NEBOSH National General Certificate

CHAPTER 3 – ORGANISING

Practice Question #1
Outline the factors that will determine the level of supervision that a new employee
should receive during their initial period of employment within an organisation.

EXAMINER’S ANSWER GUIDE – December 2006 #10

A number of factors can determine the initial level of supervision that that should be given
to someone starting work in an organisation, such as:

 The age of the employee;

 His/her experience of work in general and of the task to be performed in

particular;

 The nature and complexity of the task and its inherent risks;

 The persons skills and qualification for the work;

 His/her attitude and aptitude;

 The systems of work and any specific safety requirements applying to the task;
and

 The employees’ communication skills and any special need h/she may have.

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CHAPTER 3 – ORGANISING

Practice Question #2
(a) Explain the meaning of the term ‘competent person’

(b) Outline the organizational factors that may cause a person to work unsafely even
though they are competent.

EXAMINER’S ANSWER GUIDE – March 2004 #3

(a) To be considered as a ‘competent person’ a person would need to possess
knowledge based on appropriate, qualifications and training, the skills, experience
and personal qualities to apply the knowledge in a given situation, and
importantly, a clear recognition of his/her limitations.

(b) Organizational factors that may cause a person to work unsafely even though they
are competent are:-

 Management of peer group pressure

 A poor safety culture in the organisation

 A lack of resources or equipment

 A lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities

 Inadequate supervision

 Poor working conditions

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CHAPTER 3 – ORGANISING

Practice Question #12

a) Giving a practical example, explain the meaning of the term ‘human error’

b) Outline individual (or personal) factors that may contribute to human errors
occurring in the workplace.

EXAMINER’S ANSWER GUIDE – December 2002 #2

a) A “human error” is an action or decision that was not intended, which involved a
deviation from an accepted standard and which led to an undesirable outcome.
N.B: Human errors can be classified into three categories, i.e.

Slips – these are failures to carry out the correct actions of a task or an action taken to
early or to late within a given working procedure e.g. the use of the incorrect switch or
reading the wrong dial or selecting the incorrect component for assembly.

Lapses – these are failures to carry out particular actions which may form part of a
work procedure e.g. a forklift truck driver leaving the keys in the ignition, or failure to
replace the petrol cap on a car after filling it with petrol.

Mistakes – these occur when an incorrect action takes place but the person involved
believes that the action is correct.

b) The individual factors that may contribute to human errors at work include :
 Attitude and aptitude

 Motivation – lack of motivation

 Training – low skills and competence levels

 Age or past experience

 Perception of risk

 Physical capabilities/disabilities

 Sensory defects – hearing or sight loss

 Fatigue and the effects of drugs

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CHAPTER 3 – ORGANISING

Practice Question #13

Outline the practical methods a line manager could use to influence the health and safety
standards in the workplace. (8)

EXAMINER’S ANSWER GUIDE – June 2008 #10

Practical methods that can be used.

 Leading by example.

 Encouraging involvement by employees in risk assessments and the development

of safe systems of work.

 Investigating accidents and incidents and being seen to take the necessary remedial
action after the investigation.

 Setting up procedures for regular consultation with the workforce or their

representative.

 Monitoring standards of compliance with safe systems of work on a regular basis.

 Providing instruction and information to and arranging for the training of the team
supporting active involvement of employees or their representative in safety
committee meetings.

 Recognising and rewarding efforts made by employees to comply with and even to
improve health and safety standards at the workplace but on the contrary being
prepared to take disciplinary action where there has been a blatant disregard of
agreed standards.

NEBOSH National General Certificate

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Practice Question #19

Outline FOUR advantages and FOUR disadvantages of using ‘propaganda’ posters to
communicate health and safety information to the workforce.

EXAMINER’S ANSWERR GUIDE – March 2002 #7

Advantages of propaganda posters include:

 Their relatively low cost;

 Their flexibility;

 Their brevity;

 Their use in reinforcing verbal instruction or information and in the providing a

constant reminder of the importance of health and safety;

 The potential to involve employees in their selection, and hence in the message
being conveyed.

Disadvantages of propaganda posters are:

 The need to change posters on a regular basis if they are to be noticed;

 The fact that they may become soiled, defaced and out-of-date,

 They may appear to trivalise serious matters;

 There may also be an over reliance on posters to convey health and safety
information, and they may be perceived by unscrupulous employers as an easy if
not particularly effective way of discharging their health and safety obligations by
shifting the responsibility onto the workforce for any accidents that may occur

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 NEBOSH National General Certificate

CHAPTER 3 – ORGANISING

Practice Question #21

(a) Identify Four types of health and safety information that might usefully be
displayed on a notice board within a workplace. (4)

(b) Explain how the effectiveness of notice boards as a means of communicating health
and safety information to the workforce can be maximized. (4)

EXAMINER’S ANSWER GUIDE – March 2007 #7

Types of health and safety information to be displayed on a notice board.

 The health and safety policy of the organization..

 The “Information for Employees” poster.

 Information regarding health and safety representatives (eg their names and contact
details).

 Targets set for the reduction of accidents and ill-health and information showing
the current level of performance against the targets.

 Forthcoming health and safety events including information on training course

available.

 Identification of first aid arrangements and procedures for evacuation in the event
of a fire.

 Health and safety posters specific to current campaigns being run by the employers
or HSE and a copy of the Employer’ Liability insurance certificate.

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CHAPTER 3 – ORGANISING

Practice Question #22

Identify a range of methods that an employer can use to provide health and safety
information directly to individual employees.

EXAMINER’S ANSWER GUIDE – June 2005 #1(c)

Methods that an employer can use to provide health and safety information directly to individual
employees are:

 Team briefings

 Notice boards

 Training sessions, including induction and tool box talks

 Newsletters and inclusion of messages in wage/pay slips

 Posters, competitions and signs

 Appraisal sessions, i.e. one on one briefings

NEBOSH National General Certificate

CHAPTER 3 – ORGANISING

Practice Question #23

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 a) Identify TWO means by which employers may provide information to employees in
order to comply with the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations 1989.

b) Outline the categories of information provided to employees by the means identified in

(a)

EXAMINER’S ANSWER GUIDE – June 2006 #7

a) Two means by which employers may provide information to employees in compliance
with the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations 1989 are:

 The Approved Poster – ‘Health and Safety – what you should know’

 The Approved Leaflet

b) The categories of information provided via the means mentioned in (a) are :

 The duties of both the employers and employees.

 The names and addresses of the enforcing authority for the workplace together
with the address of the Emergency Medical Advisory Service.

 Consultation arrangements on Health and Safety issues.

 Co-operation with other employers sharing the same premises.

 Emergency procedures.

 Provision of personal protective equipment.

 Duties under RIDDOR

NEBOSH National General Certificate

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Practice Question #24

Outline the benefits to an organisation of having a health and safety committee.

EXAMINER’S ANSWER GUIDE – June 2005 #1(a)

Benefits of having a health and safety committee in place to a company are:

i) It demonstrates management commitment and compliance with the legal

requirement to consult with employees.

ii) It facilitates consultation and communication with the workforce via employee
representatives;

iii) It provides a means of recording discussions that have taken place on health
and safety matters, and;

iv) It may help to foster a positive health and safety culture by encouraging
employee involvement and ownership.

NEBOSH National General Certificate

CHAPTER 3 – ORGANISING

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Practice Question #25
In relation to the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977,
outline:

(i) The rights and functions of a trade union appointed safety representative. (6)

(ii) The facilities that an employer may need to provide to safety representatives.
(2)

EXAMINER’S ANSWER GUIDE – September 2009 #8

(i) Rights and functions.

Functions:

 Investigating hazards and dangerous occurrences and examining the causes of

accidents.

 Investigating complaints by employees.

 Carrying out safely inspections.

 Making representations to the employer.

 Attending safety committee meetings.

 Representing employees in consultations with the enforcing authority and

receiving information from its inspectors.

Rights:

 Access to relevant documents.

 The use of appropriate facilities.

 Entitlements to inspect the workplace at set intervals.

 The right to request the setting up of a safety committee and time off with pay
for training.

NEBOSH National General Certificate

CHAPTER 3 – ORGANISING

Practice Question #30

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(a) Identify the effects of health and safety training on human reliability. (2)

(b) Identify the circumstances from with an organization that might require an employee
to undertake additional health and safety training. (6)

EXAMINER’S ANSWER GUIDE –June 2009 #4

(a) Health and safety training may affect human reliability by:

 Raising awareness of a procedure or task.

 Improving the perception of hazards and their associated risks.

 Enhancing practical skills.

 Improving an individual’s attitude and motivation and reducing human error.

(b) Circumstance were an organization may require an employee to undertake

additional health and safety training.

 Introduction of new processes, equipment and methods of work or the

reoganisation of the work and workplace.

 As a result of a job change which might involve promotion or the allocation of

additional responsibilities for example an appointment as a first aider.

 Following an accident or incident.

 Were risk assessments indicate that additional control measures are necessary.

 Where refresher training is required such as for fork lift truck drivers and first
aid personnel.

 As a result of staff appraisals.

 Following a change in an employee’s circumstances such as pregnancy or

disability.

 To counteract the possibility of employees becoming complacent and relax in

following established procedures for health and safety.

NEBOSH National General Certificate

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Practice Question #40

(a) Identify two main functions of first-aid treatment. (2)

(b) Outline factors that should be considered when selecting an employee to be a first-aider. (6)

EXAMINER’S ANSWER GUIDE –March 2011 #11

(a) The functions of first-aid treatment include the preservation of life the minimization
of the consequences of injury until medical help is obtained and the treatment of
minor injuries that would not receive or do not need medical attention.

(b) Factors to be considered when selecting a first-aider.

 Existing knowledge and/or qualifications or if none exist, aptitude to learn and ability
to absorb knowledge during their training period.

 Physical fitness and ability, his communication skills and an awareness of their own
limitations.

 Willingness to accept responsibility and ability to cope with stressful situations.

 The ease with which they may be released from normal duties when needed to give
first aid.

 And the mi of the workforce taking into account gender, ethnicity and religious
convictions.

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