NEBOSH IG1

Mock Exam
Self marking
scheme
Suggested self-marking schedule for the IG1 open book exam
Task: Justifying health and safety improvements using legal, moral and financial
arguments.
Q1:
• Compensation – the company has had 12 RIDDOR reportable injuries over the past 2 years. If
the injuries were a result of the organisation’s negligence, the injured parties may sue for
compensation.
• Insurance premium - If compensation claims occur, the insurance company is likely to increase
the Employer’s liability insurance premium.
• Fines – the enforcement authority threatened to prosecute as a result of a recent injury if
improvements were not made. This could result in heavy penalties in the form of fines.
• Cost of improvements – the enforcement authority stated that health and safety improvements
were required. This could be costly in terms of time, effort and money.
• Generic risk assessments – Updating the risk assessments to make them task-specific will be
costly concerning the time the centre managers spend.
• Training costs – All of the centre managers require health and safety training. In addition,
employees will need to be trained once the risk assessments have been updated.
• Accident investigation – investigations into the cause of injuries can be time-consuming and
costly.
• Remedial action after an investigation – may involve repairs to damaged equipment, re-training
or replacement labour – all of which can be costly.
• Additional accident costs – may include medical treatment and sick pay costs, which the
employer will have to pay for.
• Damage to reputation – Customers may not look too kindly at a company that regularly injures
its employees. This could result in a loss of business.
•
Q2:
• Moral obligation - the company has a moral obligation to ensure that its workers, and others,
are kept healthy and safe whilst undertaking work activities.
• Duty of care - The company owes a ‘duty of care’ to workers and others (contractors, visitors,
members of the public) to ensure that its activities do not cause them harm.
• Market share – the company has struggled financially for market share. Poor health and safety
standards may have contributed.
• Health and safety law – lays down minimum standards the company must achieve. Failure to
do so can lead to prosecution.
• Threat of prosecution – if the enforcing authority decides to take action, a significant fine could
severely impact the business, possibly even resulting in closure.
• Worker morale – one of the mechanics stated that when they complained, nothing was ever
done. Morale is clearly low. Raising morale by improving health and safety standards can also
lead to increased production.
• Worker representation – the company has no worker health and safety representation. Worker
representation is key to improving health and safety standards,
• Poor housekeeping – the chief executive witnessed a number of oil spills in one of the centres.
Good housekeeping can have a major impact on improving employee morale.
• Chief executive commitment – the chief executive is willing to put in the resources that are
required to improve health and safety standards within the company.

©SHEilds – All rights reserved

IG1 mock exam suggested marking scheme V3
May 2023 Page 1 of 6
 • Company reputation and image – companies with poor health and safety standards attract bad
publicity. This can damage a reputation and ultimately result in a loss of business. In a worst-
case scenario, it could result in company closure and loss of jobs.

Q3:
a) The enforcement inspector could:

• Issue a written (informal) letter to the company highlighting his concerns and the required
actions.
• Issue an improvement notice if the inspector is of the opinion that health and safety law has
been broken. The notice will specify the nature of the breach, the action required and the date
by which the action is to be completed.
• Issue a prohibition notice if the inspector is of the opinion that a health and safety breach
represents a threat of serious/fatal injury, the action required and the date by which the actions
are to be complete. The notice could seriously impact a business’s ability to function properly.
• Issue a notice of intent to prosecute. This could result in a significant fine being imposed on an
organisation, or, indeed, a custodial sentence imposed on an individual(s).

b) Custodial (prison) sentences for individuals, and/or fines for individuals or organisations.

Task: Making the management system effective.

Q4:
a)
• Accountability and responsibility – making it clear that managers are responsible for health and
safety in their own centres.
• Senior management involvement and visibility – the chief executive has committed to visiting
each centre over the next 12 months and reviewing the health and safety policy personally.
• Improving health and safety performance - a commitment to continuous health and safety
performance improvement.
• Goals and objectives - the need for clearly defined health and safety improvement goals and
objectives.
• Consultation - the importance of involving and consulting with workers in health and safety
matters. There is currently nothing in place in the company.
• Communication matters of health and safety - having effective health and safety
communications systems in place, such as health and safety noticeboards in all centres,
regular toolbox talks and feedback on accidents or incidents.
• Competence - ensuring that all workers are competent and trained to carry out their jobs
safely.
• Accident reporting – the need to promptly report all injuries and near misses in order that they
can be investigated, and remedial corrective action taken.

©SHEilds – All rights reserved

IG1 mock exam suggested marking scheme V3
May 2023 Page 2 of 6
 b)
• Organisation: this part of the policy clearly lays down the roles and responsibilities of all
workers in the organisation.
• Arrangements: this specifies the rules and procedures that are required to control the risks that
have been identified by the risk assessment.
c)
• The signature of the Chief Executive on the policy means that health and safety is given
importance and commitment at the highest level of the organisation.

Task: Improving the health and safety culture.

Q5:
• The relevant legal requirements. For example, if the risk assessment is to do with display
screen equipment, knowledge of the Display Screen Equipment Regulations e would be
required.
• Other sources of information, including the knowledge of the people in the task(s) being risk
assessed.
• The meaning of hazard and risk.
• How hazards can be identified. For example, walking around the workplace, watching a work
activity, and talking to workers.
• Which workers might be harmed and how, including the need to consider vulnerable workers
such as pregnant women, young persons, and disabled workers?
• The meaning of the term ‘suitable and sufficient’.
• Whether the existing control measures are sufficient to reduce the risk to an acceptable level,
or whether more controls are required.
• How to record the findings of the risk assessment. For example, on a standard company form.
• How to report the results of the assessment and to whom.
• The need to involve workers in the risk assessment.
• When to review the risk assessment.

Q6:
(a)
The chief executive:
• Demonstrated top management commitment by visiting a repair centre and talking about health
and safety.
• Made a point of talking about health and safety to workers at the repair centre, and personally
intervening to correct a health and safety issue – the mechanic not wearing eye and ear
protection.
• Agreed to personally visit all centres in the next 12 months.
• Recognising that a full-time health and safety adviser is required and providing the resource for
this appointment.
• Putting health and safety at the top of the meeting agenda
• Agreeing to provide health and safety training for all repair centre Managers.
• By personally deciding to prioritise reviewing the health and safety policy.

©SHEilds – All rights reserved

IG1 mock exam suggested marking scheme V3
May 2023 Page 3 of 6
 (b)
• Make provision for health and safety consultation. This could be done by seeking each centre's
employee health and safety representatives. Also, setting up a health and safety committee, to
be chaired by the chief executive.
• Implement systems for health and safety communications, such as notice boards in each
centre.
• Make provision for health and safety monitoring in the centres. Initially, this could be by asking
the new health and safety adviser to develop inspection checklists for the centres.
• Set up a programme for health and safety performance reviews. Performance could be
periodically reviewed at a health and safety committee meeting.
• Making centre managers accountable for health and safety performance in their area of
responsibility.

Q7:
(a)
• Some information is legally required to be communicated. For example, in the UK, the Health
and Safety (information for employees) Regulations 1989, is communicated either in poster
format or leaflet.
• To overcome language barriers. With more and more multicultural workforces’ language
sometimes is an issue, with people having difficulty reading or understanding written English.
• Literacy. Some people cannot read.
• People respond to different stimuli. The use of verbal, written and pictorial communication
methods helps cater to people’s different learning and understanding needs.
• Some people have disability issues. Verbal information may not be appropriate for people with
hearing difficulties or written information for people with visibility impairments.
• If feedback is required from a health and safety message, the message may best be given
verbally. For example, a toolbox talk.
• If only one method is used, people may become bored and inattentive.
(b)
• The information on the board may not be read by everyone.
• The information is not changed regularly or is out of date.
• The board is overloaded/overcrowded – with too much information.
• There is limited opportunity for feedback.
• The board may be used for other purposes (e.g. ‘for sale’ advertisements).

Q8:
(a)
• The right number, balance and mix of members. For example, a balanced mix of worker
and management representatives.
• The committee should have adequate authority to endorse decisions that are going to
require resources.
• There should be a set agenda for each meeting. If not, the meeting will lack structure and
hence, purpose.
• The committee meeting should be chaired by the most senior person. For example, the
Chief Executive. This not only demonstrates management’s commitment to health and
safety, but also gives the committee adequate authority when decisions requiring resource
are made.

©SHEilds – All rights reserved

IG1 mock exam suggested marking scheme V3
May 2023 Page 4 of 6
 • There should be good communication between the committee and the workforce, with
issues raised by the workforce fed into the committee and minutes from the committee
distributed to the workforce.
• Minutes should be issued and circulated, which highlight actions and action parties.
• Meetings should be scheduled and held regularly, typically every 4 to 6 weeks.
(b)
• The committee should be chaired by the Chief Executive. This gives the committee top
authority and also demonstrates management’s commitment to health and safety.
(c)
• Only if there is a national requirement for organisations to set up a health and safety
committee. For example, in the UK, organisations that have trade union labour are
required to set up a health and safety committee if requested by two union health and
safety representatives. ILO C155, whilst not specifically mentioning health and safety
committees, requires employers ‘to consult with workers on matters of health and safety’
(Article 19).

Task: Active monitoring.

Q9:
• Is the workshop floor clean and free from spillages and trip hazards? The chief executive,
on a visit to one of the centres, was unhappy with the number of oil spillages that had not
been dealt with.
• Is there a schedule for cleaning the floor?
• Are workers wearing the correct PPE for the task at hand? The chief executive observed a
mechanic without the necessary eye and ear protection.
• Are workers wearing safety footwear?
• Is machinery and equipment guarding in place and in good order?
• Does the lifting equipment and air compressor have valid certificates of inspection and
thorough examination from a competent person?
• Are there appropriate lifting aids in place for heavy or bulky equipment such as tyres and
engine blocks?
• Have all workers received manual handling training?
• Are vehicles braked and choked, particularly on lifts or sloping floors?
• Is there adequate ventilation to capture vehicle exhaust fumes when vehicles are idling for
testing purposes? Has the ventilation system been subject to its statutory inspection?
• If petrol must be drained, is a proprietary fuel retriever used?
• Are ignition sources (such as welding and grinding) excluded when working with or near
highly flammable substances?
• Is there a designated smoking area?
• Are gas cylinders stored in a safe, well-ventilated place (preferably outdoors)?
• Are less than 50 litres of highly flammable liquid stored in the workroom?
• Is waste fuel and flammable solvents stored and disposed of safely?
• Are low-voltage tools used where possible?
• Are other portable electric tools visually checked and tested regularly by a competent
person?
• Are the correct type of disposable gloves used?
• Are there dispensers for pre-work creams, cleansers, and after-work creams?
• Are employees aware of the need to report early signs of dermatitis?

©SHEilds – All rights reserved

IG1 mock exam suggested marking scheme V3
May 2023 Page 5 of 6
 • Are paint sprayers wearing the correct type of PPE?
• Has the spray booth LEV had its statutory inspection? The booth had not been subject to a
risk assessment, so it is possible that LEV inspections have not been considered.
• Are paint sprayers subject to health surveillance?

Task: Investigating incidents.

Q10:
(a)
• Gather the information: the amount of time and effort spent on information gathering should be
proportionate to the level of investigation. Information to be collected includes opinions,
experiences, observations, sketches, measurements, photographs, check sheets, permits-to-
work and details of the environmental conditions at the time. Determine the task being
undertaken at the time of the incident.
• Analyse the information: This involves examining all the facts to determine what happened and
why. All the information gathered should be examined to identify what information is relevant
and what information might be missing. Only by using this information to identify all causes,
particularly root causes, can future repetitions be prevented.
• Identifying suitable risk control measures: The analysis of the incident should have identified a
number of risk control measures that either failed, or that could have prevented the chain of
events leading to the incident if they had been in place. You should now be in a position to
recommend any alternative measures to prevent the incident from repeating.
• Action plan and implementation: At this stage in the investigation, senior management, who
have the authority to make decisions and act on the recommendations of the investigation
team, should be involved. A thorough investigation should result in an action plan for the
implementation of remedial risk control measures. The risk control measures which are
accorded the highest priority should be implemented soonest. Priorities should be determined
based on the magnitude of the risk.
(b)
Low level: A minor incident with low potential. The centre manager would normally carry out
the investigation.

Medium level: A serious incident, actually or potentially. The investigation would normally
involve the centre manager, the health and safety advisor and an employee representative.

High level: A very serious incident, actually or potentially. The investigation would normally
involve the centre manager, health and safety adviser, employee representative and would be
overseen by the Chief Executive.

©SHEilds – All rights reserved

IG1 mock exam suggested marking scheme V3
May 2023 Page 6 of 6