NCC2: Construction health and safety practical application Part II

NCC2: Construction health and safety practical application Part I
NCC2: Construction health and safety practical application Part III

In Part I, we looked at how we would carry out a safety inspection of a workplace, and identify the types of hazards that maybe present, In part II we look at how the examiner will award marks for the observatios made and how they are presented, In Part III will be an example observation sheet and a sample report.

Allocation of marks

While poor spelling and grammar will not be penalised the report should demonstrate reasonable literacy levels. In addition, if the assessor is unable to understand your notes then invariably fewer marks will be awarded than would otherwise have been the case.

Observation sheets

Range of issues (0 to 5 marks)

You are expected to do more than simply identify hazards such as poor housekeeping and unsafe machines. In most workplaces you should be able to find a range of hazards in chemical, fire, electrical, environmental, welfare and other issues. Remember you can also comment on situations

Number of hazards identified (0 to 20 marks)

You are expected to be able to recognise the more common hazards. Marks will not be awarded for repetitive hazards or deficiencies such as poor housekeeping or unguarded machinery. As a general rule you would be expected in a very good report to identify about 75% of the health and safety issues that would be readily noted by a health and safety practitioner.

At certificate level you are not expected to know all the information about every hazard. The following should be used as a rule:

• You would be expected to recognise that the top guard of a circular saw is incorrectly set several inches above the wood being cut. You would not however be expected to know the maximum permitted clearance.
  


• You would be expected to know that fire extinguishers should be provided, but not whether the ones provided were of the correct type.

Identification of immediate, medium and long term action requirements (0 to 10 marks)

Where appropriate you should comment on the need for medium and long term action as well as immediate action to control any danger. You should be able to distinguish between the symptoms and root causes. For example the immediate action on poor housekeeping could be to sweep up the debris. Tackling the root cause could involve employing a labourer, improving supervision or modifying the work process

Suitability of remedial actions (0 to 20 marks)

The proposed remedial actions must not only remove or control the hazard but must also be realistic and cost-effective. Time-scales should also be realistic.

Report to management

The management report is part of the examination process. It must be written in your own handwriting (unless special arrangements are agreed in advance with NEBOSH) and must not contain any photographs, printed matter or any other extraneous material. The following marking scheme is used.

Selection of topics for urgent management attention (0 to 10 marks)

This requires you to emphasise those items on the observation sheets that you consider require attention by senior management. You should present them along with your comments and recommendations. Remember that this is action required by senior management so do not just reproduce the remarks on the observation sheets. Also, marks will be deducted if you give undue

Consideration of cost implications (0 to 5 marks)

You are not expected either to know or to estimate the actual costs but you should demonstrate that you are aware that there are some cost implications. For example, if you recommend training, some indication should be given as to whether you are suggesting a short in-house course or a two-week external course. It is the assessment of the magnitude of costs that is important more than the precise figures.

Indication of breaches of legislation (0 to 5 marks)

In a real work situation you would consult books and references when preparing a report. For the purpose of this assessment, in which books and reference material are not allowed, you are expected to be able to broadly identify those Acts and Regulations referred to during the course that may have been breached. Neither the date nor the full titles are obligatory even for full marks.

Presentation of information (0 to 10 marks)

Although there is no universally approved format for the purposes of the practical assessment a good report should contain about 500-750 words comprising about three pages of handwritten A4 paper.

The report should cover the following points in a logical sequence:

• Where and when the inspection took place
• A brief summary of what was found
• A short list of issues requiring management attention with convincing arguments as to why such action is needed and calling attention to possible breaches of legislation.
• Reference to the list of observations and recommended actions (observation sheets should be attached to the report) calling attention to any recommendations which could have a high cost in terms of finance, inconvenience or time.

Effectiveness in convincing management to take action (0 to 15 marks)

This is the assessor's overall impression of the report and the degree to which they consider it would have convinced management to take action. Managers are unlikely to have time to plough through lengthy reports and candidates who are not selective and who include large numbers of minor hazards in lengthy reports will earn few marks under this heading.
You should write the report in a style that a manager would be able to take reasonable action based on the facts presented. Reports based on unsupported generalities and those that simply reiterate the contents on the observation sheets will earn low marks

In conclusion

High marks will be awarded to reports that are concise, readable and highly selective in terms of action required by senior management. They should contain balanced arguments on why action is needed and explain the effect it would have on the standards of health and safety at the workplace.