step ladder

A secured ladder

A cherry picker

A harness and pulley

2 / 27

What might happen if the level of oxygen drops below 8% in a confined space?

You could become unconscious

Your hearing could be affected

You might get dehydrated

There is a high risk of fire or explosion

3 / 27

What is the main cause of people dying while working in a confined space?

Lack of oxygen

Too much oxygen

Cold conditions leading to hypothermia

Presence of methane

4 / 27

What should you do if you are in a deep trench and you start to feel dizzy?

Carry on working and hope that the feeling will go away

Get out, let your head clear and then go back in again

Make sure that you and any others get out quickly and report it

Sit down in the trench and take a rest

5 / 27

According to the guidance on underground service pipes, what does a yellow service pipe carry?

Electricity

Water

Telecoms

Gas

6 / 27

What is the safest way to get into and out of a deep excavation?

Use the buried services as steps

Use an excavator bucket

Use the shoring or trench supports

Use a fixed staircase

7 / 27

You are in a deep trench. A lorry backs up to the trench and the engine is left running. What should you do?

Get out of the trench quickly

Put on ear defenders to cut out the engine noise

See if there is a toxic gas meter in the trench

Ignore the problem, as the lorry will soon drive away

8 / 27

What three things should you do before entering a confined space that has sludge at the bottom?

Identify what the sludge is

Throw something into the sludge to see how deep it is

Make sure that the space has been tested for gas

Have the correct training

Put on a disposable dust mask

9 / 27

What is the main reason for having a person positioned immediately outside a confined space while work is taking place inside it?

To carry out a risk assessment for the work

To check compliance with the method statement

To supervise the work inside the confined space

To start the rescue plan if there is an emergency

10 / 27

What is it likely to mean if the soil gives off a strange smell when digging?

The ground has been used to grow crops in the past

The soil has been excavated before

The soil contains a lot of clay

The ground could be contaminated

11 / 27

Work in a confined space usually needs a risk assessment, a method statement and what other safety document?

A permit to enter

A company health and safety policy

A written contract for the work

An up-to-date staff handbook

12 / 27

What do guard-rails around the top of an excavation prevent?

Toxic gases collecting in the bottom of the trench

People falling into the trench and being injured

Rainwater running off the ground at the top and into the trench

The sides of the trench collapsing

13 / 27

What does it mean if a run of coloured marker tape is found when digging?

There is a buried service and further excavation must be carried out with care

The soil is contaminated and you must wear respiratory protective equipment (RPE)

There are buried human remains and you must tell your supervisor

The excavation now requires side supports

14 / 27

When working in a confined space, what is it a sign of if there is a smell of rotten eggs?

Hydrogen sulphide

Methane

Oxygen

Carbon dioxide

15 / 27

What is the best course of action to take if a buried cable is hit and damaged when digging?

Do not touch the cable, stop work and report it

Move the cable out of the way and carry on digging

Wait 10 seconds and then move the cable out of the way

Dig around the cable or dig somewhere else

16 / 27

What should you do if you see the side supports move when you are working in an excavation?

Make sure that you and other workers get out quickly

Nothing. The sides are expected to move all the time

Work in another part of the excavation instead

Keep working and watch to see if they move again

17 / 27

What should you do if you are in a confined space when the gas alarm sounds?

Carry on working but do not use electrical tools

Switch off the alarm

Get out of the confined space immediately

Carry on working but take plenty of breaks in the fresh air

18 / 27

Which of these is the most accurate way to confirm the exact location of buried services?

Cable plans

Trial holes

Architect drawings

Survey drawings

19 / 27

What must happen before each shift starts when working in an excavation?

A supervisor should stay in the excavation for the first hour

Someone must go in and sniff the air to see if it is safe

A supervisor should watch from the top for the first hour

A competent person must inspect the excavation

20 / 27

Why is methane gas dangerous in confined spaces? Give two answers

It makes you hyperactive

You may not have enough oxygen to breathe

You will not be able to see because of the dense fumes

It can explode

It makes you dehydrated

21 / 27

When should an excavation be battered back or stepped?

If any buried services cross the excavation

If there is a risk of the sides falling in, regardless of depth

If there is water in the bottom of the trench

If it is more than 5 m deep

22 / 27

What is the most important reason why people should be trained and competent before they are allowed to enter a confined space?

Confined spaces are only found on house-building sites

Confined spaces never contain breathable air

Confined space entrants need to understand the potential hazards

Confined spaces always contain flammable or explosive gases

23 / 27

What should you do if you have to work in a confined space but there is no rescue plan?

Get someone to stand at the opening with a rope

Carry out the job in short spells

Do not enter until a rescue plan is in place

Assume that a rescue team or plan is not necessary and do the job

24 / 27

What equipment should be used when digging near to underground electrical services?

A jack hammer

An excavator

A pick and fork

An insulated spade

25 / 27

At what point should excavations be inspected?

At the beginning and end of every weekday

At the start of each shift, or after events that might affect stability

Only if there is spare time to do so

Immediately after reaching maximum depth and once a week after this

26 / 27

What should you do if your permit to work in a confined space will run out before you finish the task you are carrying out?

Hand the permit over to the next shift

Leave the confined space before the permit runs out

Ask your supervisor to change the date on the permit

Carry on working until the job is finished

27 / 27

What is the main hazard when working in an excavation?

Cuts and abrasions from the trench sides

Crushing, if the sides are not supported

Breathing-in hazardous dust from the earth

Trips and falls due to the space restriction

Your score is

The average score is 69%

Exit

How was the test? Please submit your rating and give us a feedback!

Thank you for taking the time to complete a mock test on our website. We appreciate your effort and dedication.

We wish you the best of luck in your preparation and future exams. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please let us know.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Like this: