NVQ Bricklaying Level 2: Does It Cover Health and Safety?
In the construction industry, bricklaying is a technical craft that requires precision, physical endurance, and, most importantly, a rigorous commitment to site safety. For many working in the trade, the NVQ Bricklaying Level 2 is the benchmark for professional status. But does it cover health and safety?
Health and safety is not just an “extra” module in the NVQ; it’s the very foundation of the qualification. You can’t achieve your qualification without proving that you’re a safe worker. This guide will explore how the NVQ embeds these critical standards into every aspect of the bricklaying trade.
The Foundation of Mandatory Safety Units
Every NVQ is built upon a set of mandatory units that every candidate needs to pass. These units ensure that regardless of your technical skill, you have the foundational knowledge to work on a modern construction site without endangering yourself or others.
The core units specifically dedicated to health and safety include:
- Conforming to General Health, Safety, and Welfare: This unit covers site inductions, fire safety, and emergency procedures. It ensures you understand your legal responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
- Conforming to Productive Working Practices: While this sounds like a technical unit, its focus is on organising your workspace to be efficient and safe, reducing clutter and preventing accidents before they happen.
- Moving, Handling, and Storing Resources: Bricklaying is physically demanding. This unit assesses your manual handling techniques, and your ability to store heavy materials like bricks, mortar, and lintels safely.
Practical Application of Health and Safety in the Workplace
One of the defining features of the NVQ is that it’s a work-based qualification. This means you aren’t just sitting in a classroom reading about safety; you’re demonstrating it every day on-site. Your remote assessor will look for evidence that you’re putting theory into practice.
Common safety practices assessed during the NVQ include:
- Correct PPE Usage: Showing that you consistently wear your hard hat, steel-toe boots, high-visibility vest, and safety goggles when required.
- Working at Height: As a bricklayer, you’ll often work on scaffolding. The NVQ assesses your ability to inspect access equipment and work safely at various heights.
- Dust and Chemical Control: You must prove you understand the risks of silica dust from cutting bricks and the alkaline burns associated with wet mortar, including the correct use of masks and gloves.
Hazard Identification and Risk Management During the NVQ Bricklaying Level 2
Beyond just following rules, Level 2 ensures that you’re proactive. A key part of the assessment involves proving you can identify hazards on a live site. Whether it’s an uneven floor surface, a trailing cable, or an unstable stack of pallets, you must show that you can spot these risks and take the correct action to mitigate them.
Your portfolio will likely include “Witness Testimonies” from your supervisor, confirming that you regularly follow site safety instructions and contribute to a safe working culture.
Conclusion (NVQ Bricklaying Level 2: Does It Cover Health and Safety?)
Health and safety is woven into the fabric of the entire NVQ. From the mandatory units you study to the remote observations conducted by your assessor, safety is prioritised at every turn.
If you still have any questions regarding the NVQ, then do not hesitate to get in touch.
Phone – 020 3488 4472
