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Asbestos and handling ductwork questions for the Ductwork (DUCT) specialist test

5 free questions on Asbestos and handling ductwork, from section E. Specialist: HVACR – ductwork. Every question is original and explains why each option is right or wrong.

Last verified against HSE guidance and the law ·How we write our questions

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Question 1

Medium ·Link to this question (question 1)

You need to drill fixings into old steelwork with a sprayed coating, in a 1980s building.

What should you do?

Choose one answer.

  1. A. Stop and check for asbestos
  2. B. Drill quickly to limit the dust
  3. C. Wet the coating down and carry on drilling slowly
  4. D. Carry on, as coatings never hold asbestos
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A

  • A. Right: Right. HSE lists sprayed coatings on structural steelwork as a place asbestos may be found. If you think a material may contain asbestos, stop work.
  • B. Wrong: Wrong. Stop and check first.
  • C. Wrong: Wrong. Stop and check first.
  • D. Wrong: Wrong. Sprayed coatings can hold asbestos.

Explanation

Sprayed coatings on old steelwork may contain asbestos. Stop and check before drilling.

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Question 2

Easier ·Link to this question (question 2)

A new starter asks how they would know if they were breathing asbestos fibres.

What does HSE say?

Choose one answer.

  1. A. They look like white smoke
  2. B. You can't see, smell or feel them
  3. C. They make you cough and sneeze straight away
  4. D. They smell of burning plastic
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B

  • A. Wrong: Wrong. You can't see them.
  • B. Right: Right. HSE says asbestos fibres are invisible and you can't smell or feel them.
  • C. Wrong: Wrong. You can't feel them.
  • D. Wrong: Wrong. You can't smell them.

Explanation

Asbestos fibres can't be seen, smelt or felt, so check before you disturb materials.

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Question 3

Medium ·Link to this question (question 3)

You will be fitting new ductwork in an older factory.

What should your employer ask to see before work starts?

Choose one answer.

  1. A. Only the staff rota
  2. B. Nothing, as factories are always surveyed every year by law
  3. C. The asbestos register and management plan
  4. D. The factory's sales figures for the year
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C

  • A. Wrong: Wrong. Ask to see the asbestos register and plan.
  • B. Wrong: Wrong. Ask to see the register and plan.
  • C. Right: Right. HSE says employers should ask to see the asbestos management plan, including the register and site plans, before work starts.
  • D. Wrong: Wrong. Ask to see the asbestos register and plan.

Explanation

Before work in older buildings, check the asbestos register and management plan.

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Question 4

Medium ·Link to this question (question 4)

A worker asks how serious asbestos diseases are.

What does HSE say?

Choose one answer.

  1. A. They clear up in a week
  2. B. They are only a skin rash
  3. C. They only affect people who smoke heavily
  4. D. They are serious and incurable
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D

  • A. Wrong: Wrong. They are incurable.
  • B. Wrong: Wrong. They affect the lungs.
  • C. Wrong: Wrong. Anyone exposed can be affected.
  • D. Right: Right. HSE says breathing asbestos fibres can cause serious, incurable diseases: mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. They take a long time to develop.

Explanation

Asbestos diseases are serious, incurable, and take years to appear.

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Question 5

Medium ·Link to this question (question 5)

You are carrying long lengths of rectangular ductwork through a building.

What is good handling technique?

Choose one answer.

  1. A. Keep the load close to your waist
  2. B. Carry it above your head to see where you're going
  3. C. Twist round corners while carrying it
  4. D. Hold it at arm's length to avoid sharp edges
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A

  • A. Right: Right. HSE says keep the load close to the waist for as long as possible while lifting. Get help with awkward loads.
  • B. Wrong: Wrong. Keep the load close to the waist.
  • C. Wrong: Wrong. Avoid twisting.
  • D. Wrong: Wrong. Keep it close and wear gloves.

Explanation

Keep loads close to your waist, avoid twisting, and get help with long or awkward sections.

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