Engineering Technologies

Level 2

Mike Tooley

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781317200918
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Engineering General
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Covers the three mandatory units of the EAL Level 2 Diploma in Engineering and Technology

• Each compulsory unit is covered in detail with activities, practice exercises and examples where relevant
• Review questions are provided at the end of each chapter and a sample multiple-choice examination paper is included at the end of the book
• Contains expert advice that has been written in collaboration with EAL to ensure that it covers what learners need to know
• Answers to selected questions in the book, together with other supporting resources, can be found at the book's companion website. Numerical answers are provided in the book itself.

Written specifically for the EAL Level 2 Diploma in Engineering and Technology, this book covers the three mandatory units on this course: Engineering Environment Awareness, Engineering Techniques, and Engineering Principles. Within each unit, the Learning Outcomes are covered in detail and the book includes activities and test your knowledge sections to check your understanding. At the end of each chapter is a checklist to make sure you have achieved each objective before you move onto the next section. At www.key2engtech.com, you can download answers to selected questions found within the book, as well as reference material and resources to support several other EAL units. This book is a must have for all learners studying for their EAL Level 2 Diploma award in Engineering and Technology and contains all of the essential knowledge you need to complete this course.

UNIT 1
Engineering environmental awareness

CHAPTER 1
Health and safety legislation and regulations

Learning outcomes

When you have completed this chapter you should understand the requirements of an engineering organization in meeting health and safety legislation and regulations, including being able to:

1.1 Move a load using the correct manual handling procedure.

1.2 Identify how current legislation affects the health and safety of employers, employees and the public.

1.3 State the principal provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

1.4 Identify the general safe working practices associated with the operations within an engineering environment.

1.5 Identify the mandatory procedures applicable to the reporting of accidents or injuries within an engineering working environment.

Chapter summary

The ability to work safely in an engineering environment is essential not only for your own comfort and safety but also for the safety of those around you. This chapter will introduce you to the legislation and safety regulations that govern working practices in engineering. As you work through the chapter you will find a number of hands-on activities that will help you appreciate some of the potential hazards that exist in the workplace and the ways in which they can be minimized. Importantly, each of these activities will take you out of the classroom, preparing you for work in a real engineering environment.

Learning outcomes 1.1

Move a load using the correct manual handling procedure

Working in any branch of engineering will, at some point, involve almost every engineer in performing manual tasks, such as moving or lifting equipment, tools and machines. In order to avoid accidents and injuries engineers need to adopt safe working practices and, in many cases, this will involve training in manual handling techniques. For example, lifting a heavy and/or bulky object is a task that most engineers will perform from time to time. When doing this it is important to observe the correct lifting technique which can be instrumental in avoiding back and other muscle injury. The technique is as follows:

a) Position yourself with feet slightly apart facing the object to be lifted and at a comfortable distance from it (about half an arm’s length is usually ideal).

b) Bend your legs and grasp the object at each end with a firm grip (use handles whenever provided).

c) Keeping your back straight, unbend your legs slowly and evenly, raising the object to the desired height.

Figure 1.1 Correct technique for lifting a heavy or bulky object.

Figure 1.2 Incorrect technique for lifting a heavy or bulky object.

Figures 1.1 and 1.2 illustrate the correct and incorrect technique. When placing a heavy load on a table, bench or other work surface it is essential to ensure that the object can be adequately supported and that it will not slip or fall.

With some objects (e.g. those that are heavy, slippery or have sharp edges) it is essential to use protective clothing such as overalls, gloves and safety boots or shoes. In addition, hard hats are obligatory wherever overhead work is being carried out and when work is underground or on a construction site.

Key point

Correct manual handling is essential. When lifting heavy and bulky objects the straight back, bent legs technique should be used.

Test your knowledge 1.1

What part of the body is most likely to be injured using the incorrect lifting technique shown in Figure 1.2 and why does the technique shown in Figure 1.1 minimize this risk?

Activity 1.1

Make an eye-catching poster that can be displayed in your workshop, explaining the importance of using the correct manual handling technique.

Learning outcome 1.2

Identify how current legislation affects the health and safety of employers, employees and the public

Employees and their employers need to be fully aware of the need for any organization to meet the relevant health and safety legislation and regulations. So, before you get started on developing your engineering skills, it is essential to have an understanding of the statutory regulations and safety rules. Later you will put this knowledge to good use as you begin to practise your skills and experience some real engineering activities.

In the UK the most important health and safety legislation is:

• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

• The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992

• The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992

• The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992

• The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992

• The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998

• The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995

• The Working Time Regulations 1998

• The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.

There’s a lot to take in here so we shall just briefly describe the key aspects of each of these regulations:

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

The duties of employers under these regulations include making ‘assessments of risk’ that might affect the health and safety of employees a...