EXAMPLE PAPER B - 050

THE NATIONAL EXAMINATION BOARD IN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

NATIONAL GENERAL CERTIFICATE IN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
THE MANAGEMENT OF SAFETY AND HEALTH
Answer ALL questions Time Allowed: 2 hours

Section 1
This section contains ONE question. You are advised to spend approximately HALF AN HOUR on it. The
maximum marks for each part of the question are shown in brackets.

1 (a) Outline the factors that should be considered when planning a health and safety (10)
inspection of a workplace.

(b) Identify the information that should be included in a report of a workplace inspection, (10)
explaining how the information should be presented in order to increase the
likelihood of action being taken.

Section 2
This section contains TEN question. You are advised to spend approximately ONE AND A HALF HOURS
on it. The maximum marks for each question, or part of a question are shown in brackets.

2 With reference to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences:

(i) list FOUR types of major injury (4)

(ii) outline the procedures for reporting a major injury to an enforcing authority. (4)

3 Identify the factors to be considered to ensure the health and safety of persons who (8)
are required to work on their own away from the workplace.

4 Outline EIGHT factors that may be important in determining the maintenance (8)
requirements for an item of work equipment.

5 Outline reasons for undertaking regular fire drills in the workplace. (8)

6 Outline FOUR duties of EACH of the following persons under the Construction
(Design and Management) Regulations 1994:

(i) the project co-ordinator (ex planning supervisor) (4)

(ii) the principal contractor. (4)

7 Outline the factors that may lead to unacceptable levels of occupational stress (8)
amongst employees.
8 With reference to the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992,
identify:

(i) the particular matters on which employees should receive health and safety (4)
information

(ii) the specific circumstances when health and safety training should be given to (4)
employees.

9 Outline the main components of a health and safety management system. (8)

10 (a) Outline the main functions of: (4)

(i) criminal law
(ii) civil law.

(b) Explain the principal differences between common law and statute law. (4)

11 Outline the factors that should be considered when developing a safe system of (8)
work.
 The management of safety and health
Section 1
Question 1
The question was designed to test candidates' knowledge on two important aspects of carrying out a
health and safety inspection - planning and presenting the findings. The two parts of the question
therefore addressed either end of the inspection process. It was unfortunate, then, that some
candidates were intent on describing the bit in the middle the inspection itself. It is unclear whether this
was due to candidates reading the question with insufficient care or because they found difficulty in
answering the actual question being asked and therefore answered the one that they would have
preferred.
A
Part (a) sought an outline of a range of factors to be considered when planning a health and safety
inspection. As ten marks were on offer, a wide range of factors needed to be identified in order to
obtain full marks. These should have included factors such as
• the reasons for carrying out the inspection (eg routine/one-off, general/specific, etc),
• the persons to undertake the inspection,
• the inspection area and the route to be taken,
• the timing of the inspection,
• the method by which results will be recorded (checklist, prompt list, open/closed questions, etc),
• reference materials and equipment required,
• safety requirements for those carrying out the inspection,
• the persons to receive reports of the inspection and the means by which remedial action shown to
be necessary will be actioned.
B
Part (b) required both the identification of information that should be included in a subsequent report
and an explanation of how the information should be presented in order to make it more likely that the
report would generate the required action. Most candidates would have recognised that this part of the
question related to key requirements of the practical assessment component of the IGC. More
successful candidates were able to provide detail of what should be in a report, such as
• the objectives of the inspection,
• the location,
• date and time of the inspection,
• a summary of the findings
• and a plan of remedial actions.
Additionally, they demonstrated an understanding of the technique of good report writing - such as
• conciseness, a user-friendly presentation (eg no jargon, clear headings,
• possible use of drawings and photographs, etc),
• prioritisation of findings with financial and legal implications emphasised,
• overall conclusions clearly stated, and
• realistic time scales for remedial actions.
Some candidates produced very short, list type answers for both parts of the question. Although they
were often able to list a good range of points, without an adequate outline or explanation they missed
the opportunity to gain all the marks available.
Section 2
Question 2
Many candidates appeared to welcome a question on RIDDOR. They needed to be aware, however,
that although part (i) required only a list, part (ii) needed something more in the form of an outline of
the reporting procedures.
(i)
Part (i) was answered in the main by reference to
• fractures (other than fingers, thumbs and toes),
• dislocations,
• amputations and
• loss of sight.
Fewer candidates offered answers on other valid major injuries, such as
• injuries requiring resuscitation and
• those leading to hospitalisation for more than 24 hours.
Some candidates offered `fatality' in their lists and although, in real terms, it is difficult to argue that
death is not a major event, fatal injuries are categorised separately under the Regulations and are not
included within the list of defined major injuries.
(ii)
Part (ii) required an outline that should have included the identification of who would report the
accident and how. Candidates who outlined how the `responsible person' would first notify the
enforcing authority by the quickest practical means (usually telephone or fax), and then provide a
report within 10 days by an approved means (eg form F2508), gained full marks.
Question 3
Candidates needed to read the question carefully and appreciate that it referred to persons who were
required to work alone and away from the workplace. This was not a question solely about lone
working, although some of the factors are still very relevant.
Candidates who approached the question in a logical, structured and practical way
• by identifying those factors that would contribute to the potential risk, and then
• identified factors that might mitigate or possibly increase the level of risk, achieved high marks.
The former includes
• the work to be done and its attendant hazards,
• the equipment to be used and the risk control measures in place at the work location;
the latter relates to such factors as
• the competence and suitability of the persons involved,
• methods of communication with the home base, and
• emergency and first-aid procedures.
The question sought a practical approach to this type of work situation. However, a reference to the
requirements of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 - particularly the
need for a risk assessment - was creditworthy.
Question 4
Despite the requirement for an outline of a specific number of factors, some candidates seemed to
believe that they could make up for a deficient number by providing much detail on the few factors that
they had selected. The strategy was not successful. Candidates who missed or ignored the fact that
the question referred to maintenance, rather than to general machinery safety, were even less
successful, as were those who decided that the question was about securing the safety of
maintenance staff.
Having said that, there were some good answers from candidates who referred to such factors as
• the type, age and use of the equipment,
• statutory and insurance requirements,
• manufacturers' recommendations,
• reliability of the equipment based on breakdown history,
• the environment in which the equipment is used,
• the criticality of the equipment to the process, and
• the implications of failure of the equipment for the health and safety of employees.
Question 5
It is generally accepted that fire drills form an important part of ensuring the safety of employees.
Candidates were required to outline the reasons why this is so. Examiners were seeking reasons such
as
• satisfying a legal requirement or one specified in a fire certificate,
• testing the effectiveness of the evacuation procedures,
• familiarising staff with fire alarms,
• evacuation procedures,
• escape routes and assembly points,
• affording the opportunity to fire wardens to practise their designated roles, and
• checking the effectiveness of the arrangements for disabled employees and visitors.
Some candidates failed to take the broader view and wrote in too much detail on just one or two of
these matters. This obviously restricted the number of marks that could be awarded.
Question 6
Relatively few candidates were able to approach this CDM question with the confidence needed, and
most demonstrated a lack of knowledge of the requirements of the Regulations with respect to the two
named duty holders. The Regulations form one of the cornerstones of health and safety for the
construction industry and CDM is a topic that Examiners will undoubtedly revisit in the future.
For the project co-ordinator (ex planning supervisor), candidates could have outlined duties such as
• co-ordinating activities between the client, designer and principal contractor,
• ensuring the preparation of the health and safety plan,
• collating information for the health and safety file, and
• advising as required on the competence of the principal contractor and designer.
As for the principal contractor, a number of duties could have been cited. These include:
• co-ordinating the activities of all contractors on site;
• developing the health and safety plan and ensuring compliance with it on site;
• displaying the statutory notices;
• providing health and safety information to contractors and
• ensuring that contractors provide information and training to their employees;
• ensuring effective consultation with employees;
• controlling access to the site;
• ensuring the competence of all contractors involved; and
• passing to the planning supervisor any information that should be included in the health and safety
file.
Question 7
Again, candidates needed to outline a range of factors in order to gain high marks. The question was
generally approached well by candidates with many offering answers based upon their studies and the
constructive use of issues in workplaces with which they were familiar. Most candidates outlined
factors such as
• job insecurity,
• bullying,
• lack of proper training,
• repetitive and often boring work,
• too much or too little responsibility, and
• lack of career development.
Marks were also available for environmental factors that can lead to stress such as
• heat,
• noise,
• poor ventilation and
• lack of adequate working space.
There was sympathy (but no extra mark) for the candidate who added a comment about the additional
stress caused by not knowing the answer to an examination question!
Question 8
The provision of information and training is an important factor in any system designed to ensure the
effective management of health and safety. The question required candidates to display their
knowledge of the requirements of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 on
this key issue.
(i)
In answers to part (i),
• risks to health and safety identified by risk assessment were commonly identified, as were
• emergency arrangements.
Fewer candidates identified the need to
• provide information on the preventive and protective measures that had been introduced, or on the
• identity of persons responsible for implementing the emergency procedures.
(ii)
Induction training was rightly a feature of many answers to part (ii) but fewer candidates seemed
aware of the specific requirements to train
• when employees change jobs, and
• when new work equipment,
• new technology or
• a changed system of work is introduced.
Some candidates offered wider thoughts on information and training and ignored the need to focus on
the particular matters and the specific circumstances referred to in the stated Regulations.
Question 9
Candidates were expected to do well on this question. The expectation was sadly not realised in a
large number of cases and it was disturbing to find that so many found difficulty with a question that
should have been relatively straightforward for anyone who had studied the outline of a management
system for health and safety.
Good answers, albeit few in number, were those that addressed the following components and
highlighted the essential features of each:
• the policy to be a clear statement of intent, setting the main health and safety aims and objectives
of the company;
• the organisation for health and safety to be such as to ensure the allocation of responsibility to
appropriate members of staff, with the emphasis on achieving competency, control,
communication and consultation;
• planning and implementing to involve risk assessment, the setting of standards and the
introduction of appropriate control measures to achieve the standards;
• measuring performance by active and reactive monitoring methods;
• review and audit to check whether what was planned is actually taking place, and to consider
options for improvement, setting new targets where necessary.
Question 10
A
For part (a), candidates should have identified that
• criminal law sets a code of conduct for society, normally has a protective function and allows the
state to take action against those who break the code.
• Civil law, on the other hand, has the function of enabling an individual who has suffered harm to
gain appropriate recompense, or to seek an injunction to prevent harm occurring.
B
Part (b) needed an explanation of the principal differences between common and statute law.
Successful candidates were those who explained that
• common law is not written down but has been developed by the courts over many years and, in
the area of health and safety, forms the basis of most civil actions.
• Statute law, on the other hand, is written down in the form of Acts and Regulations, lays down
requirements and assigns duties and responsibilities. Failure to comply with statute law normally
(but not always) constitutes a criminal offence, although it can also be used in civil actions unless
specifically disallowed.
Criminal and civil law and common and statute law undoubtedly form an important part of the tuition
given by course providers but they still remain a source of confusion for many candidates. This was
particularly evident in several cases where candidates answered part (b) as if common law and civil
law were the same - and similarly for statute law and criminal law. The differences between branches
of law and sources of law are not difficult concepts to understand, yet the concepts are plainly often
not understood.
Question 11
Most candidates found this question to their liking and were able to provide an outline of at least some
of the factors that should be considered. These include
• the particulars of the task or activity to be performed,
• the equipment and materials that are involved, and
• the people carrying out the task or activity.
Additional factors are
• the inherent and contingent hazards and risks (taking into account the particular environment),
• the control measures in place,
• relevant legal requirements,
• emergency procedures,
• the systems for monitoring and
• supervision.