Workplace Health and Safety & How to Manage Flexible Working – IELTS Reading Answers

The General Reading passage on Workplace Health and Safety & How to Manage Flexible Working serves as a valuable resource for IELTS Reading test preparation. Both provide insight into the passage types and questions, aiding in familiarizing yourself with question formats and difficulty levels through the Workplace Health and Safety & How to Manage Flexible Working IELTS Reading Answer.
The question types in this Reading Passage include:

• IELTS Table Completion (Q. 1-6)
• IELTS Note Completion (Q. 7-13)

For more IELTS Reading practice, take more IELTS reading practice tests.

Reading Passage 1

Workplace Health and Safety Considerations For Plumbers

A. Like many trades, plumbing can be a dangerous job. It is important to take all reasonably practicable measures to keep customers and yourself incident and injury-free.

B. Biohazard waste

Plumbers regularly come into contact with biohazard waste. It’s the nature of the job, but that doesn’t mean you should be complacent about it. According to Safe Work Australia, communicable diseases from work-related exposures to biological hazards such as sewage have been estimated to cause 320,000 deaths across the globe each year. In addition to this, plumbers are regularly exposed to other biohazards such as mold, bacteria, and algae. Don’t risk it – make sure appropriate clothing and equipment are used.

C. Confined spaces

Plumbers may spend much of their time working in confined spaces, where they are at risk from contaminants, including airborne gases, vapors, and dust, that may cause injury from fire or explosion. They may also be exposed to high concentrations of airborne contaminants that may be harmful to health. For example, one plumber was fined $220,000 after an employee suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. Another potential hazard for plumbers in confined spaces is that of drowning if water sources are not adequately cut off.

The Safe Work Australia confined spaces code of practice outlines the necessary steps and precautions for avoiding illness and injury.

D. Electricity

The Master Plumbers’ Association calls electricity ‘plumbing’s hidden killer’. Metal pipes are often conductive so gloves that provide insulation should form part of a plumber’s tool kit, as should a plumbing voltage monitor and a volt tester. Gloves should be checked prior to every use and replaced every 12 to 14 months. Electrical equipment like bridging conductors should be regularly checked, with appropriate tags on the equipment to verify its safety. The project should be stopped immediately if there is any sign of electricity so that the power can be disconnected by a qualified electrician prior to continuing work.

Questions 1-6

Reading Passage 2

How to Manage Flexible Working With Your Employees

A. There is no denying that flexible working has grown enormously in recent years. It does, however, require careful management.

B. When it comes to implementing flexible working one word is key: trust. All flexible workers should be trusted and given well-defined objectives from the start and their contribution should be assessed according to their output, as opposed to the time they spend on the job. It can be a big step to implement such as change in your business, so if you are slightly cautious then I recommend perhaps setting up an end-of-the-day review to see how much progress has been made. As all parties find their feet with the new set-up, this contact can slowly be reduced.

C. In my eyes, it is also vital that there is shared calendar access for everyone so that people can see where their colleagues are each day. This way if they need to catch up with someone they can plan when to do so. Technology now exists to enable employees to stay in touch with other members of staff and external partners. iMeet, for example, is a tool that allows all forms of collaboration for remote working, from video conferencing, live chat, and file sharing to screen sharing. The new breed of worker is therefore fully equipped to work productively away from the office, and can still feel like they’re in the same room as others when necessary.

D. In my experience, employees are often more productive working at home as they can work the exact hours they want and do not have to cope with distractions caused by other employees. Being outside the confines of the office walls also appears to foster creativity. In addition, we find staff are more motivated as they have a better work-life balance. In terms of the business, we find this helps with top talent recruitment and staff retention, and a happy workforce is a more successful one.

Questions 7-13

Flexible working

How to organize flexible working

• trust your employees
• provide them with clear 7 ………………………..
• base measurements of performance on their output
• initially, have a 8 ……………………….. of progress each day
• make sure a 9 ……………………….. is accessible to give details of colleague locations.
• use a program such as iMeet to encourage different types of 10 ……………………….. between workers

Benefits of flexibility

• greater productivity
• less 11 ……………………….. from colleagues
• increase in 12 ………………………..
• more motivated staff
• greater success for the company with staff recruitment and 13 ………………………..

Answers For Workplace Health and Safety & How to Manage Flexible Working IELTS Reading Answers with Location and Explanations

Check out the answer key for this IELTS General Reading passage on Workplace Health and Safety & How to Manage Flexible Working!

1. Answer: Sewage

Question Type: Table Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer Explanation: The answer ‘sewage’ is found in paragraph B where it states that plumbers regularly come into contact with biohazard waste including sewage.

2. Answer: Poisoning

Question Type: Table Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph C

Answer Explanation: The answer ‘poisoning’ is found in paragraph C where it mentions a plumber was fined after an employee suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning.

3. Answer: Drowning

Question Type: Table Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph C

Answer Explanation: The answer ‘drowning’ is stated in paragraph C which mentions the hazard for plumbers in confined spaces of drowning if water sources are not adequately cut off.

4. Answer: Gloves

Question Type: Table Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph D

Answer Explanation: The answer ‘gloves’ is found in paragraph D which states that insulated gloves should be part of a plumber’s toolkit to provide protection from electricity.

5. Answer: Tags

Question Type: Table Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph D

Answer Explanation: The answer ‘tags’ is located in paragraph D which mentions that tags should be on electrical equipment to verify its safety.

6. Answer: Disconnected

Question Type: Table Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph D

Answer Explanation: The answer ‘disconnected’ is stated in paragraph D which says the project should be stopped immediately so electricity can be disconnected by a qualified electrician.

7. Answer: Objectives

Question Type: Note Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer Explanation: The answer ‘objectives’ is found in paragraph B which states flexible workers should be given well-defined objectives.

8. Answer: Review

Question Type: Note Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph B

Answer Explanation: The answer ‘review’ is located in paragraph B which recommends setting up an end-of-day review to monitor progress with flexible working.

9. Answer: Calendar

Question Type: Note Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph C

Answer Explanation: The answer ‘calendar’ is in paragraph C which states there should be shared calendar access so people can see colleague locations.

10. Answer: Collaboration

Question Type: Note Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph C

Answer Explanation: The answer ‘collaboration’ is found in paragraph C which mentions a tool called iMeet that allows all forms of collaboration for remote working.

11. Answer: Distraction

Question Type: Note Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph D

Answer Explanation: The answer ‘distraction’ is stated in paragraph D which says employees are more productive at home as they don’t have distractions from colleagues.

12. Answer: Creativity

Question Type: Note Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph D

Answer Explanation: The answer ‘creativity’ is located in paragraph D which states working outside the office appears to foster creativity.

13. Answer: Retention

Question Type: Note Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph D

Answer Explanation: The answer ‘retention’ is found in paragraph D which mentions greater staff recruitment and retention as a benefit of flexible working.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in Workplace Health and Safety & How to Manage Flexible Working Reading Answers

Now let’s get started with the IELTS exam preparation tips for each question type. It’ll help you understand how to approach the problem.

Table Completion

The IELTS Reading test often includes table completion questions where you have to fill gaps in a table using words taken directly from the reading passage.

• Read the instructions carefully: make sure you know how many words can be used to complete the table.

• Scan the table: It is to get an overview before reading the passage – look for keywords that might match information in the passage.

• Locating: Locate the relevant part of the text that matches the table information.

• Pay attention to synonyms – the words in the passage may be paraphrased from the words in the table.

• Double-check Your Answers: Check your answers fit grammatically into the table text before confirming. Don’t leave any boxes blank if you can avoid it.

Note Completion

It requires you to complete a set of notes, summaries, or sentences with information from the passage. Here are five tips to help you excel in this question type:

• Skim the notes: Before you begin reading the passage, quickly skim through the notes or sentences that need to be completed. Pay attention to keywords and the structure of the notes. This will give you an idea of what to look for in the text.

• Read the passage actively: As you read the passage, actively search for information that matches the content of the notes. Look for keywords, phrases, and concepts that align with what’s missing in the notes. Underline or highlight relevant parts of the text.

• Use the context: Pay close attention to the context of the passage and the surrounding information. This context can provide valuable clues to help you fill in the missing parts of the notes. Understand the flow of the text to ensure your answers make sense in the given context.

• Paraphrasing is key: The passage may not always use the same wording as the notes. Be on the lookout for synonyms, paraphrases, or similar expressions that convey the same meaning. The ability to recognize and interpret paraphrased information is crucial in this question type.

• Be concise and clear: When completing the notes, make your answers clear and concise. Avoid unnecessary details or lengthy sentences. Keep in mind that the notes are typically shorter and more focused than the original text. Ensure that your answers fit the format and structure of the notes provided.

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