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Safety When Working On Roofs And Maternity Allowance For Working Women Reading Answers

Safety When Working On Roofs And Maternity Allowance For Working Women Reading Answers with questions, answer key, and explanations to help you practise for the IELTS General Training Reading test.
authorImagePorishmita .17 Jun, 2025

Safety When Working On Roofs And Maternity Allowance For Working Women Reading Answers

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

Safety When Working On Roofs And Maternity Allowance For Working Women Reading Answers Passage 

You should spend about 10 minutes on questions 1-14, which are based on Reading Passage below.

Safety When Working On Roofs

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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Safety When Working On Roofs And Maternity Allowance For Working Women Reading Answers Sample Questions

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.

  1. The need to reassess risks when changes occur

  2. Types of work for which ladders are suitable

  3. A suggestion to avoid the danger at the initial planning stages

  4. 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

  1. Most injuries on construction sites happen on commercial high-rise buildings.

  2. Regular inspections of ladders are required to maintain safety.

  3. WorkSafe New Zealand reports that all falls from roofs happen above three metres.

  4. Temporary work platforms are always more effective than edge protection.

  5. 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.

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Safety When Working On Roofs And Maternity Allowance For Working Women Reading Answers with Explanations 

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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Safety When Working On Roofs And Maternity Allowance For Working Women Reading Answers FAQs

Why is roof work considered dangerous in construction?

Roof work is particularly dangerous because falls from height are common, especially from ladders and roofs. Over 50% of such falls occur from under three metres, often resulting in serious injuries or fatalities.

What is the first step before starting any roof-related work?

The first step is to conduct a hazard assessment to identify potential dangers. This ensures appropriate safety measures and equipment are put in place before work begins.

How can the risk of falling from a roof be reduced?

Risk can be reduced by eliminating the hazard at the planning stage, using edge protection like scaffolding, or using temporary work platforms and safety nets if elimination isn't possible.

Are ladders considered safe for prolonged roof work?

No, ladders should only be used for short-duration tasks such as small maintenance jobs. Workers must also be trained in proper ladder use, and ladders must be regularly inspected.

When should hazard identification be repeated during a project?

Hazard identification must be repeated periodically or when conditions change—for example, due to changes in weather or the number of staff on-site.
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