Revision Session

IGC 1 Module

Question #1
Replacement & retraining of staff is a cost that
an organisation may face following a workplace
accident.
List EIGHT other possible costs to an
organisation when an employee has been
seriously injured in such an accident.
(8)

Question #1

There were many possible responses to this question & candidates could
have chosen from a list of possible costs that includes those associated with:
lost production,
staff absence & temporary replacement,
repair of damaged plant & equipment,
damage to products,
investigation & remedial action,
additional administration incurred,
an increase in insurance premiums,
fines & damages awarded & court & other legal representation.
Also relevant are the intangible costs arising from a loss of business image
& the detrimental effect on employee morale resulting in reduced
productivity.

Question #2
Outline FOUR main components of the health
and safety management system described in
BS OHSAS 18001:2007 Occupational health
and safety management systems.
(8)

Question #2
BS OHSAS BS 18001:2007

OH&S Policy

Planning

Implementation and operation

Checking and corrective action

Management review

Question #2
BS OHSAS BS 18001:2007
OH&S Policy

Establish overall direction

Consistent with overall business policies

ISO 9000 and ISO 14000

Planning

OH&S objectives

Documented procedures

Identification of hazards, risks and control measures

Identification of legal and other standards

Question #2
BS OHSAS BS 18001:2007
Implementation and operation
Control
Competence
Co-operation
Communication
Checking and corrective action
Active and reactive
Management review
Audit
Continual improvement

Question #3
(a) Outline the requirements whereby employers must
prepare a written statement of their health and safety
policy.
(2)
(b) Explain the purpose of EACH of the following
sections of a health & safety policy document:
(i)
Statement of Intent.
(2)
(ii)
Organisation.
(2)
(iii
Arrangements.
(2)
(c) Outline the issues that are typically included in the
arrangements section of a health & safety policy
document.
(8)

Question #3
For part (a), H&S policy is to show the commitment of the most
senior person to health and safety and to bring this to the attention of
all stakeholders. The health and safety policy may be a legal
requirement, but is the starting point of every effective safety
management system
For part (b) the 2 marks available for explaining the purposes of
each of the 3 sections of a policy document, good answers identified
that:
a statement of intent demonstrates an organisations commitment
to, & sets organisational objectives for, H&S; e.g. zero accidents
the organisation section identifies the H&S responsibilities &
channels of communication within the organisation; e.g. Directors,
General Manager, Project Managers etc.
& the arrangements section deals the practical means for achieving
the objectives laid down in the policy statement; e.g. Procedures,
Risk Assessments, Safe System of Work etc.

Question #3

(c) These included:

systems of work;
H&S training, provision of PPE;
specific types of hazard (e.g. machinery, hazardous substances, manual
handling, fire etc);
control of contractors;
safety of visitors;
accident reporting & investigation procedures;
first-aid facilities;
emergency procedures;
employee consultation;
& monitoring & review procedures.

Question #4
A company intends to use the services of an outside contractor
for office cleaning, both within and outside normal office hours.
An invitation to tender for the work has been issued.
(a) Outline the checks that the company should make when
deciding on the health and safety competence of contractors
tendering for the work.
(6)
(b) Outline the duties that the company will owe to the
cleaners.
(4)
(c) Identify the actions that the company should take to help
insure that the health and safety of their own and the
contractors employees are not put at risk.
(10)

Checks on Contractors
Experience of the type of
job and industry

Accident record

References

Trade / professional body

membership

Enforcement history

Employee competence

Safety management
system / policy

Selection and
management of subcontractors

Competent Advice
Risk assessments and
method statements

Liaison with the client

Monitoring and
supervision
Insurance

(B) Duties company will owe to

cleaners
Landlords duties safe place, safe access
and egress, safe plant and equipment, safe
substances e.g. cleaning agents
Provision of information e.g. working
timings, hazards existing at the premises

Induction training, explaining emergency

procedures
Risks to the safety of the contractors
employees arising from their own work and
workplace

(C) Actions the Company

should take:
Plan the job especially the sequence of
cleaning, timings (out of office hours) etc.
Establish communication channels
including accident reporting

Regular inspections of the contractors

operation

Question #5
(a) Outline the key health and safety
responsibilities of employers which are
common in many countries.
(4)
(b) Outline the key health and safety
responsibilities and rights of employees which
are common in many countries.
(4)

(a) Employers
Provision of:
Safe workplace, work equipment and substances

Including safe systems of work

Safe and competent fellow employees

Including selection

information, training, instruction and supervision (ITIS)

Welfare facilities
Emergency procedures

Consultation with employees or their representatives

Not charging employees for health and safety

measures

(b) Employees
Co-operation with employer, to meet employers
legal obligations
Consultation with employer
Reporting dangerous situations to employer
Rights to receive information, instruction and
training
Duty of care to themselves and other persons by
working safely

Using equipment and following safe systems of work

as informed / trained.

Question #6
(a) Identify the factors that place young persons
at greater risk of accidents at work.
(4)
(b) Outline the measures that could be taken to
minimise the risk to young persons.
(4)

Question #6

In their answers to part (a), Examiners were looking for candidates to

identify the factors such as:
lack of perception of risk or of ability to avoid risk (because of limited
knowledge, experience &/or lack of training),
the individuals stage of physical development,
& the tendency of young persons to take risks & to respond to peer group
pressure.
For part (b), candidates were expected to outline measures such as:
the completion of risk assessments with young persons specifically in mind,
induction programmes, careful supervision or mentoring by an experienced
co-worker,
clear lines of communication, & limits on the number of hours worked.

Question #7
Outline FOUR advantages & FOUR disadvantages of
using propaganda posters to communicate health &
safety information to the workforce.
(8)

Question #7
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.

Question #7

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.

Question #7

Disadvantages include:
the need to change posters on a regular basis if they are to be
noticed,
the fact that they may become soiled, defaced & out-of-date,
& the possibility that they might be seen to trivialise serious
matters.
they provide no direct way of assessing whether the message
has been understood,
& 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.

Question #8
Outline the reasons that may prevent a verbal
instruction being clearly understood by an
employee.
(8)

Question #8

The reasons why someone might misunderstand an instruction may

be due to:
the way that verbal information is given (e.g complex, jargonistic,
ambiguous, not in the usual language of the receiver, in a heavy
dialect;
distorted by the means of communication such as telephone or
tannoy;
inconsistent with body language;
due to the environment (e.g noisy) or due to some limitation on the
part of the receiver (e.g. mental or physical difficulty),
Inattention;
lack of knowledge or experience;
restricted by PPE.

Question #9
(a) Explain the meaning of the term motivation.
(2)
(b) Other than the lack of motivation, outline SIX
reasons why employees may fail to comply
with safety procedures at work.
(6)

Question #9

For part (a), most candidates were able to provide a reasonable explanation
of motivation, which is essentially the driving force behind the way that
someone strives to achieve a goal or objective (e.g. to work safely).
For part (b), candidates were asked to outline six reasons that might
account for the failure of employees to comply with safety procedures.
They could have chosen from a number of reasons including:
lack of management commitment;
over familiarisation with the tasks to be performed;
repetitive work, leading to boredom & lack of concentration;
peer group pressure;
wilful disregard of laid-down procedures coupled with inadequate or
ineffective supervision;
fatigue & stress;
lack of communication, training & consultation.

Question #10
An organization has introduced a new work process for which a
risk assessment is required.
(i) Outline the steps that should be used in carrying out the
risk assessment, identifying the issues that would need to
be considered at EACH stage.
(8)
(ii) Explain the criteria that must be met for the assessment to
be deemed suitable & sufficient.
(4)
(iii) Identify the various circumstances that might require a
review of the risk assessment.
(8)

Question #10

In answering part (i) of the question, candidates were expected to outline

such steps as:
the need to define the process or task that is being assessed;
identifying the hazards involved & determining their possible consequences;
identifying the number & types of person exposed;
evaluating the associated risk by assessing the likelihood & severity of harm
that could be caused;
evaluating the adequacy of existing controls & the need for additional
measures to secure compliance with legislation & other standards;
& recording the results of the assessment together with making
arrangements for its monitoring & review.

Question #10

(ii) They were expected to refer to such matters as:

Ensure all aspects of work activity are reviewed.
Take account of the way the work is organized.
Identify the significant hazards and risks
Evaluate the risks
Identify employees and others at risk
Identify control measures
Ensure that residual risk is low.
Ensure that staff undertaking RA have sufficient knowledge and
experience.
Ensure that the RA is valid for a reasonable time.

Question #10

Answers to part (iii) of the question tended to be better, possibly because it

has appeared several times previously as a short-answered question.
Typical circumstances include:
a change to the process, work method or substances in use;
the introduction of new & modified plant;
the availability of new information on hazards & risks;
accidents or incidents of ill-health;
the results of monitoring &/or auditing;
a change in the requirements of legislation;
action taken or advice given by an enforcement authority or insurance
company;
& a change in personnel, in particular the involvement of young persons,
new or expectant mothers or disabled persons.

Question #11
(a) Identify TWO situations where a permit-towork would be appropriate.
(2)
(b) Outline the key elements of a permit-to-work
system.
(6)

Question #11

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,
& maintenance work on dangerous process plant or production machinery.

Question #11
Part (b), the first of which would be a description &
assessment of the task to be performed (including the
plant involved & the possible hazards).
This will determine the need for, & nature of, other key
elements namely:
the isolation of sources of energy & inlets,
the additional precautions required (e.g. atmospheric
monitoring, PPE, emergency equipment),
& the duration of the permit.

Question #11
An 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 & 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.

Question #12
Identify EIGHT sources of information that
might be usefully consulted when developing a
safe system of work.
(8)

Question #12

This question was generally well answered by most candidates, who

outlined sources such as:
legislation;
approved codes of practice & official guidance;
manufacturers information;
British, European, international & industry standards;
& direct contact with enforcement agencies & professional bodies.
As well as such external sources, better candidates looked at a range of
information from within an organisation, such as:
in-house standards,
the results of risk assessment & job safety analysis,
& accident & health surveillance data.

Question #13
(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)

Question #13
For Part (a), most candidates identified that accidents should be reported &
recorded in order to
comply with legislative requirements
to enable an accident investigation to take place (with the aim of preventing
accidents of a similar type)
& to identify accident trends from later statistical analysis
Marks were also available for identifying that accident reporting & recording
can also lead to a useful review of risk assessments & can assist in the
consideration of any civil claims that may arise

Question #13

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,
& dislike to form filling.
Other factors include:
a reluctance to lose time from the job in hand,
the trivial nature of any injury sustained,
& a desire to preserve the companys, the departments or the individuals
personal safety record, particularly where bonus payments are affected by it.

Question #14
A driver of a fork-lift truck has been seriously
injured after the vehicle overturned.
(i) Outline the possible immediate causes of
the accident in terms of BOTH the behaviour
of the driver AND the conditions of the
workplace & work equipment.
(10)
(ii) Describe the underlying factors that may
have led to the unsafe acts or conditions
identified in (i).
(10)

Question #14
This question was intended to test candidates knowledge of the causes of
accidents an important aspect of accident investigation.
They were required to display the ability to distinguish between immediate
causes & underlying factors relating to a scenario involving the overturning
of a fork-lift-truck.

Question #14
In answers to part (i) of the question, Examiners were looking for causes in terms
both of driver behaviour & of the conditions of the workplace & work equipment.

Driving errors that could have been identified include:

cornering too fast,
hitting obstructions,
driving on uneven ground or across slopes,
moving with the load elevated,
instable or excessive,
& colliding with another vehicle.
Causes associated with the workplace & work equipment include:
potholes,
ineffective brakes,
tyres that were under-inflated or in poor condition,
& mechanical failures.

Question #14

In answering part (ii), there were many underlying factors that candidates
could have described.
These include: a poor or complete lack of risk assessment;
poor selection of vehicle;
inadequate driver training;
a failure to develop safe systems of work;
poor employee selection procedures;
a lack of supervision;
poor maintenance procedures (for equipment &/or the workplace);
failure to introduce a system for reporting defects;
& a general lack of commitment to health & safety on the part of
management.

Question No. 15
a) Explain with an example the meaning of the term
risk (2)
b) Outline the key stages of a risk assessment (6)

 a) Likelihood that harm will occur and the severity of the

harm: e.g. Contact with electricity, Tripping over cable
b) Identify the task being assessed and identify the
hazards e.g. Chemical, Physical etc.
Identify the people who might be harmed and how.
Includes own workers/vulnerable employees such as
pregnant women, The Public, Contractors, etc.
Evaluate the risk by considering the likelihood of the
harm occurring and the severity of harm
Recording of significant findings
Reviewing assessment at regular intervals or changes
occur