FOL01_Risks at work
In this unit you will learn the construction terms and risks related to this topic, as well as you will learn how you can avoid them or, at least, reduce them.
Before starting unit 1 you should review some terms and definitions.
ENGLISH NAME
Working
DEFINITION

Building conditions, facilities and conditions: equipment

Work management

Environmental conditions
Industrial Risk: Any job aspect able to cause a harm
Risk Factors: They can be classified in five groups:

Safety conditions

Physical risks

Chemical and biological contaminants

Workload

Work management
Prevention:
Protection:
An action that pretends to asses any risks in order to avoid them or reduce them
It tries to reduce injuries when a risk can not be avoided or reduced by applying some measures to the employees
TRANSLATION

Condicions dels edificis, equipaments i instal·lacions
 Organització del treball

Condicions mediambientals
Qualsevol aspecte que puga causar un dany
Poden classificar-se els factors de risc en 5 grups:

Condicions de seguretat
 Riscos físics
 Químics i biològics
 Càrrega de treball
 Organització del treball
Qualsevol acció que preten avaluar ell risco per tal d’eliminar-los o reduir-los
Trata de refuir el dany quan u n risc no s’ha pogut eliminar o reduiractuant sobre el treballador

What is a workplace? Discuss it in pairs.
A workplace is a place where a worker stays in order to develop his/her tasks, following his/her boss orders. It can be in a closed or in an opened place, outdoors or indoors as well as inside a vehicle.
It is known that every kind of job modifies natural conditions and this is a risk.
HIGHLIGHTS
Remember:
An Industrial risk is any working aspect able to harm health in physical or psychological terms
A risk factor is any element that origins a risk.
FOL01_Risks at work / Unit 1 1

This unit is divided in two parts:

Working conditions and risk factors

Machines & equipment and risk factors
In the following link, you can see a video where some unsafe and risk situations are shown. The worker’s name is Napo.
Napo and working conditions

What are working conditions as risk factors?
Let’s review a definition written in the Royal Decree RD 486/1997 about safety working conditions. It establishes some measures regarding construction elements as well as having suitable environmental conditions.
Here you have some measures established by the Royal Decree RD 486/97:
Element
Establishment
Minimum safety measures
3m from ground to the roof, excepting shops and offices that can be 2.5m.
2 m 2 working outdoors
Ground
Grades
Railings
It must be fix, without grades and no slippery floor.
They must be protected by railings
They must be 90 cm high
Circulation ways
Doors
Corridor
Evacuation routes
There must be a separation between the vehicle and the person
80 cm wide
1m wide
They must be clear, free from obstacles
Here you have some measures about suitable environmental measures:
Environmental Element Minimum safety measures
Temperature:

Sedentary jobs

Workplace illumination
Humidity:

General:

Establishments with electricity risk
Speed of wind

No hot temperature jobs

Sedentary hot temperature jobs

No sedentary hot temperature jobs
It must be between:
 17ºC-27ºC
 14ºC-25ºC
It must be:

Between 30%-70%

50% minimum
It must be:

0.25 m/s

0.5 m/s
 0.75 m/s
FOL01_Risks at work / Unit 1 2

There are other risks such as: falls from the same level, falls from different levels, those because of electrical installation, and those due to using machines and equipment.
TO KNOW MORE
If you are interested in any other working conditions, see the complete Royal Decree text RD
486/97 about safety working conditions.
RD 486/97
HIGHLIGHTS
A clear and ordered planning helps you to:

Reduce costs

Reduce accidents
First of all, let’s difference between a machine and an equipment. Some samples are:
 Increase production

What machines and equipment do you use in a factory? List as many as you remember.
Here you have some samples of machines or equipment used in industry:
Machines Equipment
Lathe
Press
Torn
Premsa
Hammer
Saw
Milling machines
Calibrator
Fresadora
Calibradora
Screwdriver
Circular saw
Martell
Serra
Tornavís
Radial

Have you ever had an accident using one of these machines? What happened? Explain it to your partner.
And now let’s see what injuries these machines and equipment can cause and how we can avoid some accidents in the workplace.
Accidents caused by the misuse of some machines and equipment:

Cuts

Amputations
 Hits

Electrical shocks

Fire, etc..
FOL01_Risks at work / Unit 1 3

Preventive measures:

Make sure the machine is in good condition.

Use collective protective equipment correctly.

Use personal protective equipment (PPE) correctly: helmet/hard hat, protective gloves, etc…

Write down any risks.

Employees should sign to acknowledge receipt of PPE as well as having been instructed
 and trained on when and how to wear such equipment.
Inform the employee about a working situation that could cause a serious and immediate danger .
TO KNOW MORE
If you are interested in any other safety signs and warnings, see the complete Royal Decree text of RD 485/97 about safety signs.
RD 485/97
To start working on the construction terms seen above, you should do the following tasks:
TASK 1. Safety equipment
Before watching a video about risks at work , let’s check if you know the following vocabulary related to some protective and safety elements.
Work in pairs. Click on the following link, look up the words in the dictionary and then complete the table below:
Dictionary
English name
Helmet/ Hard hat
Gloves
Harness
Security Net
Different level falls
Being knocked out
Bump into an object
Thermal stress
Catalan name
Casc
FOL01_Risks at work / Unit 1 4

TASK 2: Risk situations with NAPO
Now, watch a video called Napo. It is about risk situations in the workplace. Napo is a nonexperimented worker who works in an unsafe workplace.
Click on the following link and identify at least three risk situations and how we can avoid the possible consequences. Complete the table as in the example:
Napo and the construction risks
Risk situation
Different level falls
Consequences
Broken limbs, death
TASK 3: Machines and equipment risk factors
How to avoid it
Working under a safety net
Do you know the difference between a machine and equipment? Discuss it in pairs.
Let’s check if you can distinguish between machines and equipment. Have a look at the following words and make sure you understand the meaning. You can use a dictionary to look them up.
Hammer
Screwdriver
Saw
Press
Lathe Circular saw
Calibrator milling machines
Now classify the terms in the right column:
Machines
Press
Equipment
Hammer
TASK 4. Law Revision activity
Click on the following link and have a look at the annex of the Royal Decree RD 486/97.
Match the terms in column A with the ones in column B in order to describe the safety conditions.
RD 486/97
A
Glass doors:
Ramp length:
Free volume:
Hand stairs:
B
- Can be painted
- 2 m 3
- Blow resistance
- minimum 7 m long
- 11% inclination
- Can never be painted
FOL01_Risks at work / Unit 1 5

TASK 5. Reading a news article on an accident in a workplace
Click on the link below and read the news article about a work accident that took place in
Alicante related to a construction worker who died. Then answer the following questions:
El Pais

What was the accident main factor?
 How could it be prevented?
FOL01_Risks at work / Unit 1 6