White Card practice test

10 free sample questions

1. WHS law, duties and your rights

   Which law sets out the main work health and safety duties on a NSW construction site?

   1. Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
   2. Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)
   3. National Construction Code (Building Code of Australia)
   4. Home Building Act 1989 (NSW)
   Show answer

   A. Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)

   NSW adopted the model WHS laws: the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) and the WHS Regulation 2017 (NSW). The other laws deal with employment conditions and building standards, not day-to-day safety duties.

   Source: CPCWHS1001 Element 1: health and safety legislative requirements

2. Construction hazards and risk control

   What is the difference between a hazard and a risk?

   1. A hazard can cause harm; a risk is how likely and how severe that harm is
   2. They mean the same thing
   3. A risk is a physical object; a hazard is a feeling
   4. A hazard only exists after someone has been injured; before that it is a risk
   Show answer

   A. A hazard can cause harm; a risk is how likely and how severe that harm is

   An unguarded edge is a hazard. The risk is how likely someone is to fall and how badly they would be hurt. Controls aim to remove the hazard or reduce the risk.

   Source: Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks

3. Consultation, reporting and site documents

   What is a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS)?

   1. A document that identifies the high risk construction work, its hazards and the control measures that will be used, prepared before the work starts
   2. A timesheet for each trade
   3. The architect's drawings
   4. A list of workers' phone numbers
   Show answer

   A. A document that identifies the high risk construction work, its hazards and the control measures that will be used, prepared before the work starts

   A SWMS is required for every kind of high risk construction work. It must be followed, be readily available on site, and be reviewed if it stops being effective or the work changes.

   Source: WHS Regulation 2017, reg 299–303

4. Safety signs and tags

   A 'DANGER' sign (white text in a red oval on a black panel) is used for which situations?

   1. Hazardous conditions that are likely to be life-threatening, such as live electrical parts or an unprotected excavation
   2. Minor hazards such as a wet floor
   3. Places where PPE is optional
   4. Smoking areas
   Show answer

   A. Hazardous conditions that are likely to be life-threatening, such as live electrical parts or an unprotected excavation

   Danger signs are the strongest warning. A yellow-and-black warning sign is for hazards not likely to be life-threatening.

   Source: AS 1319 Safety signs for the occupational environment

5. Personal protective equipment

   Where does PPE sit in the hierarchy of control?

   1. At the bottom: it is the last line of defence, used when higher controls can't fully remove the risk
   2. At the top: it is the first control to use, because it can be put in place quickly and cheaply on any site
   3. It is not part of the hierarchy
   4. Equal to elimination
   Show answer

   A. At the bottom: it is the last line of defence, used when higher controls can't fully remove the risk

   PPE does not remove the hazard; it only reduces harm to the wearer if it is the right type, fits, is worn correctly and is maintained. Use it together with higher controls.

   Source: WHS Regulation 2017, reg 36

6. Incidents, first aid and emergencies

   Which number do you call for police, fire or ambulance in Australia?

   1. 000
   2. 911
   3. 999
   4. 131 444
   Show answer

   A. 000

   Triple Zero (000) is the national emergency number. 112 also works from mobiles. Know the site address and the nearest access gate before you call, and send someone to meet the ambulance.

   Source: CPCWHS1001 Element 4: incident and emergency response procedures

7. WHS law, duties and your rights

   Who is the work health and safety regulator in New South Wales?

   1. SafeWork NSW
   2. Safe Work Australia
   3. NSW Fair Trading
   4. WorkCover Queensland
   Show answer

   A. SafeWork NSW

   SafeWork NSW is the state regulator that inspects sites, issues notices and prosecutes. Safe Work Australia is the national policy body that writes the model laws and codes; it does not inspect sites.

   Source: CPCWHS1001 Element 1: health and safety legislative requirements

8. Construction hazards and risk control

   What are the four steps of the risk management process, in order?

   1. Identify hazards, assess risks, control risks, review controls
   2. Control risks, identify hazards, report, forget
   3. Assess risks, buy PPE, identify hazards, review
   4. Review controls, identify hazards, assess risks, control risks
   Show answer

   A. Identify hazards, assess risks, control risks, review controls

   Find what could cause harm, work out how likely and how serious it is, put the most effective practical control in place, then check the control keeps working.

   Source: Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks

9. Consultation, reporting and site documents

   Work is not being done in accordance with the SWMS. What must happen?

   1. The work must stop immediately (or as soon as it is safe) and only resume once it follows the SWMS or the SWMS has been revised
   2. The work carries on as planned, and the supervisor is told before the end of the shift and updates the SWMS next week
   3. Nothing, as long as nobody has been hurt
   4. The SWMS should be thrown away
   Show answer

   A. The work must stop immediately (or as soon as it is safe) and only resume once it follows the SWMS or the SWMS has been revised

   The PCBU must stop the work and not let it resume until it complies. Workers should know the SWMS for their task and speak up when conditions change.

   Source: WHS Regulation 2017, reg 300(2)

10. Safety signs and tags

    On a diamond-shaped dangerous goods label, what does a red diamond with a flame symbol mean?

    1. Flammable: keep away from heat, sparks and flames
    2. Corrosive: can burn skin and eat through metal
    3. Toxic: poisonous if swallowed, breathed in or touched
    4. Explosive: keep away from heat, shocks and friction
    Show answer

    A. Flammable: keep away from heat, sparks and flames

    Dangerous goods class diamonds identify the main hazard: red for flammable, yellow for oxidising, white skull for toxic, black-and-white for corrosive, orange for explosive. GHS pictograms on chemical labels use similar symbols in a red-bordered diamond.

    Source: Australian Dangerous Goods Code; GHS labelling under WHS Regulation Part 7.1

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Official links

• White cards — SafeWork NSW
• Code of Practice: Construction work
• What the unit covers (CPCWHS1001)
• Get a white card — Service NSW
• Check a white card online
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