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NEBOSH NGC practice questions

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Question 1Management of health and safety

Under the ILO Occupational Safety and Health Convention (C155) and the EU Framework Directive approach to OSH management, which duty sits with the employer rather than the worker?

  1. Taking reasonable care of their own safety and that of others affected by their acts
  2. Providing and maintaining a working environment that is safe and without risk to health Correct answer.
  3. Reporting immediately any situation they have reasonable cause to believe presents an imminent danger
  4. Cooperating with the employer on measures introduced to control workplace hazards

Explanation

The hierarchy of OSH duties places the primary general duty on the employer: to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable a safe and healthy working environment, including organisation, plant, substances and systems of work. Worker duties are secondary and complementary, such as care, cooperation and reporting imminent danger. This split is the foundation of any safety management system.

Question 2Management of health and safety

A safety management system requires a written statement of intent covering the organisation's health and safety aims. In OSH management terminology, what is this statement called?

  1. The permit-to-work schedule
  2. The risk assessment register
  3. The accident investigation report
  4. The health and safety policy statement Correct answer.

Explanation

A health and safety policy is normally written in three parts: a statement of intent (the general aims and commitment of senior management), the organisation (roles and responsibilities), and the arrangements (systems, procedures and controls). The statement of intent is the top-level declaration of aims. Registers, investigation reports and permits are operational documents, not statements of intent.

Question 3Management of health and safety

In the hierarchy of control, which measure ranks highest because it protects everyone without relying on individual behaviour?

  1. Issuing personal protective equipment with training
  2. Adding warning signs at the point of risk
  3. Introducing a job rotation scheme
  4. Eliminating the hazard by changing the process or design Correct answer.

Explanation

The hierarchy of control starts with eliminating the hazard, which removes risk at source and depends on no one's behaviour. PPE, signs and job rotation sit lower because they rely on correct use, maintenance or compliance by individuals. Lower-order measures should only be used where higher-order ones are not reasonably practicable.

Question 4Management of health and safety

A worker suffers a fall from height at a construction site and is taken to hospital but returns to work the next week. Under the RIDDOR reporting regime in Great Britain, which category does this most likely fall into?

  1. A recordable but non-reportable near miss
  2. An over-seven-day injury requiring a report within 15 days
  3. A specified injury reportable because the worker was hospitalised for more than 24 hours Correct answer.
  4. A dangerous occurrence requiring immediate notification

Explanation

Under RIDDOR, an injury to a worker is reportable as a specified injury where, among other things, the person is admitted to hospital for more than 24 hours. A dangerous occurrence applies to specified incidents without an injury, and an over-seven-day injury requires more than seven days' absence. The scenario describes hospitalisation rather than a qualifying absence period.

Question 5Management of health and safety

A manager wants to know the purpose of accident investigation rather than merely recording incidents. Which statement best describes that purpose?

  1. To calculate the organisation's accident frequency rate for the annual report
  2. To identify underlying causes and prevent recurrence through corrective action Correct answer.
  3. To satisfy insurers by producing a written record of every event
  4. To establish who was at fault so discipline can be applied

Explanation

Investigation aims to establish what happened, why it happened and what needs to change, focusing on root and underlying causes such as management arrangements, not just immediate acts. Its output is corrective action that prevents recurrence. Blame allocation and statistical reporting are separate activities and can undermine honest reporting if confused with investigation.

Question 6Management of health and safety

During a risk assessment, a task is judged to carry a risk that is tolerable only if specific controls are maintained. What is the most appropriate management response?

  1. Reclassify the risk as trivial to avoid further documentation
  2. Suspend the task indefinitely until the risk is eliminated
  3. Accept the risk permanently without further action
  4. Monitor and review the controls regularly to confirm they remain effective Correct answer.

Explanation

Where risk is reduced to a tolerable level only by controls, those controls must be monitored, maintained and reviewed to confirm continued effectiveness. Tolerable does not mean acceptable without action, nor does it require elimination in every case. Reclassifying risk to avoid documentation defeats the purpose of assessment.

Question 7Management of health and safety

Which of the following is the best example of a proactive (active) monitoring technique rather than a reactive one?

  1. Reviewing the causes of a recent fire
  2. Conducting planned workplace inspections against a checklist Correct answer.
  3. Analysing trends in reported near misses
  4. Compiling statistics on lost-time injuries

Explanation

Proactive monitoring checks that controls are in place and working before harm occurs, for example planned inspections, audits, safety sampling and health surveillance. Reactive monitoring responds to events that have already happened, such as injuries, fires and near misses. Both feed into the same review cycle but answer different questions.

Question 8Management of health and safety

A safety officer is preparing a toolbox talk on the difference between a hazard and a risk. Which pair of statements is correct?

  1. A hazard is a legal duty; a risk is a documented procedure
  2. A hazard is a source of potential harm; a risk is the likelihood and severity of that harm occurring Correct answer.
  3. A hazard is the likelihood of harm; a risk is the severity of the outcome
  4. A hazard is a control measure; a risk is an accident that has occurred

Explanation

A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm, such as electricity, a chemical or a moving vehicle. Risk combines the likelihood of harm with its severity in the specific circumstances. Controls reduce risk but do not change the underlying hazard.

Question 9Management of health and safety

A new employee is given induction training covering emergency procedures, site rules and reporting arrangements. Which element of a health and safety management system is this primarily delivering?

  1. Competence and communication arrangements Correct answer.
  2. Incident investigation
  3. Policy review
  4. Monitoring and measurement

Explanation

Induction training builds competence and ensures workers know the arrangements that apply to them, which sits within the organising and implementing elements of a management system. It also supports communication by making expectations and reporting routes clear. Monitoring, policy review and investigation are separate functions that assess or respond rather than inform.

Question 10Management of health and safety

A director signs off the health and safety policy but delegates all implementation to a junior supervisor with no budget or authority. Which management principle is being breached?

  1. Risk assessment must be reviewed annually
  2. Accidents must be reported within 15 days
  3. Responsibility must be matched by authority and adequate resources Correct answer.
  4. Employees must be consulted on all decisions

Explanation

Effective safety management requires that the person accountable for delivering a duty has the authority, competence and resources to do so. Delegating responsibility without authority or resources leaves the arrangements unworkable and blurs accountability. The other statements are either unrelated to this principle or misstate specific legal requirements.

Question 11Management of health and safety

Which arrangement best demonstrates meaningful worker consultation on health and safety, as opposed to simply informing workers?

  1. Emailing staff a copy of the updated safety policy
  2. Publishing the annual accident statistics on the intranet
  3. Safety committee meetings where workers can raise concerns and influence decisions before changes are made Correct answer.
  4. Displaying the completed risk assessments on a noticeboard after implementation

Explanation

Consultation means giving workers a genuine opportunity to contribute to decisions about the measures that affect them, before those decisions are finalised. Committees, safety representatives and two-way discussion forums achieve this. Displaying documents or statistics is communication in one direction only.

Question 12Management of health and safety

A permit-to-work system is being introduced for confined space entry. Which feature is essential to the system's effectiveness?

  1. A generic permit valid for all tasks on site
  2. Formal authorisation by a competent person before work starts and formal hand-back on completion Correct answer.
  3. Verbal permission given by any supervisor on shift
  4. A permit issued after the work has begun to save time

Explanation

A permit-to-work is a formal documented control for high-risk tasks: a competent person authorises the work after confirming precautions, and the permit is formally closed and handed back when the task ends. This creates an auditable chain of control. Generic permits and retrospective issue remove the safeguards the system exists to provide.

Question 13Management of health and safety

An organisation records 6 lost-time injuries in a year with 300,000 hours worked. Using the standard formula, what is the accident frequency rate per 100,000 hours worked?

  1. 2.0 Correct answer.
  2. 6.0
  3. 18.0
  4. 0.5

Explanation

Accident frequency rate = (number of accidents / hours worked) x 100,000. Here (6 / 300,000) x 100,000 = 2.0. This expresses how often injuries occur relative to exposure and allows comparison between sites or periods of different sizes.

Question 14Management of health and safety

Which statement best explains why accident incidence rates are preferred over raw accident counts when comparing two sites?

  1. Rates measure the severity of each injury precisely
  2. Rates account for differences in exposure such as hours worked or numbers employed Correct answer.
  3. Rates are legally required in every workplace
  4. Rates eliminate the need for accident investigation

Explanation

Raw counts are distorted by the size and exposure of the population, so a larger site will usually record more accidents. Incidence or frequency rates normalise the data by hours worked or worker numbers, allowing fair comparison. Severity is a separate measure, often expressed through days lost.

Question 15Management of health and safety

A risk assessment identifies that a machine guard could be bypassed easily by operators. Which control approach best reflects the hierarchy of control?

  1. Increase supervision of the machine
  2. Add a warning label to the machine
  3. Redesign the guard or interlock so bypassing is difficult or impossible Correct answer.
  4. Retrain operators on the existing guard

Explanation

Engineering a physical or interlocked solution removes reliance on human behaviour and is a higher-order control than training or supervision. Warning labels, retraining and supervision are administrative measures that depend on compliance. The hierarchy therefore favours redesigning the guard first.

Question 16Management of health and safety

A safety audit differs from a routine safety inspection mainly because an audit:

  1. Records only unsafe acts by employees
  2. Is limited to checking fire extinguisher locations
  3. Examines the adequacy of management systems and arrangements, not just physical conditions Correct answer.
  4. Is carried out only after an accident

Explanation

Audits assess whether the management system, procedures and arrangements are adequate and being followed, providing a deeper and more strategic check. Inspections typically focus on physical conditions and observable behaviour at a point in time. Both are proactive monitoring tools but operate at different levels.

Question 17Management of health and safety

A worker is exposed to a hazardous substance and the risk assessment relies on local exhaust ventilation. What management action keeps this control reliable?

  1. Reducing the worker's shift length
  2. Annual retraining of the worker only
  3. Adding a warning sign next to the process
  4. Scheduled examination and testing of the extraction system by a competent person Correct answer.

Explanation

Engineering controls such as local exhaust ventilation degrade over time through blockage, damage or poor maintenance, so they require planned thorough examination and testing by a competent person. This confirms the control continues to perform as designed. Signs and shift changes do not verify that the extraction is working.

Question 18Management of health and safety

In the plan-do-check-act model applied to health and safety management, which activity belongs to the 'check' stage?

  1. Measuring performance against the planned arrangements and reviewing the results Correct answer.
  2. Implementing training and control measures
  3. Setting objectives and allocating resources
  4. Revising the policy following a management review

Explanation

The check stage measures and monitors performance against the plans and standards set earlier, using both proactive and reactive indicators. Planning sets objectives, doing implements them, and acting responds to findings through review and improvement. This cycle underpins continuous improvement in OSH management.

Question 19Management of health and safety

Which of the following best describes the role of a safety representative in a unionised workplace?

  1. Carrying out the employer's risk assessments in place of management
  2. Representing workers in consultations on health and safety matters and raising concerns with the employer Correct answer.
  3. Prosecuting the employer for breaches of legislation
  4. Issuing prohibition notices to stop unsafe work

Explanation

Safety representatives represent the workforce: they consult with the employer, investigate concerns, and may inspect the workplace where the law provides. They do not take over the employer's duties or exercise enforcement powers. Enforcement and prosecution rest with the regulator.

Question 20Management of health and safety

A near miss is recorded where a load fell from a forklift but no one was hurt. Why is recording and investigating this event valuable?

  1. It proves that the forklift operator was negligent
  2. It automatically satisfies all reporting obligations
  3. It reveals control failures that could cause serious harm next time Correct answer.
  4. It removes the need for a risk assessment of the task

Explanation

Near misses show that a barrier has failed even though harm did not result, giving an early opportunity to correct the underlying cause before a more serious event occurs. They support a learning culture. They are not evidence of blame and do not replace risk assessment or reporting requirements.

Question 21Management of health and safety

Which statement about the legal status of approved codes of practice in the GB framework is most accurate?

  1. They have the same legal force as statute and always create a criminal offence if ignored
  2. They apply only to employees, not to employers
  3. They are advisory only and carry no evidential weight in court
  4. They give practical guidance, and failure to follow them is admissible as evidence unless compliance by other means is shown Correct answer.

Explanation

Approved codes of practice provide practical guidance on how to comply with the relevant regulations. Breach of an approved code is admissible in evidence and, unless the duty holder shows compliance by other equally effective means, may be treated as proof of contravention. They are not statute themselves, but they carry real evidential weight.

Question 22Management of health and safety

An employer is deciding how to control a significant residual risk after all reasonably practicable measures have been considered. Which approach is consistent with the concept of 'reasonably practicable'?

  1. Weigh the risk against the cost, time and difficulty of further control measures Correct answer.
  2. Delegate the decision to an individual worker
  3. Eliminate all risk regardless of cost
  4. Always choose the cheapest available control

Explanation

'Reasonably practicable' requires weighing the magnitude of the risk against the sacrifice, in money, time or trouble, needed to control it. Where the risk is grossly disproportionate to the cost of control, further measures may not be required. The test is a balance, not an absolute duty to eliminate all risk.

Question 23Management of health and safety

A company wants to set a measurable health and safety objective. Which is the best example of a SMART objective?

  1. Ensure everyone works safely at all times
  2. Become a world-class safety organisation
  3. Reduce manual handling injuries in the warehouse by 25% within twelve months through mechanical aids Correct answer.
  4. Improve safety culture as soon as possible

Explanation

A SMART objective is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Reducing manual handling injuries by a stated percentage within a defined period, using a named measure, meets these criteria and can be tracked. General aspirations lack measurable targets and deadlines.

Question 24Management of health and safety

Why should the results of monitoring be communicated to the workforce and used in the management review?

  1. To transfer legal liability to employees
  2. To reduce the number of future inspections
  3. To provide material for disciplinary hearings
  4. To close the loop so findings drive corrective action and continuous improvement Correct answer.

Explanation

Monitoring is only useful if its findings feed back into decision-making: corrective actions are assigned, progress is tracked and the management review uses the results to adjust policy and objectives. This completes the improvement cycle. Communication also builds trust and demonstrates that reporting leads to change.

Question 25Management of health and safety

A contractor is engaged to work on site alongside the client's employees. Which statement best reflects the client's health and safety responsibilities?

  1. The client may rely on the contractor's insurance as the control measure
  2. The client must coordinate with the contractor and share relevant hazard information before work begins Correct answer.
  3. The client has no duties once the contractor has signed a contract
  4. The contractor alone is responsible for all risks on site

Explanation

Where work activities are shared, duty holders must cooperate and coordinate, exchanging information about hazards and controls so that risks to each other's workers are managed. The client retains duties as an employer and as the person in control of the premises. A contract does not extinguish these obligations.

Question 26Management of health and safety

Under the GB framework, which duty does the employer owe to people who are not employees but who may be affected by the undertaking, such as visitors and members of the public?

  1. A duty to ensure their health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable Correct answer.
  2. A duty to warn them in writing before any work starts
  3. A duty limited to providing personal protective equipment
  4. A duty to insure them against all forms of harm

Explanation

Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires employers and the self-employed to conduct the undertaking so that persons not in their employment who may be affected are not exposed to risks to their health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable. The duty is qualified by reasonable practicability, not by insurance or paperwork.

Question 27Management of health and safety

An organisation wants a formal, documented statement of its health and safety intentions, responsibilities and arrangements. Which document is being described?

  1. The health and safety policy Correct answer.
  2. The method statement
  3. The accident book
  4. The risk assessment register

Explanation

A written health and safety policy normally has three parts: a statement of intent, the organisation and responsibilities for carrying it out, and the arrangements in place. It is the overarching document from which risk assessments and procedures flow.

Question 28Management of health and safety

Which arrangement best shows that a health and safety policy is being implemented rather than just written?

  1. The policy was signed by the chief executive at launch
  2. The policy document is reviewed every five years
  3. The policy is displayed in a frame in the reception area
  4. Targets and responsibilities in the policy are allocated to named managers and reviewed at set intervals Correct answer.

Explanation

Implementation is demonstrated by active arrangements: named accountability, measurable targets, monitoring and periodic review that feeds back into the document. Displaying or signing a policy shows commitment but not that the arrangements are operating.

Question 29Management of health and safety

What is the primary purpose of the 'plan' stage in a plan-do-check-act approach to health and safety management?

  1. To investigate incidents after they have happened
  2. To set policy, objectives and arrangements for controlling risk before work begins Correct answer.
  3. To correct shortcomings found during monitoring
  4. To measure performance against agreed standards

Explanation

Planning establishes the policy, objectives, risk control arrangements and performance standards that the rest of the cycle works towards. Checking measures against those standards and acting corrects any gap.

Question 30Management of health and safety

A manager wants to identify trends in slips and trips across a large site before they cause injuries. Which monitoring approach is most appropriate?

  1. Counting the number of safety signs installed
  2. Analysing accident and near-miss records by location and task over a defined period Correct answer.
  3. Waiting for the annual insurance renewal quotation
  4. Reviewing the disciplinary records of staff

Explanation

Reactive data such as accident and near-miss records can be analysed by location, task and time to reveal patterns that point to underlying causes. This turns raw incident records into information that supports targeted control measures.

Question 31Management of health and safety

Which of the following is the best example of an active (proactive) monitoring technique?

  1. Compiling statistics on compensation claims
  2. Investigating a reportable dangerous occurrence
  3. A planned inspection of workplace conditions against a checklist Correct answer.
  4. Recording the number of days lost through injury

Explanation

Active monitoring measures compliance and conditions before harm occurs, and a structured inspection against a checklist is a classic example. Days lost, dangerous occurrences and claims are all outcomes measured after the event, so they are reactive.

Question 32Management of health and safety

A safety adviser is preparing an inspection checklist for a workshop. Which item best tests a behavioural (human factor) aspect rather than a physical condition?

  1. Whether the floor markings are intact
  2. Whether operators are wearing the eye protection required by the signage Correct answer.
  3. Whether the fire extinguishers are within their service date
  4. Whether the machine guards are physically fitted

Explanation

Behavioural inspections observe what people actually do, such as whether required PPE is worn, which reveals whether controls are followed. The other items are conditions of plant, equipment and the workplace that can be checked without observing behaviour.

Question 33Management of health and safety

What is the main purpose of a safety audit?

  1. To check that individuals are working at the required speed
  2. To verify that the management system and its arrangements are in place and effective Correct answer.
  3. To record the condition of individual machines at a point in time
  4. To identify the immediate cause of a recent accident

Explanation

An audit examines the management system itself, verifying that policies, procedures, responsibilities and records exist and work as intended. Inspections look at physical conditions and practices at a point in time, and investigations examine specific incidents.

Question 34Management of health and safety

A company has 250 workers and wants to appoint a competent person to assist with health and safety. Which arrangement best meets the requirement for competence?

  1. The most senior manager, because authority equals competence
  2. Someone with sufficient knowledge, training, experience and relevant personal qualities, supported as needed by external advice Correct answer.
  3. Any long-serving employee, because length of service proves competence
  4. A newly recruited graduate, because academic qualifications alone establish competence

Explanation

Competence combines knowledge, training, experience and personal qualities such as reliability and judgement, and it must be sufficient for the task in hand. Where in-house competence is limited, the employer may supplement it with external advice while retaining responsibility.

Question 35Management of health and safety

An employer identifies a need for specialist advice on occupational health risks that no internal employee can provide. What is the most appropriate response?

  1. Transfer legal responsibility for health and safety to the external adviser
  2. Take no action, because the law only requires internal appointments
  3. Rely on the workforce to identify and manage the specialist risks
  4. Engage competent external advisers while retaining overall responsibility for managing the risk Correct answer.

Explanation

Employers may appoint external competent persons to provide the necessary knowledge, but the duty to manage health and safety cannot be delegated away. The employer remains accountable for ensuring risks are properly controlled.

Question 36Management of health and safety

Which statement correctly describes the legal status of an approved code of practice in the GB health and safety framework?

  1. It replaces the underlying regulations once approved
  2. It has no legal effect and is purely advisory
  3. It gives practical guidance, and following it is normally enough to comply with the relevant duty, but other measures may also satisfy the law Correct answer.
  4. It has the same force as a statute, so any departure is automatically a criminal offence

Explanation

An approved code of practice has a special status: where it applies, following its provisions is normally sufficient to satisfy the relevant legal duty, but a duty holder may instead show compliance by other means. It does not override the regulations it supports.

Question 37Management of health and safety

A risk assessment uses a simple matrix scoring likelihood and severity to rank risks. What is the main limitation of relying on this method?

  1. The method is only valid for fire risks
  2. The scores depend on subjective judgement and can create false precision Correct answer.
  3. The method is prohibited where regulations require risk assessment
  4. The method cannot be applied to any workplace with more than 50 workers

Explanation

Qualitative and semi-quantitative matrices depend on the assessor's judgement of likelihood and severity, so the numbers can appear more precise than the evidence supports. They remain useful for prioritising but should be interpreted with that subjectivity in mind.

Question 38Management of health and safety

A task is assessed as having a risk that is tolerable only if specific controls are maintained. What action should management take?

  1. Take no further action because the risk is already tolerable
  2. Keep the controls under active monitoring and reduce the risk further where reasonably practicable Correct answer.
  3. Remove the controls once staff are trained in the task
  4. Stop the activity immediately because tolerable risks are unacceptable

Explanation

A tolerable risk is one that is acceptable in the context of the activity only while the specified controls remain in place, so those controls must be monitored and maintained. The principle of continual improvement also requires further reduction where reasonably practicable.

Question 39Management of health and safety

A risk assessment is being carried out for a task performed by two different shifts. Which approach best ensures the assessment reflects reality?

  1. Base the assessment on the manufacturer's generic guidance alone
  2. Complete the assessment from the office using the equipment manual
  3. Ask only the most experienced supervisor to sign it off
  4. Involve workers from both shifts in identifying hazards and validating the assessment Correct answer.

Explanation

Workers who actually perform the task hold practical knowledge of how it is done, including shortcuts and variations between shifts, so their involvement improves accuracy. Consultation also increases ownership of the resulting controls.

Question 40Management of health and safety

Under the hierarchy of control, which measure should be considered first for a significant hazard?

  1. Eliminating the hazard by changing the process or design Correct answer.
  2. Providing training on safe working
  3. Issuing personal protective equipment
  4. Displaying warning signs

Explanation

The hierarchy of control starts with eliminating the hazard, which removes the risk entirely and is inherently more reliable than measures that depend on human behaviour. PPE, signs and training sit lower down because they rely on people acting correctly.

Question 41Management of health and safety

A significant residual risk remains after reasonably practicable measures have been taken. Which action is most appropriate?

  1. Record the risk but take no further action
  2. Conceal the residual risk to avoid causing alarm
  3. Inform and consult the workforce about the residual risk and keep it under review Correct answer.
  4. Assume the residual risk is acceptable because controls are in place

Explanation

Where a residual risk remains, those exposed need to understand it so they can take informed decisions, and it should be kept under review for further reduction. Concealment or passive recording undermines informed consent and continual improvement.

Question 42Management of health and safety

A near miss is recorded where a load fell from a forklift but no one was hurt. Why is investigating and recording this event valuable?

  1. It guarantees the event will not happen again
  2. It provides evidence for disciplinary action against the driver
  3. It is only valuable if someone was injured
  4. It reveals control failures that could cause injury next time, before harm occurs Correct answer.

Explanation

Near misses are free lessons: the same failure of control could produce injury under slightly different circumstances, so investigating them allows corrective action before harm. They are a key source of reactive data for prevention.

Question 43Management of health and safety

Which set of factors is most relevant when deciding whether an accident should be investigated in depth?

  1. The length of time the worker has been employed
  2. The cost of the investigation team's time
  3. Actual and potential severity, likelihood of recurrence and the novelty of the circumstances Correct answer.
  4. The seniority of the person who reported it

Explanation

Investigation effort should be proportionate to the risk, so actual and potential severity, the chance of recurrence and how novel or poorly understood the circumstances are all matter. These factors direct resources where learning and prevention benefit is greatest.

Question 44Management of health and safety

An organisation wants to consult workers on a new shift pattern that will affect fatigue and exposure to hazards. Which approach best meets the requirement for meaningful consultation?

  1. Place the proposal on a noticeboard without inviting comment
  2. Ask only the site director to approve the change
  3. Seek workers' views before the decision is finalised and show how those views were considered Correct answer.
  4. Announce the final decision and provide a briefing afterwards

Explanation

Consultation means seeking views and taking them into account before decisions are made, not simply informing people of a decision already taken. Timing and genuine consideration of the views are what make consultation meaningful.

Question 45Management of health and safety

Which statement best explains why health and safety training alone is a weak control measure?

  1. It transfers legal duties to the employee
  2. It is always too expensive to provide
  3. It relies on people remembering and choosing to apply what they were taught Correct answer.
  4. It cannot be delivered in the workplace

Explanation

Training works through human behaviour, so its effectiveness depends on recall, attitude and supervision, and it can degrade over time. It is therefore lower in the hierarchy than engineering controls that do not depend on individual choice.

Question 46Management of health and safety

A worker is exposed to a hazardous substance and the risk assessment relies on local exhaust ventilation. What management arrangement is essential for the control to remain effective?

  1. A planned programme of examination and testing of the extraction system at defined intervals Correct answer.
  2. A sign warning that the substance is hazardous
  3. A one-off check when the system was installed
  4. Annual retraining of the worker only

Explanation

Engineering controls such as local exhaust ventilation degrade through wear and blockage, so they need planned examination and testing at defined intervals, with records kept. A one-off installation check or signage does not confirm the system still works.

Question 47Management of health and safety

A permit-to-work system is used for hot work in a flammable atmosphere. Which feature is essential for the system to be effective?

  1. A permit that remains valid indefinitely once issued
  2. Verbal authorisation from any worker on shift
  3. A permit form that is filed without being signed
  4. Clear definition of who may authorise, suspend and cancel the permit, with handover and close-out checks Correct answer.

Explanation

A permit-to-work system depends on clear authority, defined validity periods, and formal handover and close-out so that the state of the plant is known at all times. Without these, the permit becomes a paper exercise.

Question 48Management of health and safety

A director signs the health and safety policy but delegates all implementation to a junior supervisor with no budget or authority. What is the main weakness in this arrangement?

  1. The policy was signed at too senior a level
  2. The supervisor has too much authority over safety
  3. Too much money has been allocated to health and safety
  4. Responsibility is not matched by authority and resources, so the policy cannot be delivered Correct answer.

Explanation

Effective health and safety management requires that allocated responsibilities are backed by the authority and resources needed to discharge them. Delegating a duty without these leaves the policy undeliverable and undermines accountability.

Question 49Management of health and safety

Which of the following best describes the purpose of the management review in a health and safety management system?

  1. To deliver induction training to new starters
  2. To evaluate overall performance and decide on improvements and resources at senior level Correct answer.
  3. To inspect individual workstations for housekeeping
  4. To record each accident in the accident book

Explanation

Management review is a senior-level evaluation of the system's suitability, adequacy and effectiveness, using monitoring data to set direction and allocate resources. Operational checks, training and record-keeping are inputs to that review, not the review itself.

Question 50Management of health and safety

A safety adviser is producing a written safe system of work for a routine maintenance task. Which feature most clearly distinguishes a safe system of work from a general method statement?

  1. It states the disciplinary consequences of failing to follow instructions
  2. It is signed by the most senior manager on site before any work begins
  3. It lists the personal protective equipment issued to each worker on the task
  4. It records the sequence of work with the specific hazards, control measures and who is responsible at each stage Correct answer.

Explanation

A safe system of work sets out how the task is done safely by identifying the hazards at each step, the controls that manage them and the person accountable for each control, so it is task-specific and usable at the point of work. A method statement may describe the sequence of work, but on its own it need not link hazards to controls and responsibilities. Senior sign-off, PPE lists and disciplinary statements may support implementation but do not define the system itself.