Excavations And Confined Places - CSCS Test Questions

These questions cover the `Excavations and confined places` category of the CSCS test and are very similar to the real test. Prepare for the real CSCS test by answering the questions below.

Core knowledge based question category: Excavations and confined places

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1. You are in a confined space. If the level of oxygen drops:

There is a high risk of fire or explosion
Your hearing could be affected
You could become unconscious
You might get dehydrated

2. You are in a deep trench and start to feel dizzy. What should you do?

Carry on working and hope that the feeling will go away
Sit down in the trench and take a rest
Get out, let your head clear and then go back in again
Make sure that you and any others get out quickly and report it

3. You are working in a confined space when you notice the smell of bad eggs. This smell is a sign of:

Oxygen
Hydrogen Sulphide
Methene
CO2

4. You are working in an excavation. If you see the side supports move, you should:

Do nothing as the sides move all the time
Work in another part of the excavation
Keep watching to see if they move again
Make sure that you and others get out quickly

5. An excavation must be supported if:

It is more than 1.2 m deep
It is more than 5 m deep
There is a risk of the sides falling in
Any buried services cross the excavation

6. You need to walk through sludge at the bottom of a confined space. Which of these is NOT a hazard?

The release of oxygen
The release of toxic gases
Slips and trips
The release of flammable gases

7. Work in a confined space usually needs three safety documents – a risk assessment, a method statement and:

A company health and safety policy
A cost quotation
A written contract for the work
A permit to work/enter

8. What must happen each time a shift starts work in an excavation?

A competent person must inspect the excavation
A supervisor should stay in the excavation for the first hour
A supervisor should watch from the top for the first hour
Someone must go in and sniff the air to see if it is safe

9. You are in a confined space when the gas alarm sounds. You have no respiratory protective equipment ( RPE). What should you do?

Carry on working but do not use electrical tools
Carry on working but take plenty of breaks in the fresh air
Switch off the alarm
Get out of the confined space quickly

10. If there is sludge at the bottom of a confined space, you should:

Put on Wellington boots before you go in
Have the correct respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and training before you go in
Throw something into the sludge to see how deep it is
Go in and the step into the sludge to see how deep it is

11. The main cause of death of people working in a confined space is:

Inadequate emergency rescue plan and equipment in place
The presence of methane gas
Asphyxiation
Too much oxygen

12. What is the main reason for having a person positioned immediately outside a confined space whilst work is taking place inside it?

To get the rescue plan underway in an emergency
To supervise the work taking place inside the confined space
To check compliance with the method statement
To carry out a risk assessment for the work

13. Before work starts in a confined space, how should the air be checked?

Sniffer dogs should be sent in
The air should be tested with a meter
Someone should look around to see if there is toxic gas
The air should be tested with a match to see if it stays alight

14. You are in a deep trench. A lorry backs up to the trench and the engine is left running. What should you do?

Ignore the problem, the lorry will soon drive away
Try to give hand signals to the driver
See if there is a toxic gas meter in the trench
Get out of the trench quickly

15. You are working in a confined space. If the permit to work runs out before you can finish the job, you should:

Carry on working until the job is finished
Hand the permit over to the next shift
Ask your supervisor for a new permit
Carry on working until the job is finished

16.Why is it important that people are trained before they are allowed to go into a confined space?

The conditions inside a confined space may be harmful to health
Confined spaces always contain flammable or explosive gases
Confined spaces are only found on house-building sites
Confined spaces never contain breathable air

17. Which of these is NOT a danger that is associated with confined spaces?

Fire and explosions
Unhygienic surfaces
Liquids and solids
Oxygen deficiency

18. Which of these would NOT be defined as a confined space?

Ductwork
Open-topped chambers
Cold storage rooms
A portable food vendor cart

19. A confined space is defined as:

Having limited way out
Not designed for continuous occupancy
Open space
All of the above

20. If established hazard limits are exceeded you should:

Keep working
Do nothing
Leave space immediately
All of the above

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