Unit NGC 1

Element 1: Foundations in Health and Safety

Practice question – Answer plan

Identify the possible costs that an organisation may incur as a result of inadequate standards of
workplace health and safety [8 marks]

Here’s some guidance on what your answer should contain and how you should have
approached the question.

Before you start to think about how much to write, you need to first consider the command word used
in the question. In this case it is “Identify” which means you only need to present the basic information
– you don’t need to expand on the points being made.

Secondly the question is for 8 marks. It could therefore be a safe assumption that the examiner would
be looking for you to provide 8 good points.

In terms of the actual answer then, you will remember that the costs of accidents can be either direct or
indirect and you should aim to provide a range of each within your answer.

Some of the direct costs could include costs arising from lost production and time dealing with the
subsequent investigations; those arising from plant damage and replacement and clean up activities;
paying those involved during absences, costs arising from potential fines or compensation claim costs
along with the inevitable rise in insurance premiums.

The indirect costs could include having to recruit and train replacement labour; poor staff morale which
could lead to industrial unrest and costs associated with high staff turnover and the damage done to
the organisation’s reputation which could lead to a loss of orders and a subsequent decrease in its
profitability.

Use your time well and provide a good range of costs to ensure you achieve a high score

NGC 1.1 answer plan v2.1