Sample Question Paper TASK 3 Q3 Nebosh OBE IG1 (2020)

Task 3: Effective health and safety policy arrangements 

Question 3:  The contracts manager tries to reassure the health and safety committee that the company has an adequate statement of general policy for health and safety.  Copies of the policy are shown to the committee – see below:   

This health and safety policy is a commitment to:      

• Prevent accidents.
• Investigate accidents and near misses.
• Prevent injury and ill-health.
• Provide safe and healthy working conditions.
• Provide safe plant and equipment for office and mobile workers.
• Ensure safe handling and use of substances. 
• Set and review specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound (SMART) health and safety objectives.  
• Meet legal requirements. 
•  Identify health and safety hazards and risks in the workplace.  
•  Provide adequate training.  
•  Consult with workers.  
•  Review this policy every 10 years.     

     Based on the scenario only, comment on how effectively this policy has been implemented.                                                                                          (Marks-10)  

 

Answer: ​

I. Prevent accidents: The Organization is least bothered in preventing accidents as per the scenario as the near misses are not reported by the worker and repeating with high frequencies. It was good will of the workers that they haven't suffered any injuries from years as stated by Operations managers.​

II. Investigate Incidents and Near Misses: It is clearly rectified from the recent near miss which has happened that the near misses and incidents are not investigated the company. When I HSE officer decided to investigate the recent parking area near miss and consulted the operations manager, he advised that this should be resolved by the workers themselves since nobody injured from years. ​

III. Prevent injury and ill-health: Since there are no preventive measures put in place from the management in order to protect the workers from the near misses it is hard to say that work related injuries and ill-health will be prevented.​

IV. Provide Safe & Healthy working conditions: Management failed to provide the safe the healthy working condition to the workers as the most accident prone area is the car parking lot for which the risk assessment has not be conducted and the poor lighting triggers the unsafe condition of work.​

V. Provide safe plant and equipment for office and mobile workers: There is no clear proof that the management is taking Health and Safety on priority just the parking area itself is not yet free from incidents and near misses it is very difficult to say that company is providing safe plant and equipment for the workers as the floodlights in the parking area is also not working and no action taken on it and none of them is aware of it.​

VI. Ensure safe handling and use of substances: Organization is breaching health and safety system as there are no records of safe handling of substances provided in the scenario. Management commitment is very poor in implementing safety if the workers with in the organization.

VII. Set and review specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound (SMART) health and safety objectives: SMART objective is not set in the organization since there is no Health and safety management in the organization as the General HSE policy is also missing and not educated to workers no body aware of HSE policy what it looks alike.​

VIII. Meet legal requirements: As per the words by the Contract manager that HSE Policy only made available for the third party and as per my investigation the HSE policy is missing and nit communicated to anyone this is a legal requirement . Also the risk assessment is also not yet conducted for the parking are these clearly justify the noncompliance if legal requirement. ​

IX. Identify health and safety hazards and risks in the workplace: The most suitable methods for identifying hazards and risks is by performing risk assessment and investigating Incidents & Near Misses this does not prevails in the organization. 

X. Provide adequate training: There is nothing specified about providing the training to the workers for the related work activity carried out and also there are no records it is not possible with the violation of health and safety company could concentrate in providing training to the employees. ​

XI. Consult with workers: The workers when consulted by me HSE officer they have stated that here is consultation with them in the HSE matters in the company.​

XII. Review this policy every 10 years: During the committee meeting both managers has confirmed the policy review was done several years ago which is not a good practice, HSE policy must be reviewed every year at least.​

 

After going through the scenario and the negative human behavioral from the managers (Contract and Operations) and the unavailability if the HSE policy it is denoted that the management has to implement HSE system and policy as well with the organization

THE END.......