HS&E Operatives practice question: Duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (3 of 7)
A. Working environment A free question from our original HS&E Operatives practice exam. Try it, then open the answer to see why each option is right or wrong.
A fire door keeps swinging shut while a colleague carries materials through it. To stop this, they prop the door open with a fire extinguisher taken from the nearby fire point.
What is wrong with this?
Choose one answer.
AA. Nothing, as long as the extinguisher goes back before the shift ends
BB. It only matters if the fire marshal sees it
CC. Only the extinguisher is a problem; a wooden wedge would be fine
DD. It misuses safety equipment, which nobody is allowed to do
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: D
A. Wrong: Wrong. A fire can start at any time. While the extinguisher is holding the door open, it is not where people expect to find it, and the door is not doing its job.
B. Wrong: Wrong. The duty not to misuse safety equipment applies all the time, whoever is watching. It is a legal duty on every person at work.
C. Wrong: Wrong. A fire door is there to stop fire and smoke spreading, so it must not be wedged open with anything. HSE says work must not interfere with fire separation in a building.
D. Right: Right. Section 8 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act says nobody may interfere with or misuse anything provided for health and safety. It also leaves the fire point without its extinguisher.
Explanation
Never misuse or interfere with equipment provided for safety, such as fire extinguishers or fire doors. If a fire door gets in the way of your work, tell your supervisor so a safe way of working can be found.