TheorySMSTS Study Guide
Study for the SMSTS with exam topics, practice questions, a free PDF, video walkthrough and timed mock exam links.
How to study for SMSTS
- Read the topic list so you know what the exam is likely to cover.
- Answer the free practice questions and read every explanation.
- Download the PDF for offline review.
- Use timed mock exams when your untimed practice feels comfortable.
Topics to review
- Work health & safety law and duty of care
- Spotting site hazards and controlling risk
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Emergency procedures and incident reporting
Try SMSTS questions now
Q1You are managing a live construction site when a subcontractor begins hot works without a permit being issued, stating it is a routine task. What is the most appropriate action under health and safety legislation?
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✓ Correct answer: Stop the work immediately and ensure a permit-to-work system is followed
Hot works present significant fire risk and must be controlled through a permit-to-work system. The site manager has a legal duty to ensure safe systems of work are followed before allowing such activities. Why the other options are incorrect: • Allow the task to continue if a fire extinguisher is nearby: Fire-fighting equipment alone does not control ignition risks. • Permit the work provided it is completed quickly: Speed of work does not reduce fire risk. • Rely on the subcontractor’s insurance arrangements: Insurance does not remove the duty to prevent harm. • Ask the operative to carry out a dynamic risk assessment only: Dynamic assessment alone is insufficient for high-risk activities.
Q2You observe operatives working at height without proper edge protection because the task will only take a few minutes. What is the most appropriate response?
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✓ Correct answer: Stop the task and ensure suitable collective protection is installed
The Work at Height Regulations require risks to be avoided or controlled regardless of task duration. Collective protection must be prioritised, and unsafe work stopped immediately. Why the other options are incorrect: • Allow the work to continue due to its short duration: Duration does not reduce the legal requirement to manage fall risks. • Permit the work if operatives are wearing harnesses without anchor points: Harnesses without suitable anchorage do not provide effective protection. • Instruct operatives to proceed carefully: Care alone is not a control measure recognised by legislation. • Record the issue and discuss it at the next toolbox talk: Delaying action leaves workers exposed to immediate risk.
Q3You are the site manager on a refurbishment project. A subcontractor begins cutting concrete internally, generating significant dust. They state that operatives are wearing disposable masks so work can continue. As the manager, what is the most appropriate action under health and safety legislation?
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✓ Correct answer: Stop the work and ensure suitable control measures are implemented in line with COSHH before allowing it to continue
Under COSHH and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, exposure to hazardous substances such as respirable silica must be prevented or adequately controlled. The site manager has a duty to stop unsafe work and ensure suitable controls (e.g. extraction, wet cutting, appropriate RPE) are in place before work continues. Why the other options are incorrect: • Allow the work to continue as long as operatives are wearing any form of respiratory protection: Generic masks may be inadequate and do not remove the duty to properly assess and control exposure. • Ask the subcontractor to complete a method statement after the work has finished: Risk assessments and controls must be in place before work starts, not retrospectively. • Reduce the number of operatives in the area to limit exposure: Reducing numbers does not adequately control hazardous dust exposure. • Rely on the subcontractor to manage the risk as they are the employer: The principal contractor retains overall responsibility for site safety and cannot delegate it entirely.
Q4As a site manager, you are informed that a worker has a medical condition that could affect their safety while operating plant. How should you apply health and safety law?
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✓ Correct answer: Review suitability of the task and ensure reasonable controls are in place
Health and safety law requires risks to be assessed and managed while also considering equality and reasonable adjustments. The manager must ensure work remains safe. Why the other options are incorrect: • Remove the worker from site immediately without assessment: Immediate removal without assessment may be unreasonable and inappropriate. • Ignore the issue as it is a personal matter: Personal matters still become relevant if they affect site safety. • Allow the worker to decide whether they are fit to operate plant: Fitness for work cannot be left solely to individual judgement. • Only act if an incident occurs: Waiting for an incident breaches proactive legal duties.
Q5You identify poor housekeeping creating trip hazards across access routes. What action best aligns with legal requirements?
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✓ Correct answer: Stop work in the affected areas until housekeeping standards are restored
Health and safety law requires workplaces to be maintained in a safe condition. Poor housekeeping presents foreseeable risk and must be addressed immediately. Why the other options are incorrect: • Warn operatives to take extra care: Warnings alone do not remove physical hazards. • Address the issue at the next site meeting: Delaying action prolongs exposure to risk. • Rely on individuals to manage their own safety: Individuals cannot control site-wide hazards alone. • Allow work to continue to avoid delay: Programme pressures do not justify unsafe conditions.
Q6You are reviewing lifting operations planned by a subcontractor. The lift plan is generic and does not reflect site-specific constraints. What is the correct action?
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✓ Correct answer: Require the lift plan to be revised to reflect site-specific risks before approval
Health and safety law requires risks to be assessed in relation to the actual work environment. Generic plans do not adequately address site-specific hazards. Why the other options are incorrect: • Approve the plan as it meets minimum requirements: Minimum standards may still be insufficient for the site. • Allow the lift under additional supervision: Supervision cannot replace proper planning. • Proceed with the lift at a quieter time of day: Timing alone does not control lifting risks. • Accept the plan if it has been used on previous sites: Previous use does not guarantee suitability.
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