6 April 2022 exam

SCENARIO
You are a full-time worker at a busy retail store selling shoes and shoe care products.
The store is open 09.00 – 18.00 Monday – Saturday, and 10.00 – 16.00 on Sundays. It is
located within a large shopping centre.

There are four other full-time workers, two part-time workers covering weekends, and
a new store manager who joined the team 3 months ago. The previous store manager
left the role 6 months ago. You have been employed at the store for 10 years.
Temporary workers are usually employed by the store during busy seasonal sale
periods on a short-term contract, ranging from a couple of days to a couple of weeks.

On the second floor of the building there is a stockroom with a high ceiling that is
accessed by stairs from the back of the store. Within the stockroom there is floor-to-
ceiling shoe racking to optimise space. The racking is designed in a way that allows
quick retrieval of stock, so customers are not left waiting for too long. The previous
store manager did not like having customers being kept waiting and workers still feel
under pressure to get to customers quickly. Often, two or three customers are served
at the same time during busy periods, so workers tend to fetch multiple boxes of shoes
from the stockroom in one trip to save time and energy. Although the current store
manager works on the shop floor, they spend most of their time at the cash register
serving customers.

To help improve serving time, the previous store manager implemented your
suggestion of placing popular items on racking near the front of the stockroom. Shoes
that have been tried on by customers and not bought, are returned to the stockroom
immediately and put back in their original place.

In the stockroom, a small lockable step ladder and step stool are shared between
yourself and other workers so that stock stored on higher shelves can be reached
safely.

Sundries such as shoe polish, laces, and shoe protector products, are expected to be
offered and sold once a customer decides to purchase a pair of shoes. The sales
targets around this are set by the store manager and a small commission is earned by
the workers for any sundries sold.

In a previous role, you completed a National General Certificate in Occupational Health

and Safety. Because of this, the previous store manager involved you in some health
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and safety matters from time to time, such as risk assessments and an informal
induction for new temporary and permanent workers. Most of the advice you give
before new workers start comes from your own experience, such as showing them
how to handle heavy stock, as there is nothing official written down. You also try to
spend a day with new workers before leaving them on their own, but this is not always
possible. You have noticed that the current store manager is not health and safety
aware and occasionally they have delegated health and safety responsibilities to you
like the previous store manager did.

You enjoy your job as you get to meet a variety of customers, and it involves plenty of
exercise going up and down the stairs to get different shoe sizes and styles. You often
joke that you save money on a health club membership as ‘this job is your gym
workout’.

Many of your colleagues choose to wear fashionable footwear such as heels, opened-
toed shoes and unlaced trainers to work. You used to wear nice, fashionable shoes
during work hours, but due to aching feet and calves, not to mention a few near-miss
trips down the stairs when carrying boxes, you have decided to wear flat shoes only.
You mention this to the current store manager who says they will check and update the
risk assessment when they have time.

Seasonal changes in stock, and recent employment of temporary workers, have left the
stockroom in a mess. The stock has been put in the wrong place or left on the floor,
making it harder to find. You tell the current store manager that, over the last few
years, you have observed many near misses in the stockroom. Some of these near
misses include shoe boxes falling from a height, trips over boxes not put away
properly, and the use of broken step ladders. You also have some ideas on how to
make the stockroom safer and how to utilise the space better.

The current store manager asks you where they could find information on near misses.
You assumed that the previous store manager would have dealt with them, as you
were never asked to become involved. You are not even sure if all workers know that
any near misses should be reported, as this information is not something you have
been told to give during the induction. You also suggest that these should have been
recorded. This leads you onto the subject of having information written down to show
new workers. You explain that everything you tell the workers is from memory, and you
are never sure if you have remembered to tell them everything they need to know.

A few days later an accident occurs involving one of the workers. A customer comes
into the store with two children and chooses several shoes in different sizes for the
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children to try on. The worker serving the customer is flustered, as the children are
crying and the customer is obviously in a hurry. The worker rushes down the stairs with
several pairs of shoes, in an attempt to help the customer decide on their purchase
quickly. Carrying 4 boxes of shoes, they trip halfway down the stairs, turning their
ankle, which results in rapid swelling and tenderness.

You go to help the worker, picking up one of the worker’s heeled shoes and the
damaged boxes of shoes that fell down the stairs. Although untrained, both you and
the current store manager treat the injured worker as best as you can. You help them
into the staff room and sit them down. The current store manager goes to get a glass
of water for the shaken worker, who is in pain from the injuries, while you go to look
for a first-aid box. You cannot find a first-aid box, but find an empty accident book in
the cupboard, and a risk assessment dated 2 years ago on the store manager’s desk.
You ask the worker what happened and you record this in the accident book. You think
that the accident was due to the worker carrying too many boxes at one time down the
stairs, and the fact that the worker was wearing heels.

The current store manager has no idea how to deal with the accident and asks you to
find out what action needs to be taken. You tell the current store manager that you
have filled in the accident book and think the accident should be reported and
investigated further.

A short while later the injured worker is sent to a hospital. They also have some pain in
their hand as they tried to grab the only handrail on the right of the stairs as they fell.
The current store manager was later informed the worker sustained a fracture to their
ankle and sprained their wrist. The worker’s ankle is in a plaster cast and they have
been advised to rest their ankle as much as possible for 6 weeks to allow it to heal fully.

After this accident, the current store manager is keen to get health and safety ‘right’ as
they are worried about the financial impact if more accidents occur. They also want to
make sure there is not a repeat accident. You recommend that the current risk
assessment should be revised, as part of an overall review of any existing policies and
procedures. This includes updates, if necessary. The current store manager asks for
your help in revising the current risk assessment, with a particular focus on slips, trips,
and falls. Because of your previous involvement in risk assessments, you feel you are
able to help, and that it would be useful to get some other workers involved.

Task 1: First-aid arrangements

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1 Because of the recent accident, the current store manager has decided to review the first-aid arrangements in

  What should be considered so that first-aid needs are realistic and proportionate for all workers?

Note:  You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario. Yo
 
first-aid equipment.
First aid arrangements which are required in the workplace are:

 In the scenario, I went to find a First Aid kit to help the injured worker.
However, it was not present. Therefore, the store manager must provide
all workers with a first aid kit facility.
 In the scenario, there was no professional first aider appointed.
Therefore, a specialized first aider must be immediately appointed.
 In the scenario, Workers didn’t have proper training regarding the
application of first aid. Therefore, workers must be properly trained to be
useful without an appointed first aider.
 The manager must make sure that all the first aid equipment is placed in
a well-known place easily accessible by all workers.
 There is no emergency room to treat the injured worker in the scenario.
Therefore, a sanitized and well-lit emergency room should be allocated,
which should be easily accessible from all locations.
 First aiders should also be trained to treat slip and trip accidents as the
store encounter frequent slip and trip accidents.
 As the store usually employs temporary workers, a proper training
program must be introduced to train these workers.
 As the store is two-floored, the first aid facility must be available on both
floors.
 An emergency transport system should be introduced to carry the injured
workers to the nearest hospital.
 Instruction on using a first aid kit must be mounted on the wall.
 In a situation resulting in non-workers and the general public’s injury,
they should be provided with first aid treatment.
 First Aider should be hired after checking his competence, experience,
relevant documentation, and certificates.
 A proper communication system should be installed, and phone numbers
of the nearest hospitals should be displayed on walls which are to be
contacted in case of emergency.
 After using First Aid equipment, they must be replaced by a new one.
 As trip accidents often occur at the store resulting in leg and foot injuries,
Stretchers and Wheelchairs should be made available.
Task 2: Management failures and control measures
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2 (a)     Based on the scenario only, what management failures could have contributed to this accident?

  (b)     The store manager decides to hold an emergency meeting with all workers.

  Based on the scenario only, what immediate actions could be discussed in this meeting to help prevent a rep

  (c)     What long-term administrative control measures could the employer carry out to help avoid a repeat o
2(A)

Management failures contributing to the accident are:

 In the scenario, Senior leadership, i.e., the manager, is not aware of his
health and safety responsibility. He didn’t supervise the work of the
workers. Thus, workers followed unsafe practices, which resulted in the
accident.
 In the scenario, the management introduced no proper dress code due to
which workers wore fashionable footwear such as heeled shoes, which
also contributed to the accident.
 In the scenario, no proper risk assessment is carried out for two years
which is the main failure of management contributing to the accident.
 In the store, the records of the past accidents and near misses are not
kept, which contributed to the accident.
 There is no training for the workers about carrying out work
professionally, which resulted in the accident.
 Induction training provided to the recruits is very poor. There are no
written induction training principles and are completely driven by
memory.
 Management is only concerned with satisfying their customers and don’t
keep them waiting. No attention is provided to the health and safety of
workers.
 No health and safety policy and written documents were present, which
was a big failure in management.
 No Personal Protective Equipment and first aid facilities were provided to
the workers. If provided, the accident may not have resulted in an ankle
fracture.
 No attention was given to ergonomics, due to which many workers felt
pain and aches. Similarly, the workload on the worker was great, due to
which he was stressed out, and the accident resulted.
2(B)
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Immediate actions that could be taken include:

 Proper shoes should be provided instead of heeled shoes to the workers.

 PPE should be provided to all the workers, which may protect the workers
from getting a severe injury.
 New workers can be introduced so that the load on each worker is
decreased.
 A second handrail must be introduced to the steps.  
 Housekeeping is improved as it created mess and chances of trips were
there. 
 The workload of workers is reduced as it results in fatigue.
2(C)

The employer should carry out the following administrative measures to stop the
repetition of this accident: 

 As there was no safe system of work at the store, he must develop a safe
work system so that all the workers perform their work properly.
 As there was no supervision, the accident resulted; therefore, the work
should be properly supervised so that no worker could perform unsafely. 
 Lack of training and instructions resulted in the accident; therefore, they
must be provided. 
 They could change the location of the warehouse from the top floor, thus
reducing the exposure of the workers to the hazards.
 Accidents must be investigated, recorded, and reported which didn’t take
place at the store. 
 Proper risk assessments must be introduced as it was absent at the
store. 
Task 3: Reporting the accident

3 (a)     Why must this recent accident be reported by the employer to the competent authority?

  (b)     How could investigation of previous near-misses have helped prevent this accident?

  Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.
3(A) 

This recent accident should be reported to competent authorities because: 

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1. It is the legal requirement to report it to the top management and

external authorities. 
2. The root causes can be properly investigated, and the issue can be
addressed.
3. It will show the competence of management and helps promote a
positive health and safety culture where everyone fulfills their
responsibilities. 
4. It will prevent the accidents from occurring again. 
5. It will show that management is concerned with workers’ safety and thus
boosts staff morale.  
6. It will encourage the manager to carry out risk assessments, and thus
other types of accidents can also be addressed, thus saving resources and
time.
3(B) 

Investigation of near misses is important because: 

1. If the previous near misses at the store had been investigated properly,
the immediate causes could have been identified. 
2. If the previous near-misses at the store had been investigated properly,
the root causes could have been identified. 
3. If the previous near-misses at the store had been investigated properly,
their recurrence could have been stopped by addressing the issue, and
the worker’s accident may have been stopped. 
4. If the previous near-misses at the store had been investigated, a proper
record would have been formed, which would help the workers in their
induction training.  
5. It is also the legal requirement to investigate an incident.  
6. Many insurance companies also demand an investigation report of the
incident. 
7. If the previous near-misses were investigated, it would have boosted the
morale of workers at the store.
8. If the previous near-misses at the store had been investigated properly,
all the shortcomings of risk assessment could have been addressed, and
the accident may have been prevented.
9. If the previous near-misses at the store were investigated, the health and
safety culture of the store would have improved.
10. The investigation also provides data that can be used to determine trends
and patterns of the accidents and near misses
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11. If the previous near-misses at the store were investigated, all the risks
and hazards at the store which had the protentional to cause harm could
have been removed.
Task 4: Role and responsibility of the manager

4 Within the health and safety management system, the role of a manager has specific health and safety respo

  (a)     Comment on the effectiveness of the current store manager’s role and responsibilities in relation to he

Notes: You should focus on roles and responsibilities and not the health and safety management system. Yo
 
where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.

  (b)     How can the health and safety competence of the current store manager be improved?
4(A) 

The role of the health and safety manager was extremely poor:

 It was the responsibility of the manager to conduct a risk assessment and

risk profiling properly. However, he failed to do so.
 It was his responsibility to develop a safety policy and implement it.
However, there was no safety policy at the store.
 It was his responsibility to provide PPE and a proper dress code to the
workers. However, he failed to give these. Thus, workers wore
fashionable footwear at the store.
 It was his responsibility to provide proper training to the workers;
however, there was no training program at the store. 
 His responsibility was to make sure that the first aid facility was present.
However, there was no first aid kit at the store.  
 His responsibility was to investigate accidents properly and near misses;
however, no investigation occurred at the store. 
 His responsibility was to follow safety rules himself and make an example
for his juniors. However, he was unaware of his role.
 It was his responsibility to consult the workers regarding safety. However,
he neglected the worker’s recommendation regarding risk assessment.
 It was his responsibility to allocate proper resources to safety issues;
however, there was no first aid equipment, no training, and no security
staff at the store.
 It was his responsibility to establish a safe work system recorded in
writing. However, no such document was present at the store.
4(B) 
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The competence of the manager can be improved:

 By receiving proper training regarding the investigation of an accident. 

 By receiving proper training regarding how to conduct a risk assessment.
 By receiving proper training regarding how to conduct safety inspections 
 By developing leadership qualities within him. If he follows health and
safety rules and regulations and set examples for workers working under
him, safety can be improved.
 His competence will improve greatly by developing good communication
skills and communicating health and safety rules and regulations to the
other workers without any barriers. 
 By improving his management skills and supervising the work of other
workers, the competence of the manager and the safety environment can
be improved greatly.  
Task 5: Induction training

5 The current store manager has asked you to compile an induction pack to help ensure that information given

  Based on the scenario only, what information should you prioritise in this induction pack?
Information on the induction plan should include:

 Workers didn’t know about emergency procedures in the store, so I wall

Include emergency procedures in training.
 Workers were unaware of hazards, risks, and their controls in the store,
so I will also include it in training.
 There was no culture of reporting incidents and accidents in the store, so
I will also include it in training.
 Training regarding Safe movement inside the store will also be included.
 As no consultation of workers took place at the store, training will also
include consultation arrangements. 
 All the workers should be educated regarding their Responsibilities.
 No risk assessment has been carried out in the store for 2 years, so
training will also include Introduction to risk assessment procedure.
 It should also include information about the location of first aid
equipment.
 Housekeeping issues must be addressed in the training as it created a
mess at the store due to the arrival of new stock. 
 A safe system of work and safe practices must be properly addressed in
training, as the workers at the store didn’t know how to work properly. 
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Task 6: Morality in managing health and safety

6 Comment on the store’s health and safety morals.

  Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.
Health and safety morals in the store were very bad.  

 After the accident, the manager kept a keen eye on health and safety
issues because he was concerned with the financial impacts of more
accidents. He was still not concerned about his worker’s morally wrong
health.
 In-store, more attention was given to sales and customer satisfaction
rather than workers’ health and safety, which was morally wrong.
 Workers tend to fetch multiple boxes of shoes in one trip to save time
and energy, risking their safety and others, which was morally wrong. 
 It was the manager’s responsibility to check the safety arrangements of
the store; however, he spent most of the time at the counter, which was
morally wrong.
 It was the job requirement of the manager to be well aware of health and
safety. However, he was unaware and transferred his work to me, which
was morally wrong.
 There was no formal induction training program to train recruits to risk
their morally wrong lives. 
 There was no written documentation on how to lift heavy stock, risking
workers’ lives, which was morally wrong.
 The manager replied that he would check the risk assessment when he
had a morally wrong time, even on my advice.
 There is no first aid facility at the store, which is the moral responsibility
of the manager to provide. 
 The emergency room’s presence was also the manager’s moral
responsibility, which was also not present. 
 The provision of PPE and proper dress code, including appropriate shoes,
was also the manager’s responsibility, which was also not provided.
 It was the moral responsibility of the manager to record near misses, and
thus this accident would have been prevented.
 Similarly, it was the moral responsibility of the manager to carry out
proper risk assessments and address the safety issues. However, no risk
assessment has been conducted in 2 years. 
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 It was the manager’s moral responsibility to provide proper training to the

workers about carrying out the work properly. However, no training was
provided.
 It was the moral responsibility of the manager to report the incident to
the external authorities, including the injured worker’s family. However,
no report took place.
 I picked up one of the workers’ heeled shoes and damaged boxes of
shoes from the ground, which may have caused another person’s trip,
which was morally right.
 I picked up one of the worker’s heeled shoes and damaged boxes of
shoes from the ground, which may have caused another person’s trip,
which was morally right.
 I assisted and helped the injured worker move to the staff room, which
was right. 
Task 7: Determining organisational factors positively influencing behaviour at
work

7 (a)     Based on the scenario only, what organisational factors might have negatively influenced health and

  (b)     Based on the scenario only, what individual human factors might have negatively influenced the beha
7(A) 

Organizational factors negatively influencing health and safety behaviour at the store
are: 

 There was no health and safety culture at the store; thus, both the
manager and the workers were unaware of their safety responsibilities
and didn’t give attention to safety issues. 
 The management didn’t show any commitment and leadership regarding
safety at the store.
 At the store, no resources were allocated to safety issues. There was no
first Aid facility, first aid staff, PPE, proper dress code, and emergency
room to treat injured workers. 
 At the store, communication was very poor, and health and safety
messages were not conveyed to workers properly.  
 No proper training regarding health and safety was provided to the
workers at the store. Thus, they all were unaware of their safety
responsibilities.
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 At the store, work patterns were not well defined. The workers’ workload
was huge, resulting in confusion and poor performance, thus resulting in
the accident.
7(B)

Individual human factors which might have negatively influenced the behaviour of the
injured worker are:

 The injured worker was not competent. He lacked knowledge, experience,

and training. 
 The worker had a very introverted personality and was not suitable for
this job.
 The worker’s attitude was very unserious towards the job. He was
wearing heeled shoes.
 He didn’t properly perceive the threat associated with his job because he
didn’t receive proper training. Also, he was in a hurry.