NEBOSH Health and Safety Management Systems 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the main purpose of a health and safety audit?
- To investigate a specific accident that has occurred
- To systematically assess compliance with the OH&S management system, legal requirements, and best practice (Correct answer)
- To calculate the cost of accidents for the annual report
- To train new employees in health and safety procedures
Correct answer: To systematically assess compliance with the OH&S management system, legal requirements, and best practice
A health and safety audit is a structured, systematic examination of the OH&S management system to verify that arrangements are in place, being implemented, adequate, and effective. It can be internal or external.
Question 2: The 'Arrangements' section of a health and safety policy should include:
- Only the names of competent persons appointed
- The systems, procedures, and practical arrangements for managing specific hazards and activities (Correct answer)
- Only the general statement of commitment signed by the CEO
- Only the contact details for the Health and Safety Executive
Correct answer: The systems, procedures, and practical arrangements for managing specific hazards and activities
The 'Arrangements' section details the practical systems and procedures for managing health and safety, including risk assessment, training, emergency procedures, first aid, accident reporting, consultation, and management of specific hazards.
Question 3: Which of the following factors is most likely to contribute to a NEGATIVE safety culture?
- Regular management safety tours and visible leadership
- Open reporting systems with feedback to reporters
- A blame culture where workers are punished for reporting near misses (Correct answer)
- Active workforce involvement in risk assessments
Correct answer: A blame culture where workers are punished for reporting near misses
A blame culture discourages reporting, hides problems, prevents learning, and creates an environment where safety issues go unaddressed until a serious incident occurs.
Question 4: The 'planning' element of a health and safety management system should include:
- Only the emergency evacuation procedures
- Setting objectives, identifying hazards, assessing risks, and implementing risk controls proportionate to the hazard (Correct answer)
- Only the maintenance schedule for fire equipment
- Only the training plan for new starters
Correct answer: Setting objectives, identifying hazards, assessing risks, and implementing risk controls proportionate to the hazard
Planning involves setting health and safety objectives, identifying hazards, assessing risks, developing risk control strategies, establishing management arrangements, and allocating resources proportionate to the identified risks.
Question 5: In the context of continual improvement, what should happen after the 'Act' phase of the PDCA cycle?
- The cycle stops as the system is now perfected
- The cycle restarts at 'Plan' with the improvements feeding into the next cycle (Correct answer)
- An external audit must be conducted before proceeding
- The policy is rewritten from scratch
Correct answer: The cycle restarts at 'Plan' with the improvements feeding into the next cycle
The PDCA cycle is continuous — after 'Act' (implementing corrections and improvements), the cycle returns to 'Plan' where the improvements inform the next round of planning, creating a spiral of continual improvement.
Question 6: Under Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, what must every employer carry out?
- A fire drill at least once per year
- A suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to employees and others affected by their undertaking (Correct answer)
- A structural survey of the workplace every five years
- An occupational health screening of all employees
Correct answer: A suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to employees and others affected by their undertaking
Regulation 3 requires employers to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to health and safety of employees and anyone else who may be affected by their undertaking, for the purpose of identifying necessary protective measures.
NEBOSH Health and Safety Management Systems 4
What is the main purpose of a health and safety audit?