ESOL Skills for Life (4692)

Level 1 Sample Test www.cityandguilds.com

May 2015
Version 1.1

Health and Safety

Candidate’s Paper
Reading to obtain information

Candidate Name (First, Middle, Last)

Candidate enrolment number DOB (DDMMYYYY)

Candidate signature

Assessment date Centre number

General information
 The duration of this paper is 1 hour.
 Answer all 40 questions.
 The maximum number of marks is 40.

General instructions
 Read each question carefully.
 Paper dictionaries (bilingual or monolingual) are allowed.
Document 1
Read the text.

Let’s fly the flag for the life-saving health and safety law

The 1974 Health and Safety Act's rules are (0) __________ on
common sense, but they’ve been given a bad reputation by
people (1) __________ think that following every tiny detail is
more important than just being sensible.

Health and safety has come to mean the same (2) __________
the nanny state. It’s seen as producing crazy laws and trying to avoid every possible risk.
And yet the Health and Safety at Work Act, which is more than four decades old, has possibly
saved more lives than any other piece of legislation, including the ban on drink driving and
the compulsory (3) __________ of seat belts in cars. It may have reduced deaths by 5,000 or
more.

So how did such an important event (4) __________ social reform turn into one of the most
ridiculed laws of recent times? Partly it has to do with the way the law is put into practice.
The law is often wrongly blamed for silly restrictions which are made on perfectly innocent
activities. The law was brought in when really awful things happened, to ensure that they
wouldn’t be repeated.

Before the Act was introduced, around 700 workers were dying each year from workplace
accidents and hundreds of thousands were being injured. In 2013 the number of fatalities at
work was down to 148 and non-fatal injuries have dropped by more than 75 per cent. The
reason the Act is important is that it sets out ways to prevent accidents happening rather
than reacting to the death and injuries accidents cause, by which time (5) __________ too
late.

More than forty years on, the Act has achieved what it set out to do, which is to insist upon
high standards of health and safety in places of work. All we need to do now is to apply the
law with (6) __________ common sense that inspired it in the first place.

Choose the correct option (a, b, or c) to complete the text.

The first one has been done for you.

0. Example a) find b) founded c) found

1. a) what b) which c) who

2. a) to b) that c) as

3. a) having b) wearing c) making

4. a) by b) at c) in

5. a) they’re b) it’s c) we’re

6. a) the b) a c) --

ESOL Skills for Life (4692) – Health and Safety – Level 1 Sample – Candidate’s Paper (Reading to obtain information) 2
Answer the questions about Document 1.

7. What is the document?

a. An article.
b. An email.
c. A report.
d. A letter.

8. What is the purpose of the document?

a. To inform.
b. To suggest.
c. To recount.
d. To instruct.

9. Which verb form is mainly used throughout the document?

a. Active.
b. Passive.
c. Imperative.
d. Conditional.

10. There is a break before the final paragraph because of a change in

a. time
b. topic
c. place
d. person.

11. In the context of this document, what does the word ‘nanny’ mean?

a. Caring.
b. Goatlike.
c. Overprotective.
d. Grandmotherly.

12. Why were health and safety laws introduced?

a. To keep standards low.

b. To cover every possible risk.
c. To give us all something to do at work.
d. To ensure bad accidents are not repeated.

ESOL Skills for Life (4692) – Health and Safety – Level 1 Sample – Candidate’s Paper (Reading to obtain information) 3
13. What is the main message of the text?

a. Health and safety laws are ridiculous.

b. The Health and Safety Act is out of date.
c. We should be sensible about health and safety.
d. People are dying because of health and safety laws.

14. Commas have been used in the second paragraph

a. to separate items in a list

b. to break up a long sentence
c. to separate a dependent clause
d. to add extra information to the sentence.

15. What does the image represent?

a. Health and safety laws.

b. Reducing injuries at work.
c. Ridiculed laws over the decades.
d. Important rules to follow at work.

ESOL Skills for Life (4692) – Health and Safety – Level 1 Sample – Candidate’s Paper (Reading to obtain information) 4
Document 2
Read the text.

The housing and homelessness charity

Shelter>Get advice>Rented homes>Health and safety

Eviction Tenancy Housing Health and
Council housing
notices agreements benefits Safety
Health and safety standards for rented homes Other pages in health and
All rented properties must meet certain standards to make safety
them safe and fit to live in. The Housing Health and Safety Gas safety checks
Rating System (HHSRS) is used to assess these standards. Hazards in your home
Electrical safety responsibility
How does the HHSRS work?
Furniture safety standards
If the condition of your home is bad, it could put your health Repairs and home safety
at risk or cause danger to neighbours or the public. The
environmental health department of your local council may
be able to help. Key advice
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)
 Ask your local council to inspect
aims to ensure that your home doesn't have any serious
your home if you are worried about
hazards, and enables a council to take action against
safety
landlords whose properties are dangerous.
 Don’t delay – problems like faulty
The HHSRS assesses faults in your house and how they gas installations can be dangerous
might affect your health and safety. The HHSRS considers  Always report problems in writing
how likely it is that a hazard would occur and how serious and keep records
the outcome would be.
The HHSRS takes lots of different potentially dangerous Get advice in your area
things into account, including:
 dampness, condensation, and mould growth Post code Find
 rats, cockroaches and other vermin infestations
 broken glass, falling plaster or dangerous stairs
 faulty or dangerous gas or electrical installations
 blocked drains or problems with rubbish or sewage Sign up for our weekly
 unacceptable noise levels advice updates
 damaged asbestos Email address Submit

How to deal with hazards in your rented home

You should report any problems to your landlord in writing, and allow a reasonable time for them to be
fixed.
A phone call isn’t sufficient. The time needed will depend on the urgency of the problem. If the landlord
does nothing, you could send another letter, telling your landlord that you will ask your local council's
environmental health department to inspect your home for hazards.

Use our sample letter to write to your landlord.

Use our sample letter to write to the council about repairs and hazards in your home.

Get advice if you are worried that your landlord may try to evict you rather than do the repair work.

About Shelter Get involved Get in touch Follow us online

ESOL Skills for Life (4692) – Health and Safety – Level 1 Sample – Candidate’s Paper (Reading to obtain information) 5
Answer the questions about Document 2.

16. Where would this text be found?

a. On an internet site.
b. On a council leaflet.
c. In an estate agent’s.
d. In a solicitor’s office.

17. Which tab would lead to information about contracts for renting a property?

a. Eviction notices.
b. Council housing.
c. Housing benefits.
d. Tenancy agreements.

18. The word ‘vermin’ means

a. dirty
b. pests
c. smelly
d. insects.

19. According to the text, how should any problems be dealt with?

a. Online.
b. By phone.
c. By email.
d. In writing.

20. What is the purpose of the text?

a. To advise.
b. To describe.
c. To promote.
d. To persuade.

21. What needs to be provided to get local advice?

a. A letter.
b. A post code.
c. An email address.
d. A telephone number.

ESOL Skills for Life (4692) – Health and Safety – Level 1 Sample – Candidate’s Paper (Reading to obtain information) 6
22. Which layout feature is used in the document?

a. Bullet points and links.

b. Numbering and columns.
c. Diagrams and text boxes.
d. Pictures and subheadings.

23. What is the HHSRS?

a. A housing charity.
b. An assessment tool.
c. A council department.
d. An acceptable property.

ESOL Skills for Life (4692) – Health and Safety – Level 1 Sample – Candidate’s Paper (Reading to obtain information) 7
Document 3
Read the text.

Council reduces slip accidents amongst catering staff

A council was having problems with people slipping. Over
a four year period, 317 slip incidents had been recorded,
26 of which resulted in employees receiving a major injury
or being off work for over three days. As well as the
personal impact on employees from having an injury at
work, the council had to find staff to cover absences.
They also had to find money to cover the ever increasing
personal injury claims submitted. In excess of £20,000
was paid out just to settle five claims.

The council looked at the risk assessment to see what could be done. The review
revealed that PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) in the form of protective non-slip
footwear for all at-risk staff might be the answer.

Before making any purchases, the council researched different types of anti-slip
footwear. As a result, a non-slip overshoe was found and given to 50 catering staff
who worked in a number of different kitchens with a variety of floor surfaces. The trial
lasted for two months. During this time, none of the employees who wore the
overshoes slipped.

The feedback from the staff was very positive. The shoes were comfortable and
easy to wear. One staff member said, ‘You don’t know you’ve got them on.’ All the
staff agreed that they could not imagine working in the kitchen without them.

After the successful trial, the council made it mandatory for all staff to wear the
overshoes at work. The council distributed the overshoes at a total cost of £18,000.
In the six months following their introduction, there were no reported slip incidents,
the first time since the recording of slips began eight years previously.

The council was pleased to make such significant improvements in managing slip risk
in their kitchens.

To see more case studies go online to www.h&s.co.uk

ESOL Skills for Life (4692) – Health and Safety – Level 1 Sample – Candidate’s Paper (Reading to obtain information) 8
Answer the questions about Document 3.

24. This text can be found in a

a. workplace incident log

b. work instruction manual
c. health and safety magazine
d. catalogue of safety footwear.

25. What is the purpose of the text?

a. To review.
b. To instruct.
c. To describe.
d. To entertain.

26. How many people did the council have to pay because of their injuries?

a. Three.
b. Five.
c. 26.
d. 317.

27. Initially, how many employees were given the safety shoes?

a. All employees on council premises.

b. Fifty employees who worked in kitchens.
c. Twenty-six employees across the council.
d. Employees in situations where they might slip.

28. What did the staff think of the protective shoes?

a. They didn’t want to work without them.

b. They didn’t know they were wearing them.
c. They didn’t think the shoes were comfortable.
d. They didn’t want to wear them in the kitchen.

29. The word ‘mandatory’ in the text means

a. low-cost
b. optional
c. voluntary
d. required.

ESOL Skills for Life (4692) – Health and Safety – Level 1 Sample – Candidate’s Paper (Reading to obtain information) 9
30. What is the case study about?

a. Recording slip incidents.

b. Reducing accident risks.
c. Getting injured at work.
d. Paying out for claims.

31. What does the image represent?

a. This is a slippery surface.

b. Non-slip footwear works.
c. A reportable incident.
d. Slipping can be fun.

ESOL Skills for Life (4692) – Health and Safety – Level 1 Sample – Candidate’s Paper (Reading to obtain information) 10
Document 4
Read the text.

Four of the worst public health nightmares in Shedfield this month!

Could this have been Britain's worst pub kitchen? Inspectors found nearly 200 items of
spoiled food at the Horse and Carriage in Dunby Lane.

Environmental health officials immediately closed the pub after discovering a vast amount of
out-of-date ingredients. Work surfaces and utensils were smothered in thick grease and
floors were covered with old bits of food. The three fridges were covered in mould and
contained dozens of dirty food containers. The kitchen did not even have any hot running
water which meant that staff could not wash up or clean their hands properly.

The discovery was made after a surprise inspection by environmental health officers from
the council. In total, 190 items of "mouldy, slimy or old foodstuffs" were found at the
scene.
The owner of the pub, James Tribeca, pleaded guilty to 23 food and hygiene offences at the
Magistrate’s Court. He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay another £1,000 towards the
council's costs.

In another case, a pizza takeaway, Pizza House, was closed for a week after hygiene
inspectors discovered a cockroach infestation. The grim discovery was found in the
Gladstow Street shop, during a visit on October 14 following complaints made to the council
by a customer.

Food safety investigators witnessed live cockroaches scurrying through the kitchen and
Pizza House was ordered to close immediately until the kitchen was safe again. Enterprises
Limited, which is responsible for operating the takeaway, was made to pay more than £890
in legal costs following a hearing at the Magistrates’ Court.

In a separate case heard the same day Cheeky Grill, which is owned by the same company,
were fined after inspectors witnessed raw chicken juices dripping into uncovered sauce
containers. The kebab and burger restaurant, in High Street was found to have no hot
water, mouldy food, cigarette butts on the floor and mouse droppings in cupboards. They
were ordered to pay a £2,000 fine, a £120 victim surcharge, along with the council’s legal
fees – bringing the combined penalty to £3098.

The final case last month was Shedfield Sweets, a sweets factory on Broadway Drive which
was selling hazardous sweets called Super Chewies. The sweets contained a banned gelling
agent which can pose a choking hazard. The gelling agent is available in many other
countries but has been banned in the UK for eight years following a choking incident. The
factory was closed so that further sweets could be tested and all remaining Super Chewies
were destroyed. They were ordered to pay a £604 fine to cover the council’s legal fees.

If you need to report a health or safety concern, please do not hesitate to contact the
council on 08333 222 111
Email us here at Shedfield News to make a comment: health&safety@shednews.co.uk
Do you have photos of any public kitchen ‘nightmares’? Upload them on our webpage
www.shednews.co.uk

ESOL Skills for Life (4692) – Health and Safety – Level 1 Sample – Candidate’s Paper (Reading to obtain information) 11
Answer the questions about Document 4.

32. What is the document?

a. A court diary.
b. A safety leaflet.
c. A newspaper article.
d. An inspector’s report.

33. What is the purpose of the text?

a. To inform.
b. To discuss.
c. To persuade.
d. To instruct.

34. The food found in the pub kitchen was

a. sour
b. oily
c. fresh
d. rotten.

35. In the context of the document, the word ‘slimy’ means

a. wet and slippery

b. offensive and rude
c. dirty and disgusting
d. sly and untrustworthy.

36. Who runs Pizza House?

a. Cheeky Grill.
b. The local council.
c. Shedfield Sweets.
d. Enterprises Limited.

37. Why was Shedfield Sweets closed?

a. A customer choked.
b. The factory was destroyed.
c. For using an illegal substance.
d. Its ingredients were from other countries.

ESOL Skills for Life (4692) – Health and Safety – Level 1 Sample – Candidate’s Paper (Reading to obtain information) 12
38. Which location had a problem with rodents?

a. Pizza House.
b. Cheeky Grill.
c. Shedfield Sweets.
d. The Horse and Carriage.

39. What should the reader do to make a complaint about a public health situation?

a. Send an email.
b. Upload a photo.
c. Make a comment.
d. Phone the council.

40. Which two locations had only cold water in the kitchen?

a. Shedfield Sweets and Pizza House.

b. Pizza House and Cheeky Grill.
c. Cheeky Grill and The Horse and Carriage.
d. The Horse and Carriage and Shedfield Sweets.

Remember to check your work.

ESOL Skills for Life (4692) – Health and Safety – Level 1 Sample – Candidate’s Paper (Reading to obtain information) 13
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ESOL Skills for Life (4692) – Health and Safety – Level 1 Sample – Candidate’s Paper (Reading to obtain information) 14