Contents

Unit IG1
Introduction to the Certificate Course 1

Introduction to Unit IG1 6

Element 1: Why We Should Manage Workplace Health and

Safety
Morals and Money 1-3
Introduction to Key Terms 1-3
The Moral Reason for Managing Health and Safety 1-3
The Financial Reason for Managing Health and Safety 1-4

Regulating Health and Safety 1-7

Legal Reasons for Managing Workplace Health and Safety 1-7
The International Framework 1-7
Employers’ Responsibilities 1-8
Workers’ Responsibilities and Rights 1-9
The Role of Enforcement Agencies 1-9
Consequences of Non-Compliance 1-10
Other International Standards 1-10
Sources of Information 1-11

Who Does What in Organisations 1-12

The Employer 1-12
The Shared Responsibilities of Joint Occupiers of Premises 1-14
Contractor Management 1-15

Summary 1-19

Exam Skills 1-20

 Contents

Element 2: How Health and Safety Management Systems

Work and What They Look Like
Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems 2-3
Introduction to Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems 2-3
ILO-OSH 2001: The ILO Occupational Safety and Health Management System 2-4
ISO 45001: The Occupational Health and Safety Management System Standard 2-5

Making the Management System Work – The Health and Safety Policy 2-8
Introduction to Health and Safety Policies 2-8
The Three Parts of a Health and Safety Policy 2-9
Reviewing Policy 2-14

Summary 2-16

Exam Skills 2-17

 Contents

Element 3: Managing Risk – Understanding People and

Processes
Health and Safety Culture 3-3
Health and Safety Culture 3-3
Relationship Between Health and Safety Culture and Performance 3-4
Indicators of Health and Safety Culture 3-5
The Influence of Peers 3-7

Improving Health and Safety Culture 3-8

Management Commitment and Leadership 3-8
Competent Workers 3-9
Effective Communication 3-9
Co-operation and Consultation 3-12
Training 3-14

Human Factors which Influence Safety-Related Behaviour 3-17

Organisational, Job and Individual Factors 3-17

Risk Assessment 3-22

Introduction to Key Words and Phrases 3-23
Risk Profiling 3-25
The Purpose of Risk Assessment 3-27
The Five Steps of Risk Assessment 3-28
Special Cases and Vulnerable Workers 3-42

The Management of Change 3-46

The Impact of Change 3-46
Managing the Impact of Change 3-47

Safe Systems of Work 3-49

Introduction to Safe Systems of Work 3-49
Worker Involvement 3-50
Written Procedures 3-50
Technical, Procedural and Behavioural Controls 3-50
Developing a Safe System of Work 3-51

Permit-to-Work Systems 3-53

Operation and Application 3-54
Typical Uses of Permit Systems 3-56

Emergency Procedures and First Aid 3-59

The Need for Emergency Procedures 3-59
Emergency Procedure Arrangements 3-60
First-Aid Requirements 3-61

Summary 3-65

Exam Skills 3-67

 Contents

Element 4: Health and Safety Monitoring and Measuring

Active and Reactive Monitoring 4-3
Introduction to Active and Reactive Monitoring 4-3
Active Monitoring 4-4
Safety Inspections, Sampling and Tours 4-5
Arrangements for Active Monitoring 4-7
Reactive Monitoring 4-9

Investigating, Recording and Reporting Incidents 4-12

Introduction to Incident Investigation 4-12
Types of Incident 4-13
Basic Investigation Procedures 4-16
Recording and Reporting Requirements 4-21
Reporting of Events to External Agencies 4-23

Health and Safety Auditing 4-25

Introduction to Auditing 4-25
The Stages of an Audit 4-27
External and Internal Audits 4-29

Reviewing Health and Safety Performance 4-30

Purpose of Regular Reviews 4-30
Issues to be Considered in Reviews 4-31
Outputs from the Reviews 4-32

Summary 4-33

Exam Skills 4-34

Unit IG1: Final Reminders

Suggested Answers to Study Questions

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria
Learning Outcome
The learner will be able to:
Justify health and safety
improvements using
moral, financial and legal
arguments.
Advise on the main duties
for health and safety in
the workplace and help
their organisation manage
contractors.
Work within a health and
safety management system,
recognising what effective
general policy, organisation
and arrangements should
look like.
Positively influence health
and safety culture and
behaviour to improve
performance in their
organisation.
Do a general risk assessment
in their own workplace –
profiling and prioritising
risks, inspecting the
workplace, recognising a
range of common hazards,
evaluating risks (taking
account of current controls),
recommending further
control measures, planning
actions.
© RRC International
Introduction
Assessment
Related Content Assessment Criteria (QP = Question Paper,
P = Practical)
1.1–1.2 1.1 Discuss the moral, financial and QP
legal reasons for managing health and
safety in the workplace.
1.2 Explain how the law works and the
consequences of non-compliance.
1.3 1.3 Summarise the main health and QP
safety duties of different groups of
people at work and explain how
contractors should be selected,
monitored and managed
2.1–2.2 2.1 Give an overview of the elements QP
of a health and safety management
system and the benefits of having a
formal/certified system.
2.2 Discuss the main ingredients of
health and safety management systems
that make it effective – general policy,
organisation, arrangements.
3.1–3.3 3.1 Describe the concept of health and QP
safety culture and how it influences
performance.
3.2 Summarise how health and safety
culture at work can be improved.
3.3 Summarise the human factors
which positively or negatively influence
behaviour at work in a way that can
affect health and safety.
3.4 3.4 Explain the principles of the risk QP
assessment process.
5–11 5–11 Produce a risk assessment of P
a workplace which considers a wide
range of identified hazards (drawn
from Elements 5–11) and meets best
practice standards (‘suitable and
sufficient’).
Unit IG1: Introduction 3
 Introduction

Assessment
Learning Outcome
Related Content Assessment Criteria (QP = Question Paper,
The learner will be able to:
P = Practical)

Recognise workplace 3.5 3.5 Discuss typical workplace changes QP

changes that have that have significant health and safety
significant health and safety impacts and ways to minimise those
impacts and effective ways impacts.
to minimise those impacts.

Develop basic safe 3.6–3.8 3.6 Describe what to consider when QP

systems of work (including developing and implementing a safe
taking account of typical system of work for general activities.
emergencies) and knowing
when to use permit-to-work 3.7 Explain the role, function and
systems for special risks. operation of a permit-to-work system.

3.8 Discuss typical emergency

procedures (including training and
testing) and how to decide what level
of first aid is needed in the workplace.

Take part in incident 4.2 4.2 Explain why and how incidents QP
investigations. should be investigated, recorded and
reported.

Help their employer to
check their management
system effectiveness –
through monitoring, audits
and reviews.
4.1, 4.3–4.4 4.1 Discuss common methods and QP
indicators used to monitor the
effectiveness of management systems.
4.3 Explain what an audit is and why
and how they are used to evaluate a
management system.

4.4 Explain why and how regular

reviews of health and safety
performance are needed.

These learning outcomes and assessment criteria are published by NEBOSH in the syllabus guide for the course.

Keeping Yourself Up to Date

The field of health and safety is constantly evolving and, as such, it will be necessary for you to keep up to date with
changing legislation and best practice.

RRC International publishes updates to all its course materials via a quarterly newsletter, which alerts students to key
changes in legislation, best practice and other information pertinent to current courses.

Please visit www.rrc.co.uk/news-resources/newsletters.aspx to access these updates.

4 Unit IG1: Introduction © RRC International