NEBOSH Helpful Information for Starter Students

Website Address: www.hse.gov.org.uk

Definition of a Hazard
Anything with the potential to cause harm (e.g. injury, ill health)

Definition of Risk
Risk is the likelihood that the harm from one or more particular hazards is realized/ or occurs.

Definition of Accident
An unplanned, unwanted sequence of events which results in loss of some kind.

Definition of Incident
An unplanned, unwanted sequence of events which had the potential to result in loss of some kind.

ALARP: As Low a Reasonably Practicable

SFRAIP: So Far As Is Reasonably Practicable
ELI: Employer’s Liability Insurance
HSE in UK: Health and Safety Executive
IT IS: Information Training Instruction Supervising
COMPETENT: Skill Knowledge Experience
AUDIT: Systematic Formal Independent
JSA: Job Safety Analysis
MSDS: Materials Safety Data Sheet

ERGONOMIC: The relationship between human and machine.

The study of people’s efficiency in their working environment.

Mathematical formula of Risk/Hazard:

Risk= Likelihood X Severity

Fire Steps of Risk Assessment

1. Identify hazard
2. Identify those at risk
3. Evaluate the risk
4. Record
5. Review

LEV: Local Exhaust Ventilation

HAZOP: HAZrd and OPerability Study
ROPS: Roll- Over- Protective- Structure

M.E.E.P (Safe system of Work-SSW)

M Materials
E Equipment and Plant
E Environment
P People

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BSAFE (Common Hazards from Electricity)

B Burns
S Shock
A Arcing
F Fires
E Explosions

SREDIM (Job Safety Analysis)

S Select
R Record
E Evaluate
D Develop
I Implement
M Maintain

ERIC PD (Risk Control Hierarchy)

E Eliminate
R Reduce
I Isolate
C Contain
P PPE
D Discipline (IT IS)

ENITICE (Machinery Hazards- Mechanical)

E Entanglement
N Nips
T Trapping
I Impact
C Contact
E Eject

FIAT (Remember the Hierarchy of Machine Control)

F Fixed
I Interlocked
A Adjustable
T Trip Devices

PPE
Personal Protective Equipment

RPE
Respiratory Protective Equipment

RDC in UK (Circuit Breaker)

Residual Current Device

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The Spread of fire

Conduction Convention Radiation direct Contact

Details of Signage Color:

 Yellow: Warning
 Blue: Mandatory
 Green: Safe Condition
 Red: Danger

4C’s The Activities Necessary to Promote a Health and Safety Culture Are Divided Into The
4c’s.
 Competence
 Control
 Co-operation
 Communication

MUSCULOSKELETAL:
Relating to the muscles and skeleton together (used to define many injuries/disease e.g. back strain,
slipped disc, hernia, strained muscles, carpel tunnel syndrome, and repetitive strain injury)

Health and Safety Management Systems

 HS (G) 65: Successful Health and Safety Systems

 OSHAS 18001: Occupational health and safety management systems- Specifications

Hs (G) 65 all elements:

Policy, Organizing, Planning and Implementation, Measuring Performance, Review Performance, Audit

Student’s Areas to Concentrate On For the Written Examination:

It is important that you read the questions very carefully, answer the questions you feel comfortable
with first and leave the other until you can formulate your thoughts.

Remember the rules answer the question that is asked: e.g.

Outline- Give them most important features of (less in depth than ‘Explain’ or ‘Describe’,
but more in depth that ‘List’
Define- Provide a generally recognized or accepted definition
Describe- Give a word picture
Explain- Give clear account or reasons for
Give- Provide without explanation (used normally to ‘give’ an example)
Identify- Select and name
List- Provide a List without explanation
Sketch- provide a simple line drawing using labels to identify specific features
State- A less demanding form of ‘define’ or where is no generally recognized definition.

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Note:
 Do not use word like “Proper” use “Sufficient/Suitable/Adequate”.
 Do not use word like “Capable Person” Use “Competent Person”

Some simple examples questions are:

Q: List six items of PPE required on a construction site?

A:
 Hearing protection
 Respiratory protection
 Eye protection
 Protective protection
 Skin protection
 Safety belts and harness

Q: Define the acronym ALARP and give an example where you would use it/

A: The acronym ALARP is As Low as Reasonably Practicable and an example of usage would be- After
completing the quantified risk assessment the team looked at extra control measure to ensure the risk
was as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP)

Policy
Statement of Intent

The statement of intent is intended to communicate to all employees the importance of, and the
commitment to health and safety.

The ‘statement’ should bear the signature of the owner, managing director, chief executive or other
‘most senior person’ to give weight to the commitment being shown in what is a very important feature
of the policy.

Q: Outline the three main reasons why manage health and safety and explain which is the most
important of those reasons (6).

A: The Moral, Legal and Financial are three main reasons for promoting good standards of health and
safety within an organization. The most important reason is MORAL because, we all have moral
obligation not cause harm to others. Employers have a moral obligation toward, their employees and
others. Managing health and safety is an integral part of any management of business.

Q: Maintain the difference between pro-active and re-active monitoring and give example of each (8).

A:
 Proactive monitoring which monitors the achievement of plans and the degree of compliance
with standards before an accident, Incident on ill- health.
 Reactive monitoring which monitors after accidents, ill-health and incidents.

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 Examples for proactive monitoring:

Performance Reviews, Review of training assessments, records and needs, workplace
inspection, management systems audits and safety survey.

 Examples for Reactive Monitoring:

Accident investigation, accident/ incidence rates, ill-health rates, accident frequency rates,
accident severity rates & sickness absence.

Q: name the three spheres of influence related to ‘Safety Culture’ and explain how these three
spheres of influence interact to ensure safety at work (8).

A: The three spheres of influence related to Safety Culture are;

 The organization (the organizational controls from management)

 The people (Employees/Contractors etc)
 The Job (Tasks)

The three spheres in influences are known to work together to influence and foster a positive safety
culture. The organization that ensure a safe place of work, information, training, instruction and
supervision, together with good risks controls sets the scene for employees to work in secure and well
motivated environment. With this the people within the organization and those connected to it should
be competent and believe in the goals and preventative measures set by management, this forms a
team of well-motivated employees. The third sphere of influence is essential to complete the
interrelation of the three spheres of influence. This is the ongoing tasks/ jobs, which if well organized
and controlled by management with good communication, consultation and supervision will go a long
way ensuring and reinforcing a positive safety culture.

Q: An employee has been seriously injured after being struck a reversing vehicle in a loading bay.

Give for reasons why we should investigate accidents? (6)

The reason this accidents should be investigated are numerous and they include:

 Examining the direct cause of the accidents and the root cause of the accident to try to
prevent future accidents by identifying and eliminating or reducing the causes.
 Accidents also give use valuable information in relation to hazards that may exist in the
workplace that have not been identified by a pro-active approach.
 To ensure compliance with legislation. The reporting of injuries diseases and dangerous
occurrences regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 and accident reporting internally.
 To ensure training and information can be targeted in the areas of concern and
management controls can be strengthened.

II. Outline the information that should be included in an accident report (6)

An accident report should be comprehensive to enable the direct and indirect (root causes) to be
identified.

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The repot should ideally contain the events preceding the accident, the date and the time of the
accident, the precise location information on person(s) involved. A clear account of what was found at
the accident scene with the possible direct causes, together with witness statements.

Initial injuries of person(s) if medical personnel are at the scene their initial findings should be included.

Other information as required, e.g. – weather conditions, road or ground conditions etc.

If root cause analysis has been carried out this information should be included. A conclusion by the
accident investigation team is important for clarity.

III. Give four possible immediate causes of accidents and underlying (root causes) (8)

Four possible causes of immediate cause of the above accidents may be slips on workplace surface on
the level, employee not paying attention, no reversing alarm on the vehicle, fork lift truck operator not
be attentive and looking around for pedestrians.

The root causes for the above accidents could be:

 Slips on the workplace level may have a root cause of oil being split and not cleaned up
immediately
 The root cause f a Fork lift truck could be attributed to the driver being not properly
trained and inadequate training in reversing techniques.
 The root cause of the employee slipping may be that the housekeeping regime is adequate
and not monitored.
 The fork lift truck may not be well maintained to check the reversing alarm in working.

Q: 2. Outline the factors you should consider when developing a safe system of work (8)

When developing a safe system of work you should consider the following,

MEEP

Materials
How and what we will use and under what circumstances.

Environment
Will the environment in which the work is being carried out have sufficient heating, ventilation, lighting
etc; will the activity or process have an impact on the environment?

Equipment
Is the machinery/ equipment to specification for the work and it is good condition, with guards where
necessary

People
Are people ‘competent’ trained to conduct the specific work/ tasks.

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Within the consideration risk assessments, inspection and accident reports should be consulted to
ensure the safe system work addresses all hazards and risk which are likely to arise. Also manufactures
instruction and information and equipment, machinery and chemicals etc should also be consulted. Safe
systems of work should be easily understood by all workers at every level.

Q: 3. Explain why PPE should be considered as the last resort in the control of occupational hazards?
(8)

Personal protective Equipment (PPE) is considered the last resort in the hierarchy of control measures/
precautions, as hazards should be assessed by the risk assessment process and all hazards where
possible should be eliminated or controlled at their source- e.g. reduce the noise of a compressor by
engineering controls by making it quieter with insulations etc, this will help reduce the level of noise at
source prior to issuing PPE (ear protection). If PPE is given without trying to eliminate or reduce the
hazard(s) we are not using a systematic method of permanent controls. PPE is good method of control
for various hazards, however, if we use PPE without first trying to eliminate or reduce the hazard, the
hazard may still exist in its full form and PPE may not be sufficient means of safe control, also different
types and ranges of PPE protect at varying levels so health may be compromised, more importantly PPE
depends on the user to wear it and this is practice is difficult to ensure to enforce with consistent
supervision and regular inspections etc.

Q: 4. Describe the main components of a health and safety management system (10)
The main components of a managements system are: Policy, Organization, Planning and
Implementation, Measuring performance, reviewing Performance, Audit and continuous improvement.

The components are explained as follows:

Policy should contain:

 Protecting the safety and health of all members of the organization by preventing work
related injuries, ill-health, diseases and incidents.
 Complying with relevant OSH national laws and regulations, voluntary programmes,
collective agreements on OSH and other requirements to which the organization
subscribes.
 Ensuring the workers and their representative are consulted and encouraged to participate
actively in all elements of the OSH management system: and
 Continually improving the performance of the OSH Management system
 Signed/ endorsed by senior management and cascaded to all employees.

Organization Section
Should ideally contain: A chart illustrating the management structure so far as health and safety is
concerned. The section should also show details of employees from the lowest levels to the highest with
key personnel identified by name as well as b job title. Also arrangements, procedures, instructions or
other internal documents used within the framework of the OSH management system.

Planning and Implementation

An effective planning system for health and safety requires organizations to establish and operate a
health and safety management system that, Control Risks Reacts to changing demands sustain a positive
health and safety.

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Measuring Health and Safety Performance

Must be monitored at all levels of the organization from day to day monitoring by the line managers
and supervisors to periodic audits of management systems. Performance measurement techniques fall
into two broad categories: Reactive monitoring which monitor accidents, ill health and incidents active
monitoring which measure the effectiveness of management systems and the extent of compliance with
standards and the achievement of plans.

Reviewing performance
Annual or periodic review of the performance to ensure the system is working on the ground and assess
if any of the components need more attention.

Audit
An audit is not intended to identify all of the hazards, it is intended as an evaluation of health and safety
management systems, and is often independent.

Q 5: Outline the topics that may be typically included on the agenda of a safety committee meeting (6)

A Safety committee would normally include subjects which were concern to employee on various health
and safety issues. The agenda would be made up suggestions and issues which may have been brought
up by employees, contractors and others. The agenda items that may be typically included are any
recent accidents, incidents and near misses, any problems arising from workplace inspections, e.g.
housekeeping, blocked fire exits etc. Also areas such as the identification of unsafe acts, conditions and
hazards that have been reported and perhaps not suitably rectified.

Other topics may include, stress at work, due to long hours, or environmental conditions, manual
handling issues, worker dissatisfaction with welfare arrangements, food and catering contractors etc.

Q: 6 (a) Explain the reasons why young persons may be at a greater risk of accidents at work. (4)

Young person’s at work are more prone to risk due to various factors. They include their age and
physical capability, their lack of knowledge and experience of the workplace. Also young person’s
perception of risk has not developed in the workplace setting. The general move from home/school; and
tendency of young person’s to take risks to respond to peer group pressures is also a factor.

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

It is mandatory to conduct a risk assessment of the area of work and activities where young person is
required to work. This should ensure that all hazards are controlled to as low as reasonably practicable.
Young people should not be subject to excessive hours of work, exposed to risks (such as dangerous
machinery, heavy lifting- manual handling excessive heat or cold etc). Other control measure should
include comprehensive safety orientation which should include emergency procedures, PPE where
required and competent supervision and monitoring.

Q 7: Outline the practical means by which a manager could involve employees in the improvement of
health and safety (8)

Management can involve employee in many projects and schemes which will enhance and improve
health and safety in the workplace.

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Some of the methods for involving employee in the improvement of health and safety include, active
involvement in reporting of near misses, unsafe acts and conditions- this could be accompanied by an
incentive scheme to encourage participation. Also the involvement of employees in ‘Town Hall’
meetings and with safety committee is a way of ensuring participation in health and safety
improvements. Other methods include; training which outline the results of poor health and safety
practices, involvement in the selection of PPE and other safety equipment and materials. Active
participation in monthly campaigns such as health hazards of smoking, and the benefits of wearing PPE
are helpful tools in improving employee involvement in health and safety.

Q: 8. Outline four active monitoring methods that can be used when assessing health and safety (8)

Active (Proactive) monitoring is intended to reveal hazards that are not controlled to a standard. Reveal
visible non compliance with standards relies heavily on visible evidence only.
When assessing health and safety in the workplace proactive (active) monitoring can be achieved by
various methods: Those methods include:

Documented workplace inspection which are conducted on a regular basis to spot immediate hazards,
unsafe acts and conditions and ensure action is taken for remedial measure as soon as possible.
Checklists are often used for inspections, but care should be taken not to miss ‘other’ hazards that are
not part of the generic checklist.

Risk assessment is a major active monitoring tool as this systematic method highlights and hazards and
risks and eliminates of or reduces them to ALARP.

Auditing is also a voluble monitoring tool as this method examines the health and safety management
systems and outline areas for improvement.

Reporting near misses/ incidents is very important as this can lead to prevention of major accident in
the future.

Q: 9 (a) Explain the purpose of the ‘Statement of Intent’ of health and safety policy (2)

The statement of intent is intended to communicate to all employees the importance of, and the
commitment to health and safety. The ‘statement’ should bear the signature of the owner, managing
director, chief executive or other ‘most senior person’ to give weight to the commitment being shown in
what is a very important feature of the policy.

Q: 9 (b) Outline the circumstances which should require a health and safety policy to be reviewed. (4)

A health and safety policy is not a static document and should be reviewed at regular intervals, those
intervals can be determined by certain factors and they include:

The circumstance that may lead to a need to review the health and safety policy:

 Passage of time- at least annually is there have not been organizational changes.
 Technological, organizational or legal changes- when new technology has been introduced
into the workplace that may pose further hazards, the workface or management has been

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reduced or increased or new legislation required that changes is area of health and do
safety be reflected in the policy- e.g. if a pattern accidents in a certain area have been
highlighted.

Q: 10 giving reason in each case, identify FOUR categories of persons who may be considered a useful
member of an accident investigation team (6)

Accident team members must be chosen for their knowledge, skill and experience in certain areas. Four
members who could be useful are:

Health and Safety Manager

The individual wound bring the skills and knowledge of health and safety professional and have in –
depth knowledge of accident investigation.

Supervisor
This individual would have first and knowledge of the workers task and activities and the ‘on the job
hazards’.

Worker Representative
This individual would bring the experience of the work and have information gained via interaction with
colleagues on a range of issues in the workplace. Worker and the

Site Engineer
This person would probably be the most senior to lead the investigation the professional engineering
background would bring a systematic methodology of examining any mechanical failures etc.

Q: 11. Identify the factors to be considered to ensure the health and safety of persons who are
required to work on their own away from the work place (8).

Risk assessment is essential to examine the hazards and potential risks of lone workers who are more
vulnerable. Control measures include:

Procedures will need to be put in place to: monitor lone workers to see they remain safe.

These may include supervisor’s periodically visiting and observing people working alone; regular contact
between the lone worker and supervision using either a telephone or radio.
Automatic warning device which operate specific signals are not received periodically from the lone
worker, e.g. systems for security staff;
Other devices designated to raise the alarm in the event of an emergency and which are operated
manually or automatically by the absence of activity.
Checks that a lone worker has returned to their base or home completion of a task.

Lone workers should be capable of responding correctly to emergencies. Lone workers should have
access to adequate first – aid facilities and mobile workers should carry a first- aid kit suitable for
treating minor injuries.

Q: 12 with respect to the safety representative and safety committee’s regulations 1977

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(a) State when a safety representative is legally entitled to inspect the workplace (6)
(b) Describe the facilities that an employer needs to provide to a safety representative. (2)

(a) There are number of occasions detailed in the Safety Representative’s Committee Regulations 1997
when a safety representative is legally entitled to inspect the workplace. He/She may do so on giving the
employer reasonable notice in writing of the intension, providing the safety representative has not
carried out an inspection in the preceding three months. Also when there has been a change in
legislation that has been published by the HSE relevant to the hazards in the workplace, and following a
notifiable accident/incident in the workplace, and when the interests of the employees could be
involved.

(b) A safety representative should be given access to a telephone, fax, computer and photocopying
machine for relevant safety information etc. Also a meeting room when safety meetings are scheduled
and time off work for training.

Q: 13 State the legal duties that a manufacturing company owes the contractors employees under
health and safety work etc 1974. (4)

Section 3 of the Health and Safety Work Act 1974 places a duty on the employer to ensure that persons
working on their premises, who are not their direct employees, were not exposed to risks their health
from the activity carried out by the manufactures at their factory.

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