NEBOSH International General Certificate

Unit 1 Management of International Health and Safety

Element 5 Risk Assessment

1. (a) Identify the key stages of a workplace risk assessment. (5)

(b) Outline THREE reasons for reviewing a risk assessment. (3)

Answer

(a) The key stages involved in carrying out a risk assessment are:
1. identifying the hazards at the workplace with safety inspections, incident
data, Job Safety Analysis, HAZOPs etc;
2. identifying the persons at risk including operators, maintenance staff,
cleaners, visitors etc;
3. evaluating the risks such as likelihood and probable severity of the harm
and assessing the adequacy of existing control measures and deciding
whether additional measures were required;
4. recording the significant findings;
5. reviewing risk assessment and revise if necessary.

(b) The reasons for reviewing the risk assessment include: changes in the
processes; changes in the work methods/work environments; changes in the
equipment/ materials used; the introduction of new or the modification of existing
plan; a change in legislation; change of key personnel; following an accident and
after the stipulated time has been elapsed. (write any three).

2. With respect to undertaking general risk assessments on activities within a

workplace:

(a) Outline the key stages of the risk assessment process, identifying the issues
that would need to be considered at EACH stage; (10)

(b) Explain the criteria which must be met for the assessment to be 'suitable and
sufficient'; (4)

(c) Outline the factors that the employer should take into account when selecting
individuals to assist in carrying out the required risk assessment. (6)

Answer

(a) The first stage is the identification of significant hazards involved and we need to
consider the location, equipment and substances used, people involved and the
activities undertaken at the workplace. The second stage is the identification of
people exposed to the hazards, ex: operators, maintenance staff, cleaners, visitors,

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 young people, disabled workers, expectant/nursing mothers and lone workers.
The third stage is evaluation of the risks taking into account the likelihood and
severity of the harm, the frequency and duration of the exposure of the
employees, determine the existing control measures are adequate by means of
checking the workplace precautions and risk control systems (RCSs) and decide
anything more need to be done. The fourth stage involves recording the
significant findings of the assessment in a written form and to consider whether
all the necessary information has been provided including the date of review etc
and the final stage is a review and revision of the assessment at regular intervals
and following major changes.

(b) The criteria which must be set for a risk assessment to be ‘Suitable and
Sufficient’ include: it should identify all significant hazards and risks arising
from the activities and ignore the trivial ones; identify all the persons at risk
including employees, other workers, pregnant women, visitors, members of the
public etc; evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of existing control measures;
the competence of the assessor together with the specialist advice; be appropriate
to the nature of the work and valid over a reasonable period of time.

(c) The factors include the individuals' past experience and competence; training in
hazard identification and in carrying out risk assessments; their experience of the
process or activity carried out in the workplace; their technical knowledge of the
plant and equipment involved; their ability to understand and interpret regulations,
standards and guidance; their communication and report writing skills; an awareness
of their own limitations and their attitude and commitment to the task.

3. (a) Define the term 'hazard'. (2)

(b) Define the term 'risk'. (2)
(c) Identify FOUR means of hazard identification that may be used in the
workplace. (4)

Answer

(a) A hazard is the potential of a substance, activity or process to cause harm and is also
defined as the act, source or situation which has potential to cause harm.

Examples include electricity, chemicals, manual handling and the use of a ladder.

(b) A risk is the likelihood of a substance, activity or process to cause harm and is also
defined as the probability/likelihood that the potential would be realized and its severity
in terms of injury, damage or harm.
An example would be the likelihood of being harmed by tripping on a trailing cable in an office and the
possible severity of the injury suffered.
Another example could be the likelihood of being struck in the eye if using a grinding wheel without the use
of eye protection and/or machine guards and the severity of the possible penetrating eye injury suffered.

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 (c) Four means of hazard identification include:
 carrying out safety inspections, observations and safety audits;
 job safety analysis (JSA) and risk assessments;
 the study of incident data;
 hazard operability studies (HAZOP’s);
 hazard registers;
 fault tree analysis (FTA);
 manufacturers' documents such as safety data sheets;
 reference to legislation and its accompanying guidance.

4. (a) Explain the meaning of the term 'risk'. (2)

(b) Identify SIX hazards that might be considered when assessing the risk to the
health and safely of a multi-storey car park attendant.

Answer:

(a) A risk is the likelihood of a substance, activity or process to cause harm and is also
defined as the probability/likelihood that the potential would be realized and its
severity in terms of injury, damage or harm.

(b) the hazards facing a person employed as an attendant in a multi-storey car park
include,

1. fumes and/or dust;

2. impact or crushing by moving vehicles;
3. fire (particularly in relation to fuel);
4. extremes of ambient temperature;
5. the possibility of being subjected to violence;
6. noise from, for instance, car alarms;
7. slips, trips or falls (exacerbated perhaps by oil and stairs);
8. biological hazards from the presence of vermin, human waste and hypodermic
needles;
9. Ergonomic hazards caused by the need to stoop or twist in what might be a
restricted workspace.

5. Give the reasons why hazards to the health of workers may not be identified during
a workplace inspection. (8)

Answer:

The reasons include: the nature of the hazard may not be well understood, Ex: contact
with biological agents; a lack of measuring equipment, ex: for noise; the fact that effects
may be chronic rather than immediate as like Work Related Upper Limb Disorders
(WRULD’s); the hazard not being visible, ex: certain gases or that arising from radiation;
over familiarity, for example, from exposure to sunlight; the individual susceptibility of
certain workers; a particular task which was not in progress and the workers not available

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during the inspection; the unwillingness of individuals to admit the problems with their
health; low priority to health and safety in the organisation; the person carrying out the
inspection concentrating on the more immediate hazards; and finally, the lack of
competency of the inspector.

The common reasons include lack of attention and experience, wearing of PPE, sensory
impairment and inadequate information, instruction and training.

6.Outline FOUR groups of people at work that would be a special category and require an
individual risk assessment. Give an explanation in each case why an individual risk
assessment would be required. (8)

Answer

The following groups of people require an individual risk assessment:

a) Young people - due to their inexperience or immaturity.

b) Pregnant women - exposure to a hazardous substance could endanger the foetus.

c) Disabled or vulnerable persons - hearing-impaired workers require a visual alarm

system.

d) Lone workers - because lone working can bring additional risks, e.g. confined spaces.

7. a) Explain why young workers are of greater risk at work. (4)

b) Outline the measures to be taken to minimise the risks to them. (4)

Answer

a) Young workers are at greater risk because of their lack of knowledge, experience and
training; lack of awareness of risks in the workplace; a tendency to be subject to peer
pressure; a willingness to work hard and more likely to take risks; over enthusiastic;
underdeveloped communication skills; lack of attention; underdeveloped physical
strength and capability; and they are susceptible to physical, chemical and biological
hazards.

b) The control measures shall include: induction and training about hazards and risks;
close supervision during the early stages of their employment; mentoring by an
experienced fellow worker; adopting clear lines of communications; restricting the
number of hours working; not allowing them to be exposed to extremes of temperature,
noise or vibration; not allowing them to be exposed to radiation or compressed air works;
controlling levels of exposure to hazardous substances like carcinogens.