
Safety When Working On Roofs And Maternity Allowance For Working Women Reading Answers: In the IELTS General Training Reading section, candidates may encounter passages related to workplace safety guidelines and employment policies. One such passage is "Safety When Working On Roofs and Maternity Allowance for Working Women", which presents two distinct yet practical topics commonly found in real-world workplace documents. The first part focuses on essential precautions and regulations to prevent accidents while working at heights. The second part outlines important information regarding financial support for working women during maternity. Understanding these types of texts helps test-takers improve their ability to locate specific information, follow instructions, and interpret formal language—all key skills for success in the IELTS exam.
Free IELTS Reading Practice Tests
You should spend about 10 minutes on questions 1-14, which are based on Reading Passage below.
A. A fall from height is the most serious hazard associated with roof work. Preventing falls from roofs is a priority for WorkSafe New Zealand. Investigations by WorkSafe into falls that occur while working at height show that more than 50 percent of falls are from under three meters, and most of these are from ladders and roofs. The cost of these falls is estimated to be $24 million a year – to say nothing of the human costs that result from these falls. More injuries happen on residential building sites than in any other workplace in the construction sector.
B. In order to prevent such injuries, a hazard assessment should be carried out for all work on roofs to assess potential dangers. It is essential that the hazards are identified before the work starts, and that the necessary equipment, appropriate precautions, and systems of work are provided and implemented. Hazard identification should be repeated periodically or when there is a change in conditions, for example, the weather or the number of staff onsite.
C. The first thing to be considered is whether it is possible to eliminate this hazard completely so that workers are not exposed to the danger of falling. This can sometimes be done at the design, construction planning, and tendering stages. If the possibility of a failure cannot be eliminated, some form of edge protection should be used to prevent workers from falling. It may be possible to use the existing scaffolding as edge protection. If this is not practicable, then temporary work platforms should be used. In cases where such protection is not possible, then steps should be taken to minimize the likelihood of any harm resulting. This means considering the use of safety nets and other similar systems to make it less likely that injury will be caused if a fall does occur.
D. Ladders should only be employed for short-duration maintenance work such as touching up paint. People using ladders should be trained and instructed in the selection and safe use of ladders. There should be an inspection of all ladders on a regular basis to ensure they are safe to use.
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Matching Information (Questions 1–4)
Choose the correct letter, A–D, from the passage for each question.
Write the correct letter next to the questions.
The need to reassess risks when changes occur
Types of work for which ladders are suitable
A suggestion to avoid the danger at the initial planning stages
Details about the economic burden caused by roof-related falls
True / False / Not Given (Questions 5–9)
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?
Write: TRUE – if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE – if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN – if there is no information on this
Most injuries on construction sites happen on commercial high-rise buildings.
Regular inspections of ladders are required to maintain safety.
WorkSafe New Zealand reports that all falls from roofs happen above three metres.
Temporary work platforms are always more effective than edge protection.
Training in ladder safety is recommended for roof workers.
Summary Completion (Questions 10–14)
Complete the summary below using words from the passage.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Before beginning any roof work, it is essential to carry out a (10)_______ to identify possible risks. This process must also be repeated when conditions such as (11)_______ or worker numbers change. If hazards cannot be eliminated, then (12)_______ should be installed to prevent falls. When this is not practical, alternatives like (13)_______ or similar systems should be used to reduce injury. (14)_______ are recommended only for minor jobs and require proper training and supervision.
Answers to Questions 1-14
|
Q. No |
Answer |
Location in Passage |
Reference/Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
B |
Paragraph B |
“Hazard identification should be repeated periodically or when there is a change in conditions…” clearly shows risks must be reassessed with changes. |
|
2 |
D |
Paragraph D |
“Ladders should only be employed for short-duration maintenance work such as touching up paint.” specifies the purpose of ladder use. |
|
3 |
C |
Paragraph C |
“This can sometimes be done at the design, construction planning, and tendering stages.” refers to early-stage elimination of hazard. |
|
4 |
A |
Paragraph A |
“The cost of these falls is estimated to be $24 million a year…” mentions economic burden of falls. |
|
5 |
FALSE |
Paragraph A |
“More injuries happen on residential building sites than in any other workplace…” contradicts the statement. |
|
6 |
TRUE |
Paragraph D |
“There should be an inspection of all ladders on a regular basis…” confirms regular checks are needed. |
|
7 |
FALSE |
Paragraph A |
“More than 50 percent of falls are from under three meters…” contradicts the idea that all are above 3m. |
|
8 |
NOT GIVEN |
— |
There is no direct comparison made between temporary platforms and edge protection in terms of effectiveness. |
|
9 |
TRUE |
Paragraph D |
“People using ladders should be trained and instructed…” clearly supports the need for ladder training. |
|
10 |
hazard assessment |
Paragraph B |
“A hazard assessment should be carried out…” matches exactly. |
|
11 |
weather |
Paragraph B |
“…when there is a change in conditions, for example, the weather…” confirms one such condition. |
|
12 |
edge protection |
Paragraph C |
“some form of edge protection should be used…” is stated clearly. |
|
13 |
safety nets |
Paragraph C |
“This means considering the use of safety nets and other similar systems…” gives the alternative. |
|
14 |
Ladders |
Paragraph D |
“Ladders should only be employed for short-duration maintenance work…” gives the word and restriction. |
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