July 2012
Guide to NEBOSH International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety - Unit IA
Examiners’ Report NEBOSH INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMA IN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY Unit IA: International management of health and safety JULY 2012
CONTENTS
Introduction
2
General comments
3
Comments on individual questions
4
2012 NEBOSH, Dominus Way, Meridian Business Park, Leicester LE19 1QW tel: 0116 263 4700
fax: 0116 282 4000
email:
[email protected]
website: www.nebosh.org.uk
The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health is a registered charity, number 1010444 EXTERNAL
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 around 35,000 candidates annually and are offered by over 500 course providers, with examinations taken in over 100 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 to be recognised and regulated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). 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. 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 LE19 1QW tel: 0116 263 4700 fax: 0116 282 4000 email:
[email protected]
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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 the question 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 any degree of understanding. Candidates should prepare themselves for this vocational examination by ensuring their understanding, not rote-learning pre-prepared answers. Candidates should note that Examiners’ Reports are not written to provide ‘sample answers’ but to give examples of what Examiners were expecting and more specifically to highlight areas of under performance. 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.
The International Diploma in Health and Safety is taught and examined in English. Candidates are therefore expected to have a good command of both written and spoken English including technical and scientific vocabulary. The recommended standard expected of candidates is equivalent to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) level 7 (very good user). It is evident from a number of scripts that there are candidates attempting the examination without the necessary English language skills. More information on the IELTS standards can be found at www.ielts.org.
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UNIT IA – International management of health and safety
Section A – all questions compulsory
Question 1
Outline issues that should be considered when planning a health and safety inspection programme.
(10)
Information on the specific workplace conditions or behaviours that might be covered in an inspection is not required. Despite the question informing candidates that information on specific workplace conditions or behaviours was not required, some candidates deviated into outlining what would be inspected. Limited answers tended to concentrate on workplace conditions. Examiners were looking for candidates to outline points such as: reference to previous findings; the inspection team; competency; frequency; and method and content of checklists. It is important to recognise that the question required an outline. In too many cases, candidates provided a list of points, rather than giving the relevant issue in the context of planning an inspection programme.
Question 2
(a)
An extract from a company annual report is given below.
Comment critically on the suitability of the content in providing information to the stakeholders.
(5)
„The company has done much better at health and safety in the last year compared to previous years. In 2008 there were 170 accidents that required first-aid treatment compared to 180 in 2007, 185 in 2006 and 240 in 2005. This significant reduction is due to our new health and safety manager and a reduction in staff numbers from 1500 in 2005 to 1400 in 2006 and 1300 in 2007 to 900 in 2008, which also helps reduce business costs. Fatalities were also reduced from 11 in 2007 to 4 in 2008, a significant decrease.‟ The management team is confident of further reductions in 2009. (b)
Calculate the non-fatal accident incidence rates AND comment on the findings.
(5)
Part (a) of the question required a critical commentary on the content of the extract. This style of question requires candidates to apply their knowledge to the situation, rather than to reproduce technical information that has been committed to memory. Examiners were looking for candidates to recognise that: the report showed no commitment to health and safety; there was no recognition of proactive and reactive management; the data was shown in an unclear way and could be improved by using graphical representation; and there was no remorse shown in the fatality comments.
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Part (b) was generally well answered, although it did identify candidates who did not know how to calculate the rates. Candidates were expected to make the comment that accident numbers decrease but the ratios increase. This is an important point for the safety professional to understand since the raw accident data may give the impression that safety performance is actually improving.
Question 3
An organisation is proposing to move from a health and safety management system based on the International Labour Organisation ILO OSH 2001 model to one that aligns itself with BS OHSAS 18001. Outline the possible advantages AND disadvantages of such a change.
(10)
This question was well answered by most candidates. A basic knowledge and understanding of a health and safety management system based on the ILOOSH 2011 model and BS OHSAS 18001 was required in order to answer this question adequately. Those candidates who were able to demonstrate this knowledge and understanding were able to clearly distinguish between the advantages and disadvantages of moving from the ILOOSH 2001 model and BS OHSAS 18001. A broad range of areas for consideration was available including accreditation, cost, sophistication and integration with other standards, all of which would have formed the basis of a good outline of the advantages and disadvantages of such a move. Candidates should take note of the command words in each question as those candidates who tended to list issues, instead of providing an outline as required by the question, did not gain the marks that were available for this question. Additionally, those candidates who did not provide a reasonable range of issues were not able to demonstrate a breadth of understanding in their answers and therefore, again, did not merit full marks for the answers provided.
Question 4
(a)
(b)
Outline what is meant by punitive damages in relation to a compensation award clearly stating their purpose AND to whom the damages are paid.
(5)
In relation to a claim for compensation, outline the meaning of the terms: (i)
no fault liability;
(2)
(ii)
breach of duty of care.
(3)
Part (a) was assessing candidates’ knowledge of punitive damages. Good answers referred to the fact that punitive damages are a monetary award that is paid to the claimant. However, the intention is not to compensate the injured party but to act as a deterrent or punishment to prevent the repetition of the offence by the defendant or others. To gain better marks, candidates could have referred to what the court would take into account when setting the amount of the award to be given to the claimant. Few candidates had a good understanding of the meaning of the terms ‘no fault liability’ and ‘breach of duty of care’ in part (b), which is central to the payment of compensation to injured workers. Compensation paid on a no fault basis in part (b) (ii) would include the fact that the injured party is not required to prove fault against the employer. Injury alone confers the right to compensation which is paid from a central government fund or insurance scheme. Where no fault compensation is not available, injured persons will have to prove a breach of a duty of care. Candidates generally had a poor understanding of a breach of duty of care in part (b) (ii). It is important to understand the three conditions that 5
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must be satisfied to establish a breach of duty of care. The claimant must firstly show that there was in fact a duty of care owed by the employer to the claimant and that the employer was in breach of this duty and finally that the loss, damage or injury incurred resulted from this breach of duty of care. Thus, fault must be proven to gain compensation for injury.
Question 5
A worker has been seriously injured after being struck by material transported using an overhead crane. Outline the types of human failure which may have contributed to the accident AND, in EACH case, give examples relevant to the scenario to illustrate your answer.
(10)
This question highlighted that some candidates either did not know about skill based errors, mistakes and violations or that they failed to recognise this question related to those. Some outlined mechanical failures of the crane or suggested lack of designated pedestrian walkways as possible causes of the accident. Those with a grasp of human failures models were able to gain good marks, particularly those who broke down the different types of failures into skill based errors, mistakes and violations. This methodical approach generally led to good marks being awarded. Some candidates gave reasonably good outlines of skill based errors and mistakes but omitted to include violations. Candidates are reminded to read the question thoroughly before answering since many candidates did not give examples as required by the question.
Question 6
Outline, with appropriate examples, the key features of the following risk management concepts: (a)
risk avoidance;
(2)
(b)
risk reduction;
(2)
(c)
risk transfer;
(3)
(d)
risk retention.
(3)
This question was well answered by a large number of candidates and it appears that this topic is well covered by many course providers. Although there were exceptions, there were many more good examples of key features of each of the risk management concepts, together with a variety of satisfactory examples. The Examiner was expecting candidates to cover the key features of each concept and to illustrate with an example. This is a common style of question and seeks to allow candidates to demonstrate their understanding of specific concepts and how they are used in the real world.
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Section B – three from five questions to be attempted
Question 7
You are preparing a detailed report intended to persuade senior management to make resources available for the management of health and safety. Outline reasons for managing health and safety that you would include in the report.
(20)
For a health and safety management system to be effective, it requires adequate resources to be made available. This question was therefore assessing candidates’ knowledge on the reasons why health and safety should be managed and to focus on the issues that they would include in a report that would persuade senior management to make these resources available. Many candidates missed the word ‘detailed’ report in the question and only provided a narrow range of issues that they would include in their report. In order to persuade, candidates would have to write more than a ‘list’ of issues to include in a report. They would be required to provide an outline of the issues as required by the question in order to show how these issues would affect health and safety within the organisation and, in turn, be persuasive. Although many candidates did approach the question by going down the legal, moral and financial reasons, which was a good start, the issues that they provided under each of these headings was quite limited, thus reducing the marks that could be gained for the answers provided.
Question 8
(a)
Outline the use and limitations of fault tree analysis.
(b)
A machine operator is required to reach between the tools of a vertical hydraulic press between each cycle of the press. Under fault conditions, the operator is at risk from a crushing injury due to either (a) the press tool falling by gravity or (b) an unplanned (powered) stroke of the press. The expected frequencies of the failures that would lead to either of these effects are given in the table below: Failure type
(i)
Frequency (per year)
Flexible hose failure Detachment of press tool Hydraulic valve failure Activation button failure Electrical fault
(4)
Effect
0.2
a
0.1
a
0.05
a
0.05
b
0.1
b
Given that the operator is at risk for 20 per cent of the time that the machine is operating, construct and quantify a simple fault tree to show the expected frequency of the top event (a crushing injury to the operator‟s hand).
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(10)
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(ii) (iii)
Outline, with reasons, whether or not the level of risk calculated should be tolerated.
(4)
Assuming that the nature of the task cannot be changed, explain how the fault tree might be used to prioritise remedial actions.
(2)
This question is a common style of question that appears in an examination of this level. It is designed to assess the candidates’ ability to manipulate data using the FTA as a simple tool and subsequently interpret the data to assist in risk management decision making. Part (a) was generally poorly answered and was sometimes completely ignored by candidates, possibly in their eagerness to answer part (b). Candidates who attempted part (b) of this question tended to do well. Not all those who tried could, however, prepare an adequate diagram. A common failing was to omit the period for which the operator was exposed and finish the fault tree when the tool came down. The later elements of part (b) were generally poorly answered. Perhaps the most concerning failure was candidates who considered the risk tolerable having correctly calculated the frequency of the top event. Examiners were expecting candidates to consider that the risk was too high with plausible explanation (eg if 10 presses, then one serious accident per year). For the actions, candidates could have used the general principles of using probability data (eg emphasis on preventing gravity falls as the most likely event).
Question 9
(a)
Outline the role of health and safety legislation in the workplace.
(10)
(b)
Outline the limitations of health and safety legislation in the workplace.
(10)
This was not a popular question and those candidates who attempted it were not able to demonstrate a full understanding of the role of health and safety legislation in the workplace or its limitations. Given the diverse types and range of health and safety legislation that exists in different parts of the world, candidates at this level are expected to develop an understanding of the principles of legislation and how they can be used to affect health and safety standards in the workplace and the corresponding limitations associated with state regulation of standards. For part (a), this would therefore include an outline of the role of ILO conventions and how it addresses regional differences by harmonising standards between different countries. A good answer would also address how legislation sets minimum standards, how it sets and maintains these standards and penalises those who do not attain these standards. Marks were available for providing an outline of how health and safety legislation protects the worker as was an outline of the role of goal setting legislation. For part (b), candidates again demonstrated a lack of understanding of the limitations of health and safety legislation in the workplace. If candidates had thought about what they had written for part (a), this would have helped them to provide a better answer for part (b). This would have brought out issues such as the differences and interpretation in legislation, persons involved or not involved with health and safety legislation or setting standards and how legislation resources for health and safety are legislated for.
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Question 10
Extensive repair work is needed to the roof of the main production area of a large factory. The factory is to remain fully operational during the work. (a)
(b)
Identify the criteria that might be used when selecting a contractor for the work to ensure they have the necessary competence in health and safety.
(8)
Identify ways in which the factory management should control the work of the contractor to ensure that risks to factory workers are minimised.
(12)
This was a contractor selection and supervision question and candidates who were able to provide an answer that encompassed the practical application of contractor management gained good marks. Those candidates who took each part of the question in turn tended to do better. They firstly concentrated on the criteria necessary to ensure the selection of a contractor with the necessary competency in health and safety to undertake the task and then addressed the issues to be considered to control the work of the contractor when on site. However, many who answered this question could not be awarded full marks because the answers provided were lists and did not demonstrate an understanding of the issues. For part (a), candidates should have included issues that would have demonstrated that the contractor had the knowledge, skill and experience to undertake the work and how they could demonstrate this. For part (b) candidates should have considered how the contractor could demonstrate that they could physically do the work safely that would include equipment and materials they would bring on site, using the materials and equipment, methods to undertake the work safely and ways management could ensure the contractors were undertaking the work as agreed.
Question 11
The management of an organisation intends to introduce new, safer working procedures but the workers are resisting this change. (a)
(b)
Outline practical measures the organisation could take to communicate effectively when managing this change.
(10)
Outline additional steps the management could take to gain the support and commitment of workers when managing this change.
(10)
Good communication plays an essential role in the management of health and safety and this question gave the candidates an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the range of practical measures that an organisation could take to communicate new, safer working procedures within the organisation. However, to gain good marks, candidates must take note of the command words used in each of the questions as these words give specific guidance as to the level of detail required to demonstrate a competent understanding. Again, those candidates who provided brief notes instead of an outline, as required by the question, could not be awarded full marks. For part (a), candidates were required to outline practical measures that could be used to communicate, such as providing newsletters and safety bulletins. However, part (b) concerned measures to take to gain support and commitment during this introduction of the new procedures and safer working procedures so candidates should have first sought the reasons for the resistance to their introduction, and then provided additional steps management could take to secure this support and 9
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commitment such as consulting with the workers and providing training to those affected. Candidates must read questions carefully and plan their answers before they start writing to avoid duplicating their answer in the second part of the question, which is quite common. By reading the question carefully, it can be seen that there is a clear division between the requirements for the answer for part (a) and that for part (b).
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