Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, what is a worker's main legal duty?

Take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others affected by their work, and co-operate with their employer

Provide their own personal protective equipment

Carry out risk assessments for the whole site

Report only injuries that need hospital treatment

What is the main purpose of a toolbox talk?

To give a short, focused briefing on the health and safety risks of a specific task

To record who is on site that day

Which welfare facilities must an employer normally provide on a construction site?

Toilets, washing facilities, drinking water and somewhere to rest and eat

A gym and a canteen serving hot meals

Nothing; workers arrange their own

Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, what is the first thing you should try to do about work at height?

Avoid working at height where it is reasonably practicable to do so

You have to work near a fragile roof containing rooflights. What is the safe approach?

Use crawling boards or staging and treat all rooflights as fragile, never standing on them

Walk carefully across the rooflights

Jump across the fragile sections

Run across quickly to reduce your weight on it

Before lifting a heavy or awkward load, the safest first step is to:

Assess the load and think about using a mechanical aid or getting help

Lift quickly before anyone notices

Carry it in one trip no matter how heavy

Under COSHH, what should you do before you start using a hazardous substance?

Check the COSHH assessment and safety data sheet, and use the control measures and RPE specified

Open all the containers to see what they smell like

Mix it with other chemicals to test it

Cutting, grinding or drilling concrete, stone or brick creates dust that can cause serious lung disease. This dust is:

Respirable crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis and should be controlled with water suppression or on-tool extraction and RPE

Before carrying out hot works such as welding or grinding, you should:

Have a hot works permit, remove or protect nearby combustibles, keep a suitable extinguisher to hand and keep watch afterwards

Just start and hope for the best

Work next to flammable liquids to save moving them

Where does personal protective equipment (PPE) sit in the ways of controlling a risk?

It is the last line of defence, used after other controls have reduced the risk as far as possible

It is always the first and only control needed

It removes the hazard completely

CSCS Health, Safety & Environment Test Practice Test

Frequently asked questions

How many CSCS Health, Safety & Environment Test practice questions are here?+

A full bank of original CSCS Health, Safety & Environment Test practice questions across the official content areas, weighted like the real exam, with explanations. Free, no signup.

What is the CSCS Health, Safety & Environment Test exam like?+

About 50 questions, 45 minutes, and you need 45 out of 50 (operatives test)% to pass. Practice by topic here, then take the full timed mock exam to gauge readiness.

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No. Every question is 100% original, written from public primary sources with explanations. We never copy real exam questions or paid prep material.

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PrepPass practice is in English, 中文 and Español. The official exam is in English — switch the question language to English any time to rehearse the exact terminology you'll see on test day.

Sample practice questions

A few real questions from this free bank, with full explanations. Use the practice tool above for the whole set.

1. General Responsibilities & Law
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, what is a worker's main legal duty?
- a.Take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others affected by their work, and co-operate with their employer
- b.Provide their own personal protective equipment
- c.Carry out risk assessments for the whole site
- d.Report only injuries that need hospital treatment
Answer: a
Explanation: The Act (section 7) requires every worker to take reasonable care for their own safety and that of others affected by their acts or omissions, and to co-operate with the employer. Providing PPE and carrying out site-wide risk assessments are employer duties.
2. General Responsibilities & Law
What is the main purpose of a toolbox talk?
- a.To record who is on site that day
- b.To replace the site induction
- c.To give a short, focused briefing on the health and safety risks of a specific task
- d.To hand out wages
Answer: c
Explanation: A toolbox talk is a short briefing that highlights the specific hazards and controls for a task or activity. It supplements, but does not replace, the site induction.
3. Health & Welfare
Which welfare facilities must an employer normally provide on a construction site?
- a.Only a car park
- b.Toilets, washing facilities, drinking water and somewhere to rest and eat
- c.A gym and a canteen serving hot meals
- d.Nothing; workers arrange their own
Answer: b
Explanation: Basic welfare includes clean toilets, hot and cold washing facilities, a supply of drinking water, and a heated area to rest, warm up and eat. These are legal requirements, not optional extras.
4. Working at Height
Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, what is the first thing you should try to do about work at height?
- a.Avoid working at height where it is reasonably practicable to do so
- b.Issue everyone with a harness
- c.Work as fast as possible
- d.Use a ladder for every task
Answer: a
Explanation: The regulations set a hierarchy: first avoid work at height where possible; if not, prevent falls using guard rails or a safe platform; and only then minimise the distance and consequences of a fall.
5. Working at Height
You have to work near a fragile roof containing rooflights. What is the safe approach?
- a.Walk carefully across the rooflights
- b.Jump across the fragile sections
- c.Use crawling boards or staging and treat all rooflights as fragile, never standing on them
- d.Run across quickly to reduce your weight on it
Answer: c
Explanation: Falls through fragile roofs and rooflights are a major killer. Use crawling boards, staging or proper platforms, install covers or guard rails, and never stand or walk directly on a fragile surface.
6. Manual Handling & Equipment
Before lifting a heavy or awkward load, the safest first step is to:
- a.Lift quickly before anyone notices
- b.Assess the load and think about using a mechanical aid or getting help
- c.Carry it in one trip no matter how heavy
- d.Throw it to the next person
Answer: b
Explanation: The first control for manual handling is to avoid or reduce the lift: assess the weight and size, use trolleys, hoists or team lifting, and break the load down where possible.
7. Hazardous Substances (COSHH)
Under COSHH, what should you do before you start using a hazardous substance?
- a.Check the COSHH assessment and safety data sheet, and use the control measures and RPE specified
- b.Open all the containers to see what they smell like
- c.Mix it with other chemicals to test it
- d.Nothing special is needed
Answer: a
Explanation: The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations require a COSHH assessment. Read it and the safety data sheet, use the stated controls (ventilation, extraction, RPE) and follow storage and disposal rules.
8. Hazardous Substances (COSHH)
Cutting, grinding or drilling concrete, stone or brick creates dust that can cause serious lung disease. This dust is:
- a.Harmless once it settles
- b.Only a problem outdoors
- c.Respirable crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis and should be controlled with water suppression or on-tool extraction and RPE
- d.Good for your health
Answer: c
Explanation: Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is released when cutting or grinding masonry and can cause silicosis and other lung diseases. Control it by cutting with water suppression or on-tool dust extraction and by wearing suitable respiratory protection.
9. Fire & Emergencies
Before carrying out hot works such as welding or grinding, you should:
- a.Just start and hope for the best
- b.Have a hot works permit, remove or protect nearby combustibles, keep a suitable extinguisher to hand and keep watch afterwards
- c.Work next to flammable liquids to save moving them
- d.Disable the fire alarm
Answer: b
Explanation: Hot works are a common cause of site fires. A permit-to-work system, clearing or protecting combustible material, having an extinguisher ready and a fire watch after finishing all reduce the risk of a delayed fire.
10. Safety Signs & PPE
Where does personal protective equipment (PPE) sit in the ways of controlling a risk?
- a.It is the last line of defence, used after other controls have reduced the risk as far as possible
- b.It is always the first and only control needed
- c.It removes the hazard completely
- d.It is optional decoration
Answer: a
Explanation: PPE is the last resort in the hierarchy of control. Hazards should first be eliminated or reduced at source; PPE such as hard hats, boots and eye protection then protects against the remaining risk and only works if worn correctly.