INTERNATIONAL

GENERAL CERTIFICATE IN
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

MOCK PAPER IGC1: MANAGEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH
AND SAFETY

The maximum marks for each question, or part question, are shown in brackets. Total
marks is 100

1. (a) Outline the factors that should be considered when selecting individuals to assist in
carrying out risk assessments in the workplace.




(5)

(b) Describe the key stages of a general risk assessment.



(5)

(c) Outline a hierarchy of measures for controlling exposures to hazardous substances. (10)

Answer:

(a) The most important factor is the competence and experience of the individuals in
hazard identification a nd r isk a ssessment. S ome t raining i n t hese a reas s hould o ffer
evidence o f t he r equired c ompetence. They should be experienced in the process or
activity under assessment and have technical knowledge of any plant or equipment
used. They should have knowledge of any relevant standards, HSE guidance and
regulations relating to the activity or process.
They must be keen and committed but also aware of their own limitations. They need
good c ommunication s kills a nd b e a ble t o w rite i nteresting and accurate reports based
on evidence and the detail found in health and safety standards, codes of practice,
regulations and guidance. Some IT skills would also be advantageous. Finally, the views of
their immediate supervisor should be sought before they are selected as team members.

(b) There are five key stages to a risk assessment suggested by the HSE as follows:

The first stage is hazard identification which involves looking at significant hazards which
could r esult i n s erious h arm t o p eople. T rivial h azards should be ignored. This will
involve touring the workplace concerned looking for the hazards in consultation with
workers themselves and also reviewing any accidents, ill health or incidents that have
occurred.

Stage 2 is to identify the person who could be harmed this may be employees,
visitors, contractors, neighbours or even the general public. Special g roups a t r isk,
like y oung p ersons, n ursing o r e xpectant mothers and people with a disability,
should also be identified.

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Stage 3 i s t he e valuation o f t he r isks a nd d eciding if existing precautions or control

measures are a dequate. The purpose is to reduce all residual risks after controls
have been put in to as low as is reasonably practicable. It is usual to have a qualita-
tive approach and rank risks as high, medium or low after looking at the severity of
likely harm and the l ikelihood o f i t h appening. A s imple r isk m atrix c an be used to
get a level of risk.

The t eam s hould t hen c onsider w hether t he e xisting c ontrols a re a dequate a nd
meet a ny guidance or legal standards using the hierarchy of c ontrols a nd t he G eneral
Principles o f P revention set out in the Management Regulations.

Stage 4 of the risk assessment is to record the significant findings which must be done
if there are five or more people employed. The findings should i nclude any action
that is necessary to reduce risks and improve existing controls preferably set
against a t ime s cale. T he i nformation c ontained i n t he r isk a ssessment m ust b e
disseminated t o e mployees and discussed at the next health and safety committee
meeting.

Stage 5 is a time scale set to review and possibly r evise t he a ssessment w hich m ust
also b e d one i f there are significant changes in the workplace or the equipment and
materials being used.
(c) The various stages of the usual hierarchy of risk controls are underlined in this
answer.

Elimination or substitution is the best and most effective way of avoiding a severe
hazard and its associated risks. Elimination occurs when a process o r activity is
totally abandoned because the associated r isk i s t oo h igh. S ubstitution
describes the use of a less hazardous form of the substance. T here a re m any
examples o f s ubstitution, s uch a s the use of water-based rather than oil-based
paints and the use of asbestos substitutes.

In some cases it is possible to change the method o f working so that exposures are
reduced, such as, the use of rods to clear drains instead of strong chemicals. It may
be possible to use the substance in a safer form; for example, in liquid or pellets to
prevent dust from powders. Sometimes the p attern o f w ork c an b e c hanged s o t hat
people c an do things in a more natural way; for example, by encouraging people in
offices to take breaks from c omputer s creens b y g etting u p t o p hotocopy o r fetch
documents.

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Reduced o r l imited t ime e xposure i nvolves reducing the time that the employee is
exposed to t he h azardous s ubstance e ither b y g iving t he employee other work or
rest periods.

If the above measures cannot be applied, then the next stage in the hierarchy is
the introduction of engineering controls, such as isolation (using an e nclosure, a
barrier o r g uard), i nsulation ( used o n any electrical or temperature hazard) or
ventilation (exhausting any hazardous fumes or gases either naturally or by the use of
extractor fans and hoods). I f ventilation is to be used, it must reduce the
exposure l evel f or e mployees t o b elow t he workplace exposure limit.

Housekeeping is a very cheap and effective means of controlling risks. It involves
keeping the workplace clean and tidy at all times and maintaining good storage
systems for hazardous substances.

A safe system of work is a requirement of the H SW A ct a nd d escribes t he s afe
method o f performing the job.

Training and information are important but should n ot b e u sed i n i solation.
Information i ncludes s uch i tems as signs, posters, systems of work and general
health and safety arrangements.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) should only be used as a last resort. There are
many reasons for this. It relies on people wearing the equipment at all times and must
be used properly.

Welfare facilities, which include general workplace ventilation, lighting and heating and
the provision of drinking water, sanitation and washing facilities, are the next stage in
the hierarchy.

All risk control measures, including training, and supervision must be monitored by
competent people t o c heck o n t heir c ontinuing e ffectiveness. P eriodically the risk
control measures should be reviewed. M onitoring and other reports are crucial for
the review t o b e u seful. R eviews o ften t ake p lace a t s afety c ommittee a nd/or a t
management m eetings. A serious accident or incident should lead to an immediate
review of the risk control measures in place.

Finally, special control requirements are needed for carcinogens.

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2. Outline the ways in which employers may motivate their employees to comply with
health and safety procedures.






(8)

Answer:

Motivation is the driving force behind the way a person acts or the way in which people
are stimulated to act. The best way to motivate employees to comply with health and
safety procedures is to improve their understanding of the consequences of not working
safely, their knowledge of good safety practices and the promotion of their ownership
of health and safety. This can be done by effective training (induction, refresher and
continuous) and the provision of information showing the commitment of the
organization to safety and by the encouragement of a positive health and safety
culture with good communications systems. Managers should set a good example by
encouraging safe behaviour and obeying all the health and safety rules themselves
even when there is a difficult conflict between production schedules and health and
safety standards. A good working environment and welfare facilities will also encourage
motivation. Involvement in the decision making process in a meaningful way, such as
regular team briefings, the development of risk assessments and safe systems of
work, health and safety meetings and effective joint consultation arrangements, will
also improve motivation as will the use of incentive schemes, However, there are other
important influences on motivation such as recognition and promotion opportunities,
job security and job satisfaction. Self-interest, in all its forms, is a significant motivator.

Although s omewhat n egative, i t i s n ecessary sometimes to resort to disciplinary
procedures to get people to behave in a safe way. This is rather like speed cameras on roads
with the potential for fines and points on your licence.

3. (a) Explain why young persons may be at a greater risk from accidents at work.
(4)

(b) Outline the measures that could be taken to minimize the risks to young employees (4)

Answer:

(a) Young w orkers h ave a l ack o f e xperience, k nowledge and awareness of risks in
the workplace. They tend to be subject to peer pressure and behave in a
boisterous manner. They are often willing to work hard and want to please their
supervisor and can become over-enthusiastic. This can lead to the taking of risks
without the realization of the consequences. Some younger workers have
underdeveloped communication skills and a limited attention span. Their physical
strength and capabilities may not be fully developed and so they may be more vulnerable
to injury when manually handling equipment and materials. They are also more sus-
ceptible to physical agents, biological and chemical agents such as temperature
extremes, noise, vibration, radiation and hazardous substances.

(b) The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require that a special risk
assessment must be made before a young person is employed. This should help to identify
the measures which should be taken to minimize the risks to young people.
Measures should include:

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additional supervision to ensure that they are closely looked after, particularly in the early
stages of their employment
induction and other training to help them understand the hazards and risk at their work
place
not allowing them to be exposed to extremes of temperature, noise or vibration
not allowing them to be exposed to radiation, or compressed air and diving work
carefully controlling levels of exposure to hazardous materials so that exposure to
carcinogens is as near zero as possible and other exposure is below the WEL limits
which are set for adults
not allowing them to use highly dangerous machinery like power presses and circular
saws; explosives mechanical lifting equipment such as forklift trucks etc.
Restricting the weight that young persons lift manually to well below any
weights permitted for adults.

There should be clear lines of communication and regular appraisals. A health surveillance
programme should also be in place.


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

Answer:

Good answers to this question were those that addressed the components of, health and safety
management system in turn and highlighted the essential features' of each. For instance, that the
policy should be a clear statement of intent setting out the main health and safety aims and
objectives of the company; that the organisation for health and safety should ensure the
allocation of responsibility to appropriate members of staff, with the emphasis on achieving
competency, control, communication and consultation; that planning and implementing should
involve risk assessment, the setting of standards and the introduction of appropriate control measures
to achieve the required standards; that measuring performance should be carried out by active and
reactive monitoring methods; and that finally a review and audit should be carried out to check
whether what was planned was actually taking place, to consider options for improvement and to
set new targets where necessary. While most candidates were able to identify the main components
of a safety management system based on HSG65, some were unable to provide answers. to a
sufficient depth to satisfy a clear understanding of the subject area to Examiners.

5. Identify FOUR active and FOUR reactive means by which an organisation can
monitor its health and safety performance.





(8)

Answer:

In answering this question, active methods that might have been outlined included safety
audits involving comprehensive and independently executed examinations of all aspects of
an organisations health and safety performance against stated objectives, safety surveys
focusing on a particular activity such as manual handling, training programmes and
employees attitudes towards health and safety; sampling where specific areas of
occupation health and safety are targeted; tours involving unscheduled workplace
inspections to check on issues such as wearing of PPE and housekeeping; benchmarking
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where an organisations performance in certain areas is compared with that of other

organisations with similar processes and risks and health surveillance using techniques such
as audiometry.

Reactive methods monitoring might include an analysis if statistics on accidents, dangerous
occurrences, near misses and cases of occupational ill-health; assessment of the cost of these
incidents including damage to property; the number if enforcement actions such as
prosecutions and notices taken against the organisation and the number of civil claims for
damages persued on behalf of its employees.

Examiners were surprised at the standard of answers provided to this question with many
candidates appearing to confused between active and reactive methods of monitoring.

6. Outline ways to help ensure the effectiveness of a health and safety committee. (8)

Answer:

One of the prime requirements in setting up an effective safety committee is to ensure that it
has the full backing of senior management, that its membership constitutes an even balance
between management and employee representatives (under the chairmanship of a fair,
strong but diplomatic individual), and all of whom would be in a position to authorise agreed
action. It would be essential that time and resources are set aside for committee meetings
which should be at a convenient time and notified in advance to all members with a copy of
the agenda. Formal minutes should be prepared after each meeting including actions that
have been agreed and a copy of these should be displayed where it is accessible to all
employees so that they might be aware of the decisions that have been taken.
This question was answered quite well by many candidates. However, a number of
candidates seem to gave misread the question and gave answers based on the duties and
effectiveness of safety representatives rather than that of a safety committee.

7. (a) Identify TWO situations where a permit-to-work would be appropriate.
(2)

(b) Outline the key elements of a permit-to-work system.



(6)

Answer:

For part (a), most candidates were able to identify 2 situations where a permit-to-work
might be considered appropriate, choosing in particular from work:

In confined spaces,
Work in flammable atmospheres,
Work on electrical equipment,
Hot work,
And maintenance work on dangerous process plant or production machinery.

Parr (b), the first of which would be a description and assessment of the task to be
performed (including the plant involved and the possible hazards).
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This will determine the need for, and nature of, other key elements namely:

The isolation of sources of energy and inlets,
The additional precautions required (e.g. atmospheric monitoring, PPE, emergency
equipment),
And the duration permit

As essential element of a permit-to-work system is, of course, the operation of the permit
itself.
By means of signatures, the permit should be issued by an authorised person and accepted
by the competent person responsible for the work.
On completion of the work, the competent person would need to indicate on the permit that
the area had been made safe in order for the permit to be cancelled by the authorised
person, after which the isolations could be removed.

8. Identify EIGHT sources of information that might be usefully consulted when
developing a safe system of work.






(8)

Answer:

This question was generally well answered by most candidates, who outlined sources such
as:

Legislation;
Approved codes of practice and official guidance;
Manufacturer information;
British, European, international and industrial standards;
And direct contact with enforcement agencies and professional bodies.
As well as such external sources, better candidates looked at a range of information from
within organisation, such as:
In house standards,
The results of risk assessment and job safety analysis,
And accident and health surveillance date

9. (a) Give FOUR reasons why an organisation should have a system for the internal
reporting of accidents.







(4)

(b) Outline factors that may discourage employees from reporting
accidents at work.








(4)

Answer:

For Part (a), most candidates identified that accidents should be reported and recorded in
order to

Comply with legislative requirements

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To enable an accident investigation to take place (with the aim of preventing

accidents of a similar type)
And to identify accident trends from later statistical analysis

Marks were also available for identifying that accident reporting and recording can also lead
to a useful review of risk assessments and can assist in the consideration of any civil claims
that may arise.

In answering part (b), Examiners were looking to candidates to outline such factors as:

Ignorance of the reporting procedures,
The possibility of retribution (particularly within a blame culture),
Peer pressure,
A previous lack of management response,
And dislike to form filling

Other factors include:

A reluctance to lose time from the job in hand,
The trivial nature of any injury sustained,
And a desire to preserve the companys, the departments or the individuals personal
safety record, particularly where bonus payments are affected by it.

10. List the factors what could be considered when assessing the health and safety
competence of a contractor.







(8)

Answer:

Candidates should be able to list a good range of factors that include, amongst many others:

The contractor's previous experience with the type of work.

The reputation of the contractor amongst previous or current clients.
The content and quality of the contractor's health and safety policy and risk
assessments.
The level of training and qualifications of staff (including those with health and safety
responsibilities).
Accident/enforcement history.
Membership of accreditation or certification bodies.
Equipment maintenance and statutory examination records.
The detailed proposals (e.g. method statements) for the work to be carried out

11. Outline FOUR advantages and FOUR disadvantages of using posters to communicate
health and safety information to the workforce.




(8)

Answer:

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Posters are commonly used as a medium for passing on health & safety messages to the
workforce & most candidates will have used them or seen them in use.

The question was generally well answered but excellence was achieved only by the
candidates who thought practically about the issues involved, structured their responses
under the separate headings of advantages & disadvantages, & provided a reasonable
outline as required.

Advantages of posters include:

their relatively low cost, (allowing them to be displayed in the lost apposite
positions)

their brevity (allowing messages to be easily understood),

their use in reinforcing verbal instructions or information,
& in providing a constant reminder of important health & safety issues, & their
potential to allow employees to become involved in their selection & hence in the
message being conveyed.

Disadvantages include:

the need to change posters on a regular basis if they are to be noticed,

they provide no direct way of assessing whether the message has been understood,

the fact that they may become soiled, defaced & out-of-date,
& the possibility that they might be seen to trivialise serious matters.
additionally they might actually alienate people if inappropriate stereotypes (e.g. of
the stupid worker) are used,
& they may be perceived by unscrupulous employers as an easy, if not particularly
effective, way of discharging their responsibility to provide health & safety
information,
& even of shifting the responsibility onto the workforce for any accidents that may
occur.

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