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NEBOSH International Certificate in Occupational H&S Question and Answers
NEBOSH International Certificate in Occupational H&S Question and Answers
Occupational H&S
IGC 1
Exam question
Exam Answer
Chapter 1 Foundations in H&S
1.1 The scope & nature of OH&S
1.2 The moral, social & economic reasons for
maintaining & promoting good standards
of H&S in the workplace
1.3 The role of national governments &
international bodies in formulating a
framework for the regulation of H&S
Oct 2013 Q3
(1)
(a) Identify reasons why an organisation
should maintain / improve its health &
safety performance (5)
(b) Outline potential barriers to achieving
good standards of H&S (3)
"The answer" (a) (5)
MORAL
1. The need to provide a reasonable standard of care & to reduce the
injuries & ill-health
LEGAL
1. The desire to avoid enforcement action from the criminal / civil branch of
law
ECONOMIC
INTERNAL
(c)
1. Meeting the basic needs of employees
2. To ensure low levels of stress, e.g. provision of pure drinking water
(d)
1. Protecting the environment in which the workplace operates
2. E.g. The land, air & water
Oct 2010 Q5 & Apr 2011 Q5, Mar 2010 Q10,
Dec 2011 Q11
(4)
1. Risk assessments can help to identify these problems, as they would have been used to
assess the likelihood & severity of tasks which might produce such symptoms
2. The results of task/job safety analyses & the identification of repetitive actions &
observations of the workforce to look for poor postures, etc.
3. The organization's employees & safety representatives who may liaise with their fellow
workers on such complaints, effects, etc.
4. Ill-health reports & the analysis of absence records which may indicate an increase in
people suffering from these illnesses
5. The observation of supervisors & the complaints that may have been made to them by
members of their teams
6. Information supplied by the social activities co-ordinator on out-of-work activities such
as tennis, squash, etc.
EXTERNAL
1. Manufacturers’ information which might highlight particular problems if their
instructions are not followed
2. Ergonomists or occupational health practitioners who have competent knowledge &
experience of the subject
Q5, Jun 2013 Q10
(2)
Outline ways in which an organisation could
encourage workers to be involved in setting &
maintaining high standards of H&S (8)
"The answer"
1. The preparation of a H&S policy backed up by an obvious display of management
commitment to the observance of laid down standards while demonstrating
leadership by example
2. The introduction of formal consultation, which can be included on tool box talks /
team briefings
3. The employment of competent personnel backed up by the provision of any
additional training that may be required
4. The provision of a good working environment & the provision of adequate welfare
facilities
5. Involving workers in risk assessments, accident investigations & the development
of safe systems of work
6. Ensuring action is taken quickly to rectify any non-compliance with standard
procedures & disciplinary measures taken when required
7. Introducing an effective two-way communication system between management &
the workforce
8. Introducing a system of incentives & rewards to recognise achievement in H&S
behaviours
Mar 2012 Q2
(1)
Identify ways in which organisations can
positively influence the H&S behaviours of their
workers (8)
"The answer"
1. The preparation of a H&S policy
2. The introduction of formal consultation with the workforce
3. The employment of competent personnel
4. The provision of a good working environment & welfare facilities
5. Involving workers in risk assessments, accident investigations
6. Ensuring action is taken quickly to rectify any non-compliances
7. Introducing an effective two-way communication system
8. Introducing a system of incentives & rewards in H&S behaviours
Nov 2006 Q11
(1)
ORGANISING
1. The next stage involves planning & implementing, where practical plans are
developed to meet the objectives
REVIEW
1. The review would be reinforced by an independent & structured audit of all parts
of the system
(b) (4)
2. It shows the workforce that there is senior management commitment for H&S
3. It is management who have far more responsibilities & accountabilities for H&S & these
need to be clear to both management & the workforce
4. It will enable good channels of communication between managers & the workforce, which
will include consultation
5. So that all persons both managers & the workforce within the organisation will be aware
of the contribution they have to make
6. Recognition that H&S is a core function of every job & must be given appropriate priority
7. It will help in setting improvements in the safety culture of the organisation in general
8. Managers & workers will take on more accountability for their actions as a result of
knowing their organisational responsibilities
(d)
REVIEW
1. The review would be reinforced by an independent & structured audit of
all parts of the system, which would assess compliance with health &
safety management procedures & identify where existing standards are
inadequate or deficient
Aug, Nov 2006 Q8, Mar 2007 Q3, Sep 2010 Q9, Oct
2010 Q2, Apr 2011 Q2, Oct 2012, Nov 2012 Q5, Mar
2013 Q5
(9)
1. Procedures for safe systems of work based upon the findings of risk assessments
2. H&S training for all levels of employees to ensure adequate levels of competence
3. Provision of Personal Protective Equipment PPE & instruction, training &
supervision on its use & storage of it
4. Specific types of hazard (e.g. machinery, hazardous substances, manual handling,
fire etc)
5. Control & monitoring of contractors including full exchange of information
6. Safety of visitors which may require full supervision/& or induction training before
coming on to site
7. Accident reporting & investigation procedures including who to report to & what
form to use
8. Monitoring & review of the above procedures both proactive & reactive methods
Nov 2005 Q1, Nov 2006 Q1, Oct 2012, Oct
2013 Q1
(4)
(a) Explain the purposes of the following sections of a health &
safety policy
(i) Statement of intent (2)
(ii) Organisation (2)
(iii) Arrangements (2)
(i)
1. A statement of intent demonstrates an organisation’s senior management
commitment to
2. It sets organisational objectives for H&S which will lead to continual improvement
of the system
(ii)
1. The organisation section identifies the H&S roles / responsibilities & channels of
communication within the organisation
2. Including competent employees, consultation with employees to gain their
commitment & cooperation, with good controls & clear written procedures by
management
(iii)
1. The arrangements section deals the practical means for achieving the objectives
laid down in the policy statement
2. For example procedures for the control of contractors to ensure they work safely
(b) (8)
PIMAR
PLAN /IMPLEMENT / MONITOR / AUDIT & REVIEW
STATEMENT OF INTENT
1. Demonstrates an organisation’s senior management commitment to H&S
2. It also sets organisational objectives for H&S which will lead to continual
improvement of the system
ORGANISATION
1. Identifies the H&S roles / responsibilities of all people in the organisation,
including an organisational chart
2. Also, channels of communication within the organisation, including competent
employees, consultation with employees to gain their commitment &
cooperation
ARRANGEMENTS
1. Deals the practical means for achieving the objectives laid down in the policy
statement
2. For example procedures to ensure the safe working / control of contractors
(b) (2)
1. To ensure their products were safe & fit for their intended purpose
by prior testing
2. This could include testing substances to ensure they are safe &
supplying relevant hazard data sheets if they are not
3. For supply within the European Community, ensuring the CE
marking of the product to ensure minimum safety standards
4. Providing comprehensive instructions for more complex &
dangerous products such as cranes etc
5. To ensure safety aspects are designed into the product, for example
ensuring a guard on a piece of machinery cannot be easily defeated
(b) (3)
1. Taking reasonable care of their own H&S & those who may
be affected by their actions such as their fellow workers
2. Cooperating with their employer by following safe systems of
work, wearing PPE
3. Reporting accidents & unsafe conditions to their supervisor
or other nominated member of management
4. They also have an important role to play in taking an active
part in any consultation exercise set up by their employer
(d) (4)
1. They would be expected to provide competent advice on
H&S & advise persons on legal implications
2. Assist in the development of the H&S policy & procedures &
their periodic reviews
3. Intervene when they come across any unsafe conditions or
acts & explain the possible consequences to the organisation
4. Liaise with representatives of external agencies such as
enforcing authorities
Jan 2013 Q2
(1)
Two organisations share the same worksite.
Outline how the organisations could work
together to help ensure the workplace is safe &
healthy (8)
"The answer"
1. First they will need to consider the coordination of emergency procedures such as
fire, first aid, etc.
2. Who will be responsible for reporting of accidents & dangerous occurrence
between the 2 organisations
3. An exchange of H&S policy statements & general arrangement for H&S such as
training
4. There will need to be good channels of communication on a regular basis on H&S
matters
5. This may include the setting up of a H&S committee to meet at regular intervals to
discuss / monitor the arrangements between the 2 organisations
6. Perhaps a joint system for the maintenance & testing of equipment, both
electrical & mechanical
7. A full exchange of H&S information on each others activities & risks, including safe
systems of work
8. Encouraging consultation & co-operation between both sets of workers from each
organisation
Oct 2010 Q3, Apr 2011 Q3
(2)
1. To look after their own H&S & the H&S of their fellow employees,
& ensure that they are not affected by their acts & omissions
2. To follow all H&S instructions provided, including safe systems of
work provided
3. To report any significant hazards in the workplace immediately to
someone in authority
4. To wear at all times PPE when provided & to report any defects of
losses of that PPE to management & to carry out pre-use checks &
store correctly
Dec 2005 Q11, May, Aug, Nov 2006 Q11, Mar 2007
Q11, Nov 2007 Q11, Dec 2007 Q11, May 2008 Q7, Jul
2008 Q7, Nov 2008 Q5, Dec 2008 Q9, Apr 2009 Q7,
Jun 2012 Q11, Sep 2013 Q3
(14)
(ii) Outline the various measures that might be used to assess the
effectiveness of such training (4)
3. The risks associated with those activities & the actions required of
employees to minimize such risks
1. A senior manager, for instance, will have different training needs with
respect to H&S from those of a supervisor or a shop floor employee
2. An assessment would then need to be made of employees’ existing
knowledge, taking into account their previous experience & how long they
have worked in the organization
3. The levels & types of training already received & any indications of where
deficiencies may lie (e.g. from incident data or by observation)
4. From the training needs analysis would emerge information on the
number of employees involved the types of training needed & the
resources (in terms of financial costs, time & facilities) required to carry
out the program
5. The factors to be considered at this stage would include the competence
& expertise of in-house staff to provide the required training the possible
need to involve external sources & the means of communicating the
program to employees at all levels in order to seek their commitment to &
their views on, the program
(ii) (4)
1. Post-training evaluation by trainers which could include
the passing of an exam paper
2. Accident rates & sickness absences should reduce as
people work safer in healthier surroundings
3. Levels of compliance with laid-down procedures (such as
the wearing of PPE) should increase
4. The number & quality of suggestions made & concerns
raised, by employees with respect to H&S
(iii) (4)
1. The 1st stage is to consider the activities that are being undertaken
at the workplace & to identify the significant hazards involved
2. This would be followed by the 2nd stage, identification of those
exposed such as operators, maintenance staff, cleaners & visitors
3. Noting in particular groups who may be especially at risk such as
young or disabled workers
4. The next, 3rd stage would involve an evaluation of the risks arising
from the identified hazards
5. Taking into account the likelihood & severity of the harm that could
be caused, the frequency & duration of the exposure of the
employees
"The answer" (a)cont. (10)
1. The measures in existence to control the risks & the need &
scope for a further reduction in risk by the introduction of
additional controls
2. The 4th stage involves recording the significant findings of the
assessment in a written & retrievable form (such as, for
example, the additional preventative measures needed to
control the risks)
3. Communication of the findings to the personnel concerned,
both verbal & written where requires
4. While the final, 5th stage would be concerned with a review &
revision of the assessment at regular intervals
5. More particularly if there are developments in the processes or
activities or changes in legislation which indicate that the
original assessment may no longer be valid
(b) (4)
1. The individual’s past experience & training in hazard identification & in carrying out
risk assessments
2. Their experience of the process or activity carried out in the workplace & their
knowledge of plant & equipment involved
3. Their ability to understand & interpret regulations, standards & guidance & how it
applies to the organisation
4. Their communication & reporting skills both written & verbal as they will have to
present the risk assessments to workers
5. An awareness of their own limitations & knowing when they are not competent
6. Their attitude towards H&S in general & commitment to the task which is being risk
assessed
Dec 2012 Q5
(1)
A manager is required to carry out a suitable &
sufficient risk assessment on a work activity
(a) Identify possible sources of information
that might help the manager carry out this risk
assessment (5)
(b) Outline what is required in order for a risk
assessment to be suitable & sufficient (3)
"The answer" (a) (5)
1. The type of work to be done & its attendant hazards & risks
2. The equipment to be used & its hazards
3. The work environment, extremes of temperature etc
4. The control measures in place for H&S
5. The competence & suitability of the persons involved
6. The methods of communication with the home base
7. Emergency & first-aid procedures in general
8. The provision of adequate welfare facilities
Aug 2006 Q4, Nov 2008 Q6
(2)
2. Such as a trailing cable which people can trip over & be injured or
fall on & damage equipment
3. Then risk would be the likelihood that someone would trip over the
cable & if they did what would be the severity or consequences of
the injury or loss
(b) (5)
1. The ability to interpret legal requirements with respect to risk assessment to show
the importance of risk assessment
2. The ability to identify hazards & assess risks & selection of appropriate control
measures
3. The ability to be aware of their individual’s own limitations & the occasions when
specialist assistance might be required
4. The ability to assess sources of information such as standards/guidance & in-
house information including accident records
5. Good report writing skills which give clear concise information to employees on
the findings of the risk assessment
Oct 2010 Q11, Apr 2011
(2)
1. The best thing to do with a hazard is to eliminate it, for example replace a
hazardous substance with a non-hazardous substance, for example using a water
based paint instead of a solvent based paint
2. The next best thing is to reduce the risk from the hazard, for example reducing the
amount of solvent being used by using a smaller container with a spill proof lid
3. The next best thing to do is to isolate the hazard, for example enclosing a
hazardous substance in an extraction booth
4. The next best thing to do is to control the risk from a hazard, for example by LEV
5. The next best thing to do is to provide PPE
6. Finally, the provision of instruction, training, information & supervision for
employees
Mar 2006 Q3, Nov 2006 Q3, Jun 2007 Q3, May
2008 Q3, Jul 2008 Q3, Dec 2008 Q2, Apr 2009
Q3, Oct 2012,Mar 2011 Q9, Feb 2014 Q10
(10)
1. The lack of attention paid by both the visitor & the driver of the vehicles, so the
pedestrian was unaware of the presence of the FLT or/& vice versa
2. A breach of site rules such as speeding due to pressure of work or wanting to get
the task completed
3. The driver using a mobile phone while driving, causing his attention to be
distracted for a time
4. A failure of the visitor to wear high visibility clothing & follow the safe pedestrian
routes
(b) (4)
EXTERNAL
1. Call for help, attending to the victim & administer first aid until removal to
hospital, ensuring this is safe to do so, which may require isolation of power
supplies if the person has suffered an electric shock
2. Informing the next of kin by the most appropriate way, as they will wish to meet
the injured person at hospital
3. Subsequent actions that are required to satisfy statutory requirements to report
the accident to the local enforcing authority as they may wish to come &
investigate
4. Cordon off the area to prevent contamination of the scene
LONGER TERM
1. Longer term actions will therefore include identifying witnesses
2. Undertaking an investigation & to find the immediate causes & root causes
3. On the basis of the findings, reviewing work processes
4. Make improvements to the risk assessment process, training requirements &
overall management system
Aug Q6, Nov 2006 Q6, Sep 2010 Q4, Oct 2012,
Jan 2013, Mar 2012 Q10, May 2013 Q9, Sep
2013 Q8, Feb 2014 Q9
(8)
1. Ignorance of the reporting procedures perhaps due to a lack of training & a poor
H&S culture
2. Peer pressure from other employees not to lose time on the job in hand if there
are time pressure imposed by management for instance
3. The trivial nature of any injury sustained, for example an employee may feel it not
necessary to report a minor paper cut
1. Call for help, attending to the victim & administer first aid until removal
to hospital, ensuring this is safe to do so, which may require isolation of
power supplies if the person has suffered an electric shock
2. Informing the next of kin by the most appropriate way, as they will wish
to meet the injured person at hospital
1. One of the more important factors is to interview the witnesses as soon as possible after the accident
has occurred
2. This should occur at the scene where their memories are still fresh
3. Witnesses should be interviewed one at a time in a location which will ensure privacy with no
intervention or interruption
4. The at a later date the facts given should be confirmed, by both the person being interviewed & the
interviewer
5. It is essential that the witness is put at ease & they should be allowed to be accompanied if required
6. The interviewer should use open rather then leading questions to obtain the facts rather then feelings
or opinions
7. With it being made clear that the purpose of the interview is not to assign blame for the accident
8. On completion of the interview, the witnesses should be fully thanked for their cooperation
Mar 2006 Q1, Nov 2006 Q1, Jun 2007 Q1, May 2008
Q1, Jul 2008, Dec 2008 Q1, Apr 2009 Q1 (7)
UNDERLYING CAUSE
1. Lack of driver &/or other employee training & supervision
2. Absence of site rules or procedures for enforcing the control of reversing vehicles
3. Failure to separate vehicular & pedestrian traffic in high risk areas
4. A lack of maintenance of vehicles &/or the workplace which caused the brakes to fail
Nov 2013 Q3
(1)
Identify information that should be included
in an accident investigation report (8)
"The answer"
1. The personal details of the injured party, time & location of the accident
2. Possible breaches of legislation
3. The control measures in place, such as barriers etc
4. The precise circumstances of the accident
5. The type & extent of injury sustained
6. Details of witnesses & copies of their statements
7. Drawings & photographs of the scene from various angles
8. Immediate & root causes identified
Mar 2006 Q10, Nov 2006 Q4, Jun 2007
Q10
(3)
1. A senior manager
2. To demonstrate management commitment & to ensure appropriate remedial
action was taken
3. The line manager or supervisor
4. Who would be familiar with the working practices in the area where the accident
occurred
5. The safety adviser
6. To offer advice on the legal implications of the accident & the control measures
currently in place
7. The safety representative
8. To present the interests of their fellow employees to ensure
5.1 Proactive Active Monitoring
Sep 2013 Q6
(1)
(a) Outline the key features of a H&S audit
(4)
(b) Outline why the audit findings should be
presented to the senior management of an
organisation (4)
"The answer" (a) (4)
1. It is the most proactive of all monitoring methods & is a
separate element in the H&S management system
2. It is a critical systematic evaluation of the safety
management system in place within an organisation
3. It may be internal or external (independent without any bias)
& will be carried out by a team of trained auditors who are
very competent
4. It will follow audit trails through out the organisation to
interview employees to check their competence levels match
those stated in the management system
(b) (4)
1. The report will have recommendations as a result of non
compliances found during the audit. These will need to be
used as an action plan for senior management to place
actions on people within the organization
2. Senior management are the only people who can allocate the
resources required such as time & finances for the actions
3. It will show senior management commitment to the
workforce after they have communicated the findings to all
people within the organization
4. This will help to motivate the staff to carry out the necessary
actions as a result of the audit report to ensure continual
improvement of the H&S culture etc.
Dec 2012 Q2, Jun 2013 Q8
(1)
Identify documentation that is likely to be
inspected in a H&S audit (8)
"The answer"
1. Company H&S policy
2. Staff training records
3. Safety monitoring procedures
4. Consultation arrangements with staff
5. Past accident/incident records
6. Ill-health sickness absence records
7. Risk assessment proformas
8. Enforcement records such as improvement notices
Sep 2011 Q1
(1)
(a) An organisation is required to introduce
arrangements for H&S inspections
(i)Give the meaning of the term H&S
inspection (2)
(ii)Identify factors to consider when making these
arrangements (10)
(b) Outline how the findings in an inspection report might
be communicated in a way that is effective &
persuades senior management to take action (8)
"The answer" (a) (i) (2)
1. Environmental monitoring
2. Health surveillance
3. Safety observation tours
4. Benchmarking against the performance of
other like organisations
(b) (4)
5. Safety tours which are unscheduled, less formal inspections to check on general
workplace standards
6. This shows commitment if carried out by management