Unit 201 – Engineering Revision Guide

Q1Health & Safety Legislation & Work Equipment Regulations

4 marks✓▼

Question

An example of Health and Safety legislation is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

a) State TWO other pieces of Health and Safety legislation that affect engineering workplaces. (2 marks)

b) State TWO duties that an employer has under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. (2 marks)

Total: 4 marks

Part a — any 2 pieces of legislation

✓ Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations

✓ Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulations

✓ Manual Handling Operations Regulations

✓ Reporting of Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)

✓ Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER)

✓ Electricity at Work Regulations

Part b — employer duties, any 2

✓ Carry out and record risk assessments for all significant hazards in the workplace

✓ Provide appropriate health and safety training for all employees

✓ Put arrangements in place for emergencies (e.g. first aid, fire evacuation)

✓ Provide health surveillance where employees are exposed to known health risks

💡 Tip: Learn at least 5 pieces of legislation by full name — the exam only needs 2 but having spares means you can pick your strongest answers.

Q2Employee Health & Safety Responsibilities

4 marks✓▼

Question

Describe TWO health and safety responsibilities that an employee must follow when working in an engineering workshop. For each one, explain why it is important.

4 marks — 2 per responsibility: 1 mark for what, 1 mark for why

Any 2 — must include WHAT and WHY for full marks

✓ Wear appropriate PPE — protects against injury from hazards such as flying debris, chemicals or loud noise

✓ Only carry out tasks you are trained and authorised to do — reduces risk of accidents from incorrect use of equipment

✓ Report hazards or near-misses to a supervisor — allows action to be taken before someone is harmed

✓ Not interfere with or remove machine guards — guards prevent contact with dangerous moving parts

✓ Follow safe working procedures — ensures tasks are carried out in a controlled, safe manner

💡 Tip: "Describe" means WHAT + WHY. "Wear PPE" alone is only 1 mark. Always finish with "to protect against…" or "because…"

Q3Safe Working Practices & Workspace Reinstatement

4 marks✓▼

Question

a) Give ONE reason for each of the following safe working practices:
— Wearing hearing protection in a noisy workshop
— Keeping walkways and floor areas free from obstructions

b) State TWO actions that should be carried out to make a work area safe after completing a task on a lathe. (2 marks)

2 + 2 marks

Part a

✓ Hearing protection — to prevent noise-induced hearing damage or loss from prolonged exposure to loud machinery

✓ Clear walkways — to prevent slips, trips and falls which could cause injury to workers or passing colleagues

Part b — reinstating a lathe work area, any 2

✓ Remove and store cutting tools safely in the correct tool holder/rack

✓ Clean away swarf/metal chips using a brush (not bare hands) and dispose of safely

✓ Wipe down the machine bed and remove oil/coolant residue

✓ Isolate the machine from the electrical supply

Q4Fire Safety & The Fire Triangle

2 marks✓▼

Question

One element of the fire triangle is a fuel source. Name the other TWO elements. For ONE of them, explain how removing it is used to extinguish a fire in engineering workplaces.

2 marks

✓ Heat and Oxygen (both required for 1 mark)

✓ Removing oxygen — CO₂ extinguisher smothers the fire, cutting off its oxygen supply so it cannot continue burning

✓ Removing heat — water cools the burning material below its ignition temperature, stopping combustion

💡 Extinguisher types: Water = Class A (paper/wood). CO₂ = electrical/Class B. Foam = flammable liquids. Powder = general. Never use water on electrical fires!

Q5Safety Signs — Colours & Meaning

4 marks✓▼

Question

a) State what each of the following colours means on a safety sign:
— Green (1 mark)
— Blue (1 mark)

b) A sign shows a green rectangle containing a white running figure and an arrow. Describe the meaning of this sign and state what type of sign it is. (2 marks)

2 + 2 marks

Part a — colours

✓ Green = safe condition / emergency escape route / first aid information

✓ Blue = mandatory — something that MUST be done (e.g. wear PPE)

Part b — green rectangle with running figure

✓ It is a safe condition sign — it indicates the direction of the emergency exit / escape route

✓ It means the emergency exit or fire escape is in the direction the arrow is pointing

Type	Shape	Colour	Meaning
Mandatory	Circle	Blue/white	Must do this
Prohibition	Circle + red bar	Red/white	Must NOT do this
Warning	Triangle	Yellow/black	Hazard present
Safe condition	Rectangle	Green/white	Safety info / exit
Fire fighting	Rectangle	Red/white	Fire equipment location

Q6Risk Assessment Process

4 marks✓▼

Question

A new angle grinder is being introduced to the workshop. Describe the steps involved in carrying out a risk assessment for its use.

4 marks — 1 mark per step

4 steps — 1 mark each

✓ Identify hazards — identify all potential hazards of using the grinder (e.g. flying sparks, disc shattering, noise, vibration)

✓ Assess the risk — evaluate the likelihood of harm and the potential severity of injury for each hazard identified

✓ Identify who is at risk — consider how many people could be affected (operator, nearby workers)

✓ Implement control measures — put controls in place to reduce risks (e.g. guards, PPE, safe work procedures, training)

💡 Tip: Cover all 4 stages — Identify → Likelihood/Severity → Who is affected → Controls. Missing a stage costs you marks.

Q7Engineering Sectors & Products

2 marks✓▼

Question

State TWO products that are produced by the automotive sector of the engineering industry.

2 marks

✓ Cars / passenger vehicles

✓ Trucks / lorries / vans / commercial vehicles

✓ Motorcycles

✓ Engines / gearboxes / automotive components

💡 Know your sectors: Aerospace (aircraft, satellites, spacecraft) · Automotive (cars, trucks) · Marine (ships, submarines) · Electronics (circuit boards) · Construction (cranes, structural steel)

Q8Organisational Structures

4 marks✓▼

Question

A manufacturing company is choosing between a product-oriented structure and a functional structure. Describe ONE advantage and ONE disadvantage of using a functional organisational structure in an engineering business.

4 marks — 2 marks each (statement + explanation)

Advantage of functional structure

✓ Equipment is shared across multiple products, so capital investment is lower and equipment utilisation is higher

✓ Workers develop deep specialist skills within their functional department

Disadvantage of functional structure

✓ Products must travel between different departments, which increases lead times compared to product-oriented structures

✓ Communication between departments can be slower, making it harder to respond quickly to problems

💡 Remember: Product-oriented = dedicated cells per product (fast, but needs more equipment). Functional = shared specialist areas (cheaper to set up, but slower throughput).

Q9Engineering Business Departments

4 marks✓▼

Question

Describe the purpose of each of the following areas of an engineering business:

a) The stores / procurement department (2 marks)
b) The production planning department (2 marks)

4 marks total

Part a — Stores / Procurement

✓ To order and manage the supply of materials, components and tooling needed for production

✓ To ensure the right materials are available at the right time so production is not delayed

Part b — Production Planning

✓ To schedule and organise the sequence of manufacturing operations

✓ To ensure products are made on time and that machines, people and materials are used efficiently

Q10Market Pull & Technology Push

2 marks✓▼

Question

A company develops a lightweight carbon fibre helmet after advances in composite materials make it possible — even though no specific demand for it existed at the time.

State whether this is an example of market pull or technology push, and justify your answer.

2 marks

✓ This is technology push

✓ Because the product was developed as a result of an advance in material technology, not in response to existing customer demand

💡 Key difference: Market pull = customers asked for it first. Technology push = new technology made it possible, then the market was found.

Q11Formal vs Informal Communication

2 marks✓▼

Question

Give ONE example of formal communication and ONE example of informal communication that might occur in an engineering business. For each, state why that form is appropriate in that situation.

2 marks

Formal example

✓ Written incident report / safety memo — appropriate because it creates a permanent record and follows official documented channels

✓ A formal appraisal meeting — follows set procedures and must be documented for HR records

Informal example

✓ A verbal conversation on the shop floor — quick and direct, appropriate for day-to-day coordination between colleagues

✓ A message in a team chat — fast and informal, suitable for quick updates between team members

Q12Engineering Documentation

2 marks✓▼

Question

A machinist is about to manufacture a batch of components. State TWO documents they would use during production and explain what information each one provides.

2 marks

✓ Engineering drawing — provides the dimensions, tolerances, material and surface finish requirements for the component

✓ Job card / route card — gives the order of operations and instructions for how the component should be made

✓ Bill of materials — lists all materials and components required to produce the item

Q13Engineering Hand Tools

6 marks✓▼

Question

Complete the table below by giving the purpose of each tool and a typical application. A screwdriver example has been given.

Tools to complete: File · Combination square · Centre punch

6 marks — 1 mark for purpose, 1 mark for application, per tool

Tool	Purpose	Typical application
File	Removing material from metal by abrasion; smoothing and shaping surfaces	Removing sharp burrs from the edge of a drilled hole
Combination square	Measuring and marking 90° and 45° angles; checking squareness of faces	Marking a shoulder line at 90° to the edge before cutting to length
Centre punch	Creating a small indentation to accurately locate the point of a drill bit	Marking a drill hole centre before drilling to stop the bit from wandering

💡 Tip: For tool questions always state WHAT it does AND a specific WHERE/WHEN it is used — both are needed to get both marks per tool.

Q14Marking Out a Component

6 marks✓▼

Question

Figure 1 shows a rectangular steel plate (300 mm × 200 mm). A circular hole of 60 mm diameter needs to be drilled at the centre of the plate. Two smaller 10 mm holes are required 50 mm either side of the centre, along the horizontal centreline.

Describe how this part should be marked out, naming all the marking out tools required.

6 marks

Process — 1 mark per valid point, up to 6

✓ Apply engineer's blue / marking fluid to the plate surface to make scribed lines clearly visible

✓ Select a corner as the datum; use an engineering rule to measure 150 mm across and 100 mm down to locate the plate centre

✓ Use an engineer's square and scriber to draw horizontal and vertical centrelines through the centre point

✓ Set engineering dividers to 30 mm (radius) and scribe the 60 mm diameter circle centred on the datum point

✓ Use an engineering rule to measure 50 mm either side of centre along the horizontal line and mark the two small hole positions with a scriber

✓ Use a centre punch and hammer to indent all three hole centres before drilling

Tool	Used for
Engineering rule	Measuring from the datum
Engineer's square	Drawing perpendicular centrelines
Scriber	Marking lines on the metal surface
Engineering dividers	Scribing the 60 mm circle
Centre punch	Marking drill centres before drilling

Q15Dial Test Indicator (DTI)

2 marks✓▼

Question

A machinist needs to check that a shaft is running true in a lathe chuck. Describe how a dial test indicator (DTI) would be used to do this, and state what a varying needle reading would indicate.

2 marks

✓ Hold the DTI plunger against the surface of the shaft and rotate the shaft (or chuck) slowly by hand

✓ Any movement of the needle shows the shaft is not running true — the amount of deflection indicates the degree of eccentricity / run-out

Q16Precision Measuring Instruments

2 marks✓▼

Question

State TWO different measurements that could be taken using a micrometer, and explain why a micrometer would be preferred over a steel rule for these measurements.

2 marks

Measurements (any 2)

✓ The outside diameter of a turned shaft or cylindrical component

✓ The thickness of sheet metal or a flat machined component

✓ The width of a machined slot or step feature

Why micrometer over steel rule

✓ A micrometer resolves to 0.01 mm (or 0.001 mm with a vernier), which is necessary when close tolerances must be verified — a steel rule only measures to approximately ±0.5 mm

Q17Sources of Engineering Information

6 marks✓▼

Question

Complete the table below by stating a different document or source where each type of engineering information could typically be found. The first row has been completed as an example.

Information types: Surface finish requirements · Machining sequence · Materials and stock sizes · Safe limits for a machine · Approved inspection methods

6 marks — 1 mark per correct source

Type of information	Where it can be sourced
Surface finish requirements	Engineering drawing / product specification
Machining sequence / order of operations	Route card / job card / production plan
Materials and stock sizes needed	Bill of materials / stores requisition
Safe operating limits for a machine	Machine manual / operator instructions / COSHH sheet
Approved inspection methods	Quality plan / national or company standards / inspection procedure

Q18Joining Methods

4 marks✓▼

Question

Two aluminium sheets need to be permanently joined together. Describe how this could be done using pop rivets (blind rivets), giving all the key steps in the process.

4 marks — 1 mark per step

Key steps — 1 mark each

✓ The two sheets are positioned on top of each other and aligned correctly

✓ A hole is drilled through both sheets slightly larger than the rivet shank diameter

✓ The pop rivet is inserted through the hole from the accessible side using a rivet gun

✓ The rivet gun pulls the mandrel, which expands the rivet tail on the blind side, clamping the sheets tightly together; the mandrel then snaps off

💡 Also know: Solid rivet method — lay sheets together → drill hole → insert rivet → hammer/buck the tail to form a head. Same topic, slightly different process.

Q19Preventing Bolt Loosening

4 marks✓▼

Question

A machine cover is fastened using bolts that are subject to vibration during operation. Describe TWO methods that could be used to prevent the bolts from working loose. For each method, explain how it prevents loosening.

4 marks — 2 per method: 1 for name, 1 for how it works

Any 2 methods with explanation

✓ Nylon insert nut (Nyloc) — the nylon collar grips the bolt thread under compression, creating friction that prevents rotation under vibration

✓ Split / spring washer — the washer bites into the nut and component surfaces, maintaining clamping force and resisting rotation

✓ Thread-locking adhesive (e.g. Loctite) — the adhesive fills thread gaps and cures solid, physically bonding the nut to the bolt thread

✓ Tab / locking washer — after tightening, a tab is bent up against the nut face, mechanically preventing rotation

Q20Quality Assurance & Quality Control

2 marks✓▼

Question

Explain the difference between quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) in an engineering business.

2 marks

✓ Quality assurance (QA) — the systems and procedures put in place to prevent defects from arising during the manufacturing process (proactive)

✓ Quality control (QC) — the inspection and checking of finished or in-progress parts to detect defects before they reach the customer (reactive)

💡 Memory aid: QA = stop it happening. QC = catch it if it does. Both are needed in a quality engineering operation.

Unit 201 Revision Guide

Practice complete — now go ace the real thing.