December 2011

Examiners Report NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety (IGC1)

Examiners Report
NEBOSH INTERNATIONAL GENERAL CERTIFICATE IN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY UNIT IGC1: MANAGEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY DECEMBER 2011

CONTENTS

Introduction

General comments

Comments on individual questions

2012 NEBOSH, Dominus Way, Meridian Business Park, Leicester LE19 1QW
tel: 0116 263 4700 fax: 0116 282 4000 email: info@nebosh.org.uk website: www.nebosh.org.uk

The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health is a registered charity, number 1010444
T(s):exrpts/I/IGC1 1112 EXTERNAL DW/DA/REW

Introduction

NEBOSH (The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) was formed in 1979 as an independent examining board and awarding body with charitable status. We offer a comprehensive range of globally-recognised, vocationally-related qualifications designed to meet the health, safety, environmental and risk management needs of all places of work in both the private and public sectors. Courses leading to NEBOSH qualifications attract over 25,000 candidates annually and are offered by over 400 course providers in 65 countries around the world. Our qualifications are recognised by the relevant professional membership bodies including the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM). NEBOSH is an awarding body recognised and regulated by the UK regulatory authorities: The Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in Wales The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in Scotland

Where appropriate, NEBOSH follows the latest version of the GCSE, GCE, Principal Learning and Project Code of Practice published by the regulatory authorities in relation to examination setting and marking (available at the Ofqual website www.ofqual.gov.uk). While not obliged to adhere to this code, NEBOSH regards it as best practice to do so. Candidates scripts are marked by a team of Examiners appointed by NEBOSH on the basis of their qualifications and experience. The standard of the qualification is determined by NEBOSH, which is overseen by the NEBOSH Council comprising nominees from, amongst others, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). Representatives of course providers, from both the public and private sectors, are elected to the NEBOSH Council. This report on the Examination provides information on the performance of candidates which it is hoped will be useful to candidates and tutors in preparation for future examinations. It is intended to be constructive and informative and to promote better understanding of the syllabus content and the application of assessment criteria. NEBOSH 2012 Any enquiries about this report publication should be addressed to: NEBOSH Dominus Way Meridian Business Park Leicester LE10 1QW Tel: 0116 263 4700 Fax: 0116 282 4000 Email: info@nebosh.org.uk

EXTERNAL

General comments

Many candidates are well prepared for this unit assessment and provide comprehensive and relevant answers in response to the demands of the question paper. This includes the ability to demonstrate understanding of knowledge by applying it to workplace situations. There are always some candidates, however, who appear to be unprepared for the unit assessment and who show both a lack of knowledge of the syllabus content and a lack of understanding of how key concepts should be applied to workplace situations. In order to meet the pass standard for this assessment, acquisition of knowledge and understanding across the syllabus are prerequisites. However, candidates need to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in answering the questions set. Referral of candidates in this unit is invariably because they are unable to write a full, well-informed answer to one or more of the questions asked. Some candidates find it difficult to relate their learning to the questions and as a result offer responses reliant on recalled knowledge and conjecture and fail to demonstrate a sufficient degree of understanding. Candidates should prepare themselves for this vocational examination by ensuring their understanding, not rote-learning pre-prepared answers. Common pitfalls It is recognised that many candidates are well prepared for their assessments. However, recurrent issues, as outlined below, continue to prevent some candidates reaching their full potential in the assessment. Many candidates fail to apply the basic principles of examination technique and for some candidates this means the difference between a pass and a referral. In some instances, candidates do not attempt all the required questions or are failing to provide complete answers. Candidates are advised to always attempt an answer to a compulsory question, even when the mind goes blank. Applying basic health and safety management principles can generate credit worthy points. Some candidates fail to answer the question set and instead provide information that may be relevant to the topic but is irrelevant to the question and cannot therefore be awarded marks. Many candidates fail to apply the command words (also known as action verbs, eg describe, outline, etc). Command words are the instructions that guide the candidate on the depth of answer required. If, for instance, a question asks the candidate to describe something, then few marks will be awarded to an answer that is an outline. Similarly the command word identify requires more information than a list. Some candidates fail to separate their answers into the different sub-sections of the questions. These candidates could gain marks for the different sections if they clearly indicated which part of the question they were answering (by using the numbering from the question in their answer, for example). Structuring their answers to address the different parts of the question can also help in logically drawing out the points to be made in response. Candidates need to plan their time effectively. Some candidates fail to make good use of their time and give excessive detail in some answers leaving insufficient time to address all of the questions. Candidates should also be aware that Examiners cannot award marks if handwriting is illegible. Candidates should note that it is not necessary to start a new page in their answer booklet for each section of a question. 3

EXTERNAL

Unit IGC1 Management of international safety and health

Question 1 A worker has been seriously injured after being struck by a forklift truck in a loading bay area. (a) (b) (c) (d) Give the meaning of the term accident. Outline the actions that should be taken immediately after the accident has occurred. Outline the process for investigating the accident. Outline the principles of good interviewing technique to be used when interviewing witnesses. (2) (4) (6) (8)

For part (a) of the question, the term accident could have been defined as an unplanned, uncontrolled event which has led to or might have led to a loss. In answer to part (b), candidates were expected to outline actions such as isolating the scene of the accident and making the area safe; administering first aid treatment and contacting the emergency services; informing management, the regulatory authority and also the insurers; informing the next of kin and offering counselling and support;, and collecting initial evidence such as photographs and sketches and the names of witnesses. Answers to this part of the question were generally reasonable though some candidates did suggest analysing the causes of the accident, which though important, could not be regarded as an immediate action. The first step in investigating an accident is to establish the investigating team. That done, it will be necessary to interview all witnesses to the accident, to collate all relevant existing documentation such as safe systems of work and maintenance and training records and to analyse the information gathered to establish the accidents immediate and root causes. A decision should then be taken on the remedial action that must be taken to prevent a recurrence and an action plan prepared allocating responsibilities and a time scale for the introduction of the recommended measures and communicating this to the individuals concerned. Answers to this part of the question were not to the same standard as part (b) since candidates tended to describe what should be looked at in an investigation rather than the investigation process itself. One of the more important factors in interviewing witnesses after an accident is to carry out the interviews as soon as possible after the incident has occurred. Witnesses should be interviewed one at a time in a location which will ensure privacy with no interruption. It is essential that the witness is put at ease and he/she should be allowed to be accompanied if required. The interviewer should use open rather than leading questions designed to obtain facts rather than feelings or opinions with it being made clear that the purpose of the interview is not to assign blame for the incident. The question of using appropriate language, free from jargon, is also important and consideration should be given to the state of mind of the interviewee who might still be traumatised by what he/she has witnessed. At the end of the interview, a summary of the evidence given by the witness will need to be drawn up and agreed to enable it to be attached to the final report on the incident.

EXTERNAL

The final part of the question produced the least successful answers since candidates seemed unable to outline the principles of a good interviewing technique but merely suggested the type of question that should be asked.

Question 2

Outline the circumstances that may require a health and safety policy to be reviewed

(8)

A good answer to this question would have outlined circumstances such as significant changes in the structure of the organisation; after the introduction of new or changed processes or technology or a change in working arrangements; following changes in key personnel or a change of premises; after new or amended requirements of relevant legislation; where audits, risk assessments, monitoring exercises or investigations show that the policy is no longer effective or relevant; following enforcement action; as a result of consultation with the workforce; and after a sufficient period of time has elapsed since the previous review to suggest that another one is due. This question presented little difficulty to most candidates though some limited the number of marks they could be awarded by producing a list rather than an outline.

Question 3

Identify: (a) (b) FOUR active (proactive); FOUR reactive (4) (4)

means by which an organisation can monitor its health and safety performance.

In answering part (a) of the question, candidates could have identified a number of active monitoring methods such as safety inspections, surveys, audits and sampling; environmental monitoring; health surveillance; behavioural observation such as by carrying out safety tours and benchmarking against the performance of other like organisations. Most candidates coped well with this part of the question though there was the occasional difficulty in distinguishing between active and reactive means. Answers to part (b), however, were not to the same standard and many candidates found difficulty in identifying four reactive means. Those who could, identified means such as accident statistics and reports; sickness absence rates particularly those relating to occupational ill-health; incidents of reported near misses and dangerous occurrences; property damage; the number of actions such as the issue of notices or prosecutions taken by the enforcement authorities; the number of civil claims; the number of complaints from workers and the costs involved in all the above.

Question 4

(a) (b)

Explain why it is important for an organisation to consult with its workers on health and safety issues. Outline the factors that may determine the effectiveness of a safety committee.

(4) (4)

Candidates should have recognised that it is important for an organisation to consult with its workers on health and safety issues since participation will help to improve

EXTERNAL

their understanding of the value and importance of health and safety, will raise the profile of health and safety issues and develop their feeling of ownership of safety measures. Additionally, by seeking their views and allowing them to contribute to the decision making, management would demonstrate their commitment to health and safety while the workers motivation may be increased and their morale improved. There is also the additional benefit that the views of workers would be useful in ensuring that any suggested improvements would be workable in practice. Credit was also available for referring to the possibility that consultation with the workforce might well be a legal requirement. Answers to this part of the question were generally to a reasonable standard. For part (b), factors that might determine the effectiveness of a safety committee include the demonstration of commitment from both management and workers with the membership of the committee constituting an even balance between management and employee representatives under the chairmanship of a fair, strong individual with one member of sufficient seniority to authorise any agreed action; the competence and training of committee members with the provision of access to professional health and safety advice and support; the allocation of resources for the committee meetings which should be at a convenient time and notified in advance to all members with a copy of the agenda consisting of items for discussion which are topical and relevant to the organisation; and the preparation of formal minutes after each meeting to include actions that have been agreed with a copy displayed where it is accessible to all workers so that they might be aware of the decisions that have been taken. There were few candidates who answered this part of the question with either confidence or competence. Many listed the benefits of having a committee and then outlined the topics it should discuss rather than dealing with the factors that could impact on its effectiveness. Of those who did seem to appreciate what was required many could offer only commitment, training and the preparation of minutes.

Question 5

Outline, with examples, the general hierarchy that should be applied in order to control health and safety risks in the workplace.

(8)

In outlining the application of the general hierarchy, candidates should have begun with the possibility of avoiding the risks by contracting the work out or eliminating them by designing them out or changing the process. The next step would be the reduction of the risks by, for example, the substitution of hazardous substances with others which were less hazardous or by the introduction of job rotation. If this were not possible, then isolation would have to be considered, using enclosures, barriers or worker segregation. The application of engineering controls such as guarding, the provision of local exhaust ventilation systems and the use of reduced low voltage systems or residual current devices would follow as would management controls such as safe systems of work, training and supervision with the final control measure being the provision of personal protective equipment such as ear defenders or respiratory protective equipment. Answers to this question were limited and some candidates did not read the question with sufficient care and provided answers on the five steps of risk assessment.

Question 6

(a) (b)

Give the meaning of the term motivation. Identify how an organisation can motivate its workers to adopt safe working practices.

(2) (6)

EXTERNAL

For part (a), motivation could have been defined as the driving force behind the way a person acts in order to achieve a goal. There were few good definitions provided for the term. Some candidates did suggest that encouragement was the key but this alone was not sufficient to gain the two marks available. There are a number of ways to motivate workers to adopt safe working practices such as establishing a positive and no blame health and safety culture in the organisation and ensuring that management always lead by example; by demonstrating the commitment of the organisation by the allocation of resources to attain a safe and healthy working environment; by setting realistic health and safety objectives and clearly stating individual health and safety responsibilities; by the provision of information and training to workers to make them fully aware of the consequences of not working safely and involving them in health and safety matters by direct consultation and through their input on safety committees; by the consistent application of laid down procedures; by regular monitoring of performance by management at all levels and providing appropriate feedback to the workers on their observations; and by recognising and rewarding achievement when this is seen to be merited. There were some good responses given for this part of the question while others would have been improved had the candidates elaborated more on one word answers.

Question 7

Identify factors that should be considered when developing a programme of health and safety training.

(8)

In developing a programme of health and safety training, the completion of a training needs analysis would be an important first step and this would have to take into account the work activities of the organisation, the hazards and risks involved and the organisations accident history. The analysis would also involve an assessment of the workers existing knowledge, taking into account their previous experience, the levels and types of training already received and indications of any deficiencies in performance such as from incident data or by observation. Consideration would then have to be given to the content of the training needed including that which may be required by legislation, the number of workers to be trained, the language and literacy levels of the likely participants, and the resources involved in terms of financial costs, time and facilities. A further factor to be considered would be the competence and expertise of in-house staff to provide the required training, the possible need to involve external sources and the benefits and disadvantages of using classroom or on the job presentation. Finally there would need to be consultation with workers and their representatives in order to seek their commitment to, and their views on the proposed programme and the arrangements to be made for evaluating the training when completed. This was probably the most poorly answered question on the paper because candidates did not appreciate what was required mainly because they did not pay attention to the key word developing. Consequently most dealt only with the content of the proposed training programme rather than the factors that should be considered in its development.

EXTERNAL

Question 8

(a) (b) (c)

Give the meaning of the term hazard. Give the meaning of the term risk.

(2) (2)

Outline reasons why young persons may be at a higher risk of injury in a workplace. (4) _____________________________________________________________________ For part (a) candidates should have defined hazard as something with the potential to cause harm and for part (b), an acceptable definition of risk would have been the likelihood that the potential would be realised and its possible consequence and severity in terms of injury, damage or harm should it occur. Answers to the first two parts of the question were generally to a good standard though there were some candidates who neglected to refer to severity when defining the term risk. For part (c), candidates also provided reasonable answers identifying reasons such as lack of knowledge, experience or training; a lack of awareness or perception of risk; the individuals stage of physical development coupled with immaturity and lack of confidence; underdeveloped communication skills; over enthusiasm and the tendency for young workers to take more risks and to respond more readily to peer group influences.

Question 9

Identify documentation that is likely to be inspected during a health and safety audit.

(8)

Documentation that is likely to be examined during a health and safety audit includes the company health and safety policy; risk assessments; safe systems of work, and permit to work procedures; records of statutory inspections; accident and incident statistics and reports; emergency procedures and the related documentation; health surveillance and ill-health records; documents connected with safety monitoring procedures such as inspections or tours; maintenance procedures and records; environmental monitoring records such as for noise or dust; training records; consultation arrangements with staff such as committee minutes; records of enforcement action by or written advice from the enforcement authority; and insurance documentation. Candidates did not pay sufficient attention to the wording of the question. Some answers therefore dealt with the purpose of an audit and how to carry it out, while others suggested aspects of working conditions that should be inspected rather than documentation.

EXTERNAL

Question 10

Outline the main health and safety responsibilities of: (a) (b) employers; workers. (4) (4)

The main health and safety responsibilities of an employer are to prepare a health and safety policy; to provide and maintain a safe place of work and a safe working environment including access and egress together with safe plant and equipment; to carry out risk assessments and to introduce safe systems of work; to ensure the safe use, storage, handling and transport of articles and substances; to provide adequate welfare facilities including first aid; and to provide information, instruction, training and supervision for his workers. Additionally, candidates should have referred to the responsibility of an employer to provide personal protective equipment, to introduce emergency procedures and to cooperate and consult both with his workers and with other employers at his workplace. This part of the question was generally well answered. For part (b), workers have the responsibility to cooperate with their employer; to take reasonable care for their own safety and that of their fellow workers and to report accidents and any dangerous situations at the workplace. They should not misuse any equipment provided for them, should follow site rules and should not take alcohol or drugs during their working time. Answers to part (b) were not to the same standard. Question 11 Identify possible costs to an organisation resulting from inadequate health and safety standards.

(8)

The results of failing to provide adequate standards of workplace health and safety are generally an increase in accidents and ill health of the workers. Consequently the organisation suffers direct costs such as those arising from lost production and time dealing with the subsequent investigations; those arising from plant damage and replacement and in cleaning up activities following an accident or incident; having both to pay those who are unable to work as a result of an accident or ill-health and recruiting and training replacement labour; costs arising from the possibility of action by the enforcement authorities or by a civil claim from the injured parties and the inevitable rise in insurance premiums. There are also indirect costs related to poor staff morale which could lead to industrial unrest and high staff turnover and the damage done to the organisations reputation which could lead to a loss of orders and a subsequent decrease in its profitability. Most candidates provided reasonable answers for this question with those doing best who structured their responses under the headings of direct and indirect costs. Some, however, confined their answers solely to costs arising as a result of an accident without taking the broader view of those which might result from inadequate health and safety standards.

EXTERNAL

The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health Dominus Way Meridian Business Park Leicester LE19 1QW telephone +44 (0)116 2634700 fax +44 (0)116 2824000 email info@nebosh.org.uk www.nebosh.org.uk