Safety Management - General advice

This course is not intended to produce safety experts, but only to stimulate students to understand the safety hazards associated with the construction industry, how these hazards are dealt with in legislation and how they as practitioners within the industry can help promote a safer working environment. Although the legislation discussed on the module is specific to the UK, similar legislation is often in place in other countries. The management principles and practice discussed are applicable to all construction operations.

General Marking Guidance for Safety Management Exam

Each question attempted will be marked according to the guideline below: A+ (>80%) exceptional answer, not only showing knowledge given in notes, but also indicating additional reading AND a clear understanding of how theoretical knowledge can be applied on site. A (>70%) exceptional answer, not only showing knowledge given in notes, but also indicating additional reading OR a clear understanding of how theoretical knowledge can be applied on site. B (>60%) similar to above in having good book/theoretical knowledge but limited understanding of application and maybe lacking passion for the topic. C (>50%) limited to book/notes understanding. D (>40%) weak book/notes understanding, with many gaps but no significant dangerous misunderstanding. E & F (<40%) answers that are flawed and could be potentially dangerous if writer placed in a junior management position.

Feedback on previous exam scripts

Having marked the scripts from previous years I would like to feedback the following comments to help students prepare for this years examination: Solutions presented MUST attempt to address the questions being asked; simply reproducing various sections of the class notes is not acceptable. In addition, many solutions which are very brief and do not provide detailed explanations, will receive low grades as this is not what is expected at this level of study.

Exams should not be seen as a test of your memory, testing your ability to remember the notes and reproduce them for the exam. It should be your opportunity to provide evidence of your understanding of the subject area by being able to provide explanations, critical analysis, discussions and evaluations of specific areas of knowledge. Your solutions should contain reference to your notes, further reading undertaken by you in self-study time and, whenever possible, examples and case studies that relate to the question and allow you to demonstrate your understanding of the topic and its application in practice. Solutions which reproduce the class notes but do not relate to the exam question being asked will not receive marks as there is no relevance in the information being presented to the original question, regardless if the information is correct, i.e. One solution presented an explanation of how impetuous young workers are on site, when the questions asked for an explanation of how accident investigations are undertaken. Scripts which reproduced the class notes, in a list format, with little explanation and discussion or any critical evaluation related to the questions being asked can not be awarded marks higher than a D grade. It is fundamentally incorrect to knowledge dump information in an exam situation as opposed to addressing the actual problem posed in the question, it is very obvious to the marker if students read the key word in the question and then write down everything from the class notes which covered this topic, with very little attempt at addressing the actual question in a structured manner. It is hoped you will find this helpful and constructive guidance which you will consider when preparing for your safety exam. It is important for you to realise that sitting any exam is your opportunity to demonstrate your broad knowledge of a subject area and your academic ability to provide reasoned and structured arguments that draw on several sources of information, not just the class notes. In an exam, I suggest you read the question carefully, identify the key areas to be addressed, clarify your structure and content before your start to write your solution. Remember to include reference to your class notes, additional reading you have completed and if possible a case study or practical example to add the academic rigour required for this level of study. I hope you find this informative and I wish you well in your studies. Dr Fiona Grant CMS Programme Director