Hot Topic Highlight - RICS Surveying Safely 2nd Edition

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Property Elite’s sole aim is to build better property professionals - supporting your career every step of the way, whether you are completing a RICS accredited degree course, your RICS APC/AssocRICS or simply seeking engaging CPD. 

This week, we are looking at the new RICS Surveying Safely Guidance Note (2nd Edition).

If you are an RICS APC candidate, be sure to check out our RICS APC support services, including submission reviews, question packs, revision quizzes and e-mock interviews. We've already got candidates signing up to support their Spring 2019 submissions - in our experience, the earlier you seek additional support, the better chance you have of RICS APC success!

If you've been referred this Autumn - don't panic. Check out our referral blog and advice on the new RICS referral guidance, as well as emailing a copy of your referral report to [email protected] for some free advice on what to do next. 

Not sure about signing up? You can read what some of our recent successful candidates have to say here. We work with candidates across all RICS APC pathways, routes to assessment and geographic regions.

If you have been referred or want to discuss your RICS APC, contact us on 07804 642 825 or email [email protected] - we offer every candidate a free & friendly 30 minute RICS APC consultation.

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Why is health & safety important?

Ensuring that you take responsibility for the health & safety of yourself and others under your care is an essential requirement of being a Chartered Surveyor.

You may already be familiar with the tragic story of Suzy Lamplugh, an estate agent who disappeared during the course of her work as an estate agent in 1986. You can read more about what happened on the Suzy Lamplugh Trust website, as well as downloading their guides to keeping yourself safe on site.

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What RICS guidance exists?

RICS Guidance Note, Surveying safely: health and safety principles for property professionals (2nd Edition, November 2018) will replace the 1st Edition from February 2019. 

It is supplemented by the RICS Guidance Note, Health & Safety for Residential Property Managers (1st Edition, January 2018) - you can read our summary of the Guidance Note on our blog.

The new Guidance Note is your best friend when it comes to health & safety. It provides an overview of best practice for surveyors, including corporate and personal responsibilities relating to health & safety. 

We also recommend that you read and understand the requirements of your employer's health & safety policy - as well as being essential to ensuring that you act responsibly and to the highest standards, you may be asked about it during your RICS APC final assessment interview.

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What are the key changes?

The RICS have introduced the ‘safe person’ concept. This is when ‘each individual assumes individual behavioural responsibility for their own, their colleagues’ and others’ health and safety while at work’

There is also a greater emphasis on ensuring the competence of individuals, including their responsibility to ensure the use of safe work equipment and safe systems of work for themselves and others.

Furthermore, RICS Regulated Firms must ensure they provide:

• A safe working environment
• Safe work equipment
• Safe systems of work
• Competent staff

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What is the Health & Safety Act 1974?

This is the key UK legislation relating to health & safety. It is underpinned by various specific regulations.

The Health & Safety Act 1974 places a duty on employers to ensure that that health, safety and wellbeing of employees and other affected persons is not at risk, so far as is reasonably practicable. This includes providing and maintaining equipment, safe systems of work and safe premises.

A key aspect of the Act is that a director or senior manager commits an offence if the company’s breach was committed with their consent, connivance or neglect. 

Breaching the Act is a criminal offence, which can carry an unlimited fine, plus imprisonment up to 2 years. Furthermore, corporate and gross negligence (manslaughter) charges can lead to more severe custodial sentences, whilst directors can be disqualified from acting as a director for up to 15 years.

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What are the corporate requirements?

• Appropriate line management structure to monitor and manage health & safety, i.e. lead from the top with a policy statement
• Clear accountability, policies and procedures
• Risk assessment
• Staff training
• Adequate resources provided
• Insurance in place
• In the event of an accident/incident, a firm must determine the root course and take action to avoid a recurrence, with learning points passed on to key stakeholders
• Firms must take account of time pressures, distractions/interruptions, fatigue, inexperience/lack of knowledge, complacency

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What should company policy and procedures include?

• Providing a safe place of work relating to ventilation, heating, lighting and welfare facilities etc.
• Minimising risks relating to monitors and workstations
• Providing personal Protective Equipment (PPE), e.g. helmets, steel capped shoes, ear defenders, face masks, overalls, torches & batteries
• Manual handling
• First aid
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995
• Safe electrical systems
• Hazardous substances
• Asbestos
• Fire risk assessment
• Working hours
• Health & safety induction
• Driving
• Stress
• Lone working

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What is a risk assessment?

This essentially considers how could a plan of action deviates from your expectations. The RICS define it as carefully examining what in your work could cause harm to people, so that you can judge whether or not you have taken enough precautions to prevent harm.

This requires an understanding of hazards and risks:

• Hazard - something with potential to cause harm
• Risk - likelihood of harm being realised

The basic procedure to undertake a risk assessment is as follows:

• Identify hazards
• Decide who may be harmed and how
• Evaluate risks and decide on precautions
• Record findings and implement 
• Review and update
• Advise all those affected of the outcome of the assessment and methods of work, or other control measures necessary, to minimise or eliminate risk

You will then need to dynamically assess risk on site. This is because the situation on the day may change so you need to ensure that you continue to assess potential risks prior and during your time on site.

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What is the hierarchy of risk control?

• Eliminate - redesign activity or substitute substance so hazard is removed, e.g. use a drone to avoid working at height
• Substitute - replace materials used or proposed work process with less hazardous one, e.g. pre-prepared components rather than cutting on site
• Engineering controls - e.g. use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls, separate hazard from operators by enclosing equipment
• Administrative controls - identify and implement procedures to work safely, e.g. reduce need for lone working, ensuring work undertaken in daylight
• PPE - only if the above measures can be used, e.g. emergency alarms where lone working can’t be avoided

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What are my personal responsibilities?

You have a responsibility for your own health & safety, together with that of anyone under your supervision. This could be colleagues, clients or the general public, for example.

You also have a duty to co-operate with your employer's policies and procedures to minimise the health & safety risks to yourself, colleagues and others potentially affected by actions.

This means that you should, for example:

• Report actual or perceived health & safety breaches in good time
• Carry out a personal risk assessment and report any perceived, potential or actual risks to your employer
• Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Undertake staff training

It is a criminal offence to intentionally or recklessly interfere or misuse anything provided in interests of health & safety - so it is extremely important to take responsibility for your actions and inactions.

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What is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?

PPE is equipment to protect against health & safety risks. For example, helmets, steel capped shoes, ear defenders, face masks, overalls, torches & batteries, safety harnesses and hi vis clothing.

This can protect against the risk of injuries to lungs (inhaling contaminated air), head and feet (falling materials), eyes (air borne particles), skin (from contact with corrosive materials) and the body (from temperature extremes).

PPE should be maintained in good condition by your employer and provided free of charge.

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10 ways to ensure your personal safety on site

• Take a charged mobile and personal alarm
• Plan an escape route
• Implement a call back system with office (e.g. a safe word)
• Make your daily schedule available to colleagues
• Be careful in roof voids and when using ladders
• Park your car close by and keep your keys on you
• Make sure you know who you are meeting
• Follow your gut instinct
• Understand the site rules for construction sites
• Be aware of aggressive occupants and dogs

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10 ways to ensure the safety of your personal property 

• Keep your personal property safe and with you at all times
• Don't leave possessions on view in your car
• Don't leave possessions lying around on site
• Register electronic devises with Immobilise
• Back up your photos and phone numbers
• Keep confidential information safe, e.g. client contact information, bank details
• Use a cross-shredder for personal dated no longer needed
• Remove shoes when entering a property
• Take care of other’s personal items when in confined spaces
• Leave accommodation as you found it

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What else do I need to consider?

Other key health & safety issues include the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, Legionnaires' disease and the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015.

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What is work-related stress?

Work-related stress relates to adverse reactions that individuals may suffer due to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work.

Examples include:

• Demands - this includes issues such as workload, work patterns and the work environment
• Control - how much say the person has in the way they do their work
• Support - this includes the encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the RICS- regulated firm, line management and colleagues
• Relationships - this includes promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour
• Role - whether people understand their role within the RICS-regulated firm and whether the firm ensures that they do not have conflicting roles
• Change - how organisational change (large or small) is managed and communicated in the RICS-regulated firm

As well as the new RICS guidance, the Lionheart website provides some excellent information about work-related stress, mental health and how they help to support surveyors. 

If you are stressed by your APC or have recently been referred, then don’t hesitate to contact us on 07804 642 825 or [email protected]. We offer every candidate a free & friendly 30 minute RICS APC consultation. You might also find our referral bloghelpful.

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What could I be asked in my APC?

• Tell me about how you ensure your health & safety when on site?
• What key changes have been made in the 2nd Edition of RICS Surveying Safely?
• Tell me about how you would undertake a risk assessment before attending site?
• What particular health & safety issues would you consider when inspecting a construction site?
• What particular health & safety issues would you consider when inspecting a vacant building?
• How do you ensure your personal safety when lone working?
• Tell me about how you and your employer ensure safe working conditions when on site?

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Further reading

• Read the new RICS Guidance Note, Surveying safely: health and safety principles for property professionals (2nd Edition, November 2018)
• Read more about PPE
• Read what the NBS have to say about safety during surveys
• Review the Health & Safety Act 1974 legislation
• Read more about safe lone working on the Suzy Lamplugh Trust website
• Read more about Lionheart and their support for surveyors

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How can we help?

• Sign up for a complimentary copy of our Ebook Guide to the APC (UK and MENA editions)/AssocRICS/Senior Professional Route, together with our updated APC Hot Topic Guide - full of even more helpful advice and tips to pass your RICS APC or AssocRICS with flying colours first time
• Sign up for our bespoke support services, such as our final assessment review & feedback service, RICS APC question packs (around 1,000 questions/30 pages based on your submission), e-mock interviews and revision quizzes. Don't forget that we offer some great value discounted packages if you purchase more than one support service!
• If you've been referred this Autumn or have any queries or concerns, just contact us on 07804 642 825 / [email protected]. We offer all candidates a free & friendly 30 minute RICS APC consultation

Not sure about signing up? You can read what some of our recent successful candidates have to say here.

Stay tuned for our next blog post to help build a better you

N.b. nothing in this article constitutes legal or financial advice.