NEBOSH
MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY
UNIT IG1:
For: NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety
Open Book Examination
Available for 24 hours
Guidance to learners
This is an open book examination. It is not invigilated, and you are free to use any learning
resources to which you have access, eg your course notes, or a website, etc.
By submitting this completed assessment for marking, you are declaring it is entirely your own work.
Knowingly claiming work to be your own when it is someone else’s work is malpractice, which carries
severe penalties. This means that you must not collaborate with or copy work from others. Neither
should you ‘cut and paste’ blocks of text from the Internet or other sources.
The examination begins with a scenario to set the scene. You will then need to complete a series of
tasks based on this scenario. Each task will consist of one or more questions.
Your responses to most of these tasks should wholly, or partly, draw on relevant information from the
scenario. The task will clearly state the extent to which this is required.
The marks available are shown in brackets to the right of each question, or part of each question.
This will help guide you to the amount of information required in your response. In general, one mark
is given for each correct technical point that is clearly demonstrated. Avoid writing too little as this
will make it difficult for the Examiner to award marks. Single word answers or lists are unlikely to
gain marks as this would not normally be enough to show understanding or a connection with the
scenario.
You are not expected to write more than 3 000 words in total.
Try to distribute your time and word count proportionately across all tasks.
It is recommended that you use the answer template.
Please attempt ALL tasks.
IG1-0032-ENG-OBE-QP-V1 Nov23 © NEBOSH 2023
page 1 of 5
SCENARIO
The design agency
‘Vault’ is a design agency with ten employed workers, including the managing director (MD). Vault is
situated in a building with a ground floor, an upper floor and a lower (basement) floor. The MD’s
office is located at the back of the ground floor. Also on the ground floor, there is an open-plan area
where several workstations are set up. In this open-plan area, there is a staircase that leads to both
the upper floor and the lower floor. The lower floor consists of three rooms: a worker’s rest area with
a small kitchen; a toilet; and a printing room. There is a digital printing press (DPP) located in the
printing room, which is used to create limited quantities of high-quality printed design work. The
upper floor is an open-plan storage area, currently filled with cardboard boxes.
Vault was recently acquired by a competitor, and the new owners intend to introduce a formal health
and safety management system. You have been hired as a health and safety consultant (HSC) to
audit the current informal health and safety system. This is your first time carrying out an audit and
you are not sure how detailed it needs to be. While you do not know much about Vault, you are
confident you can complete the audit perfectly.
The audit
You have arranged to be on site for one day to conduct the audit. It is raining when you arrive at
09.00. You carefully walk up a worn, wooden ramp leading to the entrance, where a worker greets
you at the door. You are distracted by loud music in the background. You notice a square patch of
blue masking tape on the floor inside the entrance. You ask why it is there and you are told that
there has been a hole underneath the tape for a long time.
You are then shown into the MD’s office where the MD is on the telephone. The MD appears to be
stressed as they gesture for you to sit down. The MD gives you a folder filled with health and safety
documents. A preliminary check identifies some documents are missing, including the health and
safety policy. You wait to talk to the MD, but after ten minutes they are still on the telephone. You
give the MD a note to inform them that you will start the audit and talk to them later. You leave the
office and go to the open-plan area with the documents.
Worker Z invites you to sit at their workstation and gives you a conference chair from a nearby
workstation. They mention that it is rare to get time to speak with the MD due to all of the MD’s
telephone meetings. You ask worker Z where the health and safety policy can be found. Worker Z
apologises because they do not know what you are referring to. Instead, they ask one of their
colleagues to search for it on Vault’s computer system.
Worker Z offers to show you the printing room. On the way they describe how everyone, including
the MD, was excited to use a DPP for the first time. Worker Z explains that Vault has reduced its
dependency on printing companies after purchasing the DPP earlier this month from a stockist who
only sells used machinery. You are impressed when you see the DPP and ask worker Z if they could
show you the safe system of work (SSOW) document for using it. Worker Z looks confused before
handing you the DPP’s instruction manual (which was downloaded from the internet as the stockist
did not have the original document), which has untidy handwritten notes on it.
Worker Z tells you that these are the working instructions for the DPP. They add that the MD has
written on it ‘safe system’. You notice that the notes only appear to simplify the language used in the
instruction manual. You ask worker Z if they have been trained on how to use the DPP. They
unconfidently reply that they have been. Worker Z explains that the MD emailed everyone the day
before the DPP was delivered. This email instructed everyone how to use the DPP based on an
online version of the instruction manual and concluded that everyone will be able to use the DPP by
themselves. This way the MD thought that everyone was trained before even seeing the DPP. You
ask worker Z if they felt the training was effective, but they give a vague reply.
At that moment something wet hits the top of your head. You look up and see a large area of mould
on the ceiling and water leaking through the smoke alarm. You ask worker Z about this, and they
IG1-0032-ENG-OBE-QP-V1 Nov23 © NEBOSH 2023
page 2 of 5
hesitantly mention that the building has old pipework. They reassure you that the MD contacted the
building owner two months ago. The MD said that they would contact the building owner again, as
soon as they have time. Worker Z is confident that the building owner can fix it, as they have done
so several times before. You ask if the MD has contacted the building owner about the hole in the
floor as well. Worker Z mutters that the MD does not tell the building owner about cosmetic issues
like that.
When returning up the stairs you notice more blue masking tape on some of the step edging, which
has started peeling off. You find a printed copy of the health and safety policy on worker Z’s desk.
The worker who found it jokingly tells you “It was hidden in the computer system”. While reading the
policy you notice a different organisation’s name has occasionally been used instead of ‘Vault’. You
ask the workers nearby about this other name, but nobody has heard of it. You search the Internet
for this other organisation, and immediately find the health and safety policy on another
organisation’s website. You decide to ask the MD about this later, as their signature is on Vault’s
policy. You add the policy to the folder.
When reviewing the records, you notice that there have been several near misses on the stairs, but
there are no investigation records. Also, there are no training records or emergency procedure
documents. You ask the workers nearby if they have received any emergency procedure training.
Some of them vaguely remember seeing fire evacuation instructions in their induction packs.
However, most workers cannot remember the details and have not revisited the information since
then. You ask if they are aware of a written emergency procedure. Most of the workers are unaware
of one, but one worker points towards the wall where coats are hanging. When you look behind the
coats, you discover fire evacuation instructions printed on a faded sheet of paper attached to the
wall.
The accident
You take a break to plan the rest of the audit. You consider talking to the MD now, but then get
distracted as you start to review your notes. Towards the end of the day the smoke alarm suddenly
sounds. You move quickly towards the main entrance nearby but are shocked to see everyone else
ignoring the alarm. Worker Z sees that you are about to leave and calls out to you to ignore it.
Confused, you ask if this is a fire alarm test. They reply that the MD wants everyone to ignore the
alarm. A different worker laughs, calling the sound ‘the daily leak alarm’.
At that moment, the MD rushes out of their office but they are still using their mobile telephone. It is
the first time you have seen them since this morning, and you overhear them saying that they will
stop the alarm sound permanently. The MD runs downstairs and within two minutes the alarm stops
sounding. You hear the MD running back up the stairs, when there is a loud shout which came from
the staircase area. You go to find out what has happened and find the MD sitting on a step. They
are holding their mobile telephone in one hand and the battery from the smoke alarm in the other.
There is a cut on the MD’s forehead and their hands are grazed.
The MD asks you to get the first-aid kit from the kitchen. You shout for a first-aider and then go to
collect the first-aid kit. You locate the first-aid kit on top of a wall-mounted cabinet, and you have to
stand on the kitchen countertop to retrieve it. Opening the first-aid kit, you find it is almost empty with
only one dressing left.
You take the dressing to the MD to see if you can assist them. On the way, you notice that the blue
masking tape you saw earlier on the steps, has completely peeled off. The edging of the step, below
where the MD is seated, has separated from the step itself. Several workers have now gathered on
the stairs, and some are panicking at the sight of blood on the MD’s forehead. Worker Z mentions
that the MD is not talking properly and asks what they should do. You ask where the first-aider is,
but they reply that there is no first-aider. The MD’s eyes have fixed and dilated pupils and they are
unresponsive. Seeing this, you tell worker Z to call an ambulance. Worker Z and several other
workers rush off to their desks to contact the emergency services. You stay with the MD until an
ambulance arrives.
IG1-0032-ENG-OBE-QP-V1 Nov23 © NEBOSH 2023
page 3 of 5
Task 1: Poor health and safety leadership
1
Comment on the negative aspects of the MD’s health and safety leadership.
(14)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.
Task 2: Making first-aid recommendations
2
The poor management of the response to the accident was later investigated,
and recommendations for improvement were made.
What recommendations could be made to improve first-aid provisions at Vault,
so that they are realistic and proportionate?
(8)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.
Task 3: International Labour Organisation’s (ILO’s) Recommendation R164
3
The country in which Vault is located has now adopted the ILO’s Occupational
Safety and Health Recommendation, 1981 (No.164).
Comment on how the following recommendations may not have been followed
by Vault.
(a)
Recommendation 10(a), 10(b), 10(c) and 10(f).
(14)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.
(b)
Recommendation 16(a) and 16(c).
(4)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.
Task 4: Assessing the auditing approach
4
What is negative about the health and safety consultant’s (your) auditing
approach?
(8)
Note: Your answers must be based on the scenario only.
IG1-0032-ENG-OBE-QP-V1 Nov23 © NEBOSH 2023
page 4 of 5
Task 5: Evaluating safe systems of work
5
(a)
Why is Vault’s safe system of work for the DPP insufficient?
(10)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.
(b)
Why was the approach to DPP training ineffective?
(7)
Note: Your answers must be based on the scenario only.
Task 6: Identify job factors
6
What job factors could negatively affect health and safety at Vault?
(12)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.
Task 7: Understanding emergency procedures
7
What are the possible reasons for a lack of understanding about emergency
procedures throughout Vault?
(13)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.
Task 8: Investigating near misses
8
How could an investigation of the previous near misses have helped to prevent
the MD’s accident?
(10)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.
End of examination
Now follow the instructions on submitting your answers.
IG1-0032-ENG-OBE-QP-V1 Nov23 © NEBOSH 2023
page 5 of 5