NGC Practice papers 1Nov2012.pdf

8/14/2019 NGC Practice papers 1Nov2012.pdf

1/12

24 Stirling Road, Chichester, PO19 7DS

01243 776394 http://www.praa.org.uk/1

NEBOSH NGC

Past papers, Practice papers

... continued ...

NEBOSH General Certicate NGC - Practice papers

Full title: 'Having investigated the pattern of NGC1 andNGC2 examination questions in recent years, you shouldnow obtain copies of Examiners' reports, attempt ourPractice papers and then obtain feedback from your tutor.'

NEBOSH offer four national sittings of the Certicate examination per year (December, March,June and September) and after a few months, the examination papers are made publicly available,as are the Examiners reports, both of which you can purchase from the NEBOSH 'shop'; we also

have some loan copies available at the Chichester ofce.

Analysis of questions in past examinationsOur analysis of past questions are supplied to you aselectronic les ...

NGC1 Analysis of questions Dec05 to Sep07

NGC2 Analysis of questions Dec05 to Sep07

... and so on, up to the most recent examinations.

When familiarising yourself with pastquestions, for obvious reasons youshould concentrate on examinationsfrom recent years (ie 2009 onwards).

However, if you happen to have to hand

some examination papers from a few yearsago, you will nd that the majority of thequestions will still be relevant.

The most recent revision has reduced the syllabus coverage of bricks and mortar constructionmatters, although scaffolding remains in the syllabus, as do the CDM Regulations - now tobe found in the rst element of all - and these Regulations will surely continue to be a popularquestion topic. (That is, popular with the examiners; not always the same thing as popular withcandidates.)

the rst two sets of past paperanalyses look like this ...

and the most recent analyses

(September 2009 - ) like this ...
http://www.praa.org.uk/http://www.praa.org.uk/


2/12

NEBOSH NGC




Towards the start of your studies, you may feel inclined to attempt some past Certicate

questions with the appropriate study books open before you. However, as you build towards theexamination, there will come a time when you will need to attempt the questions under as nearexamination conditions as you can manage; this of course means no access to any study materialor to reference sources and it also means working within the question by question time constraintswhich you will face in the actual examination. As the NEBOSH examiners have frequentlycommented in their examiners reports:

Time management is very important in the examination. For the one 20 mark question,the Examiners expect an answer to take 25 minutes to write (a page and a half, as anapproximate guide). For the ten short-answer questions (8 marks each), the Examiners

suggest that an appropriate answer of half a page should be written in about 8 minutes.

Such examiners comments come up again and again demonstrating that, year by year,candidates mis-manage their time and have to rush through the last three or four 8 mark questionswith insufcient time to do themselves justice. Over the years we have worked hard to creategood study material and to keep it up to date so providing you with appropriate coverage of thesyllabus; complementing this study material is our commitment to mark and comment on any past

NEBOSH papers which you submit to us ...

there is no substitute for attempting past papers.

We have often commented to students that, particularly towards the end of their studies, it is betterto spend time tackling past papers than revising a particular topic for the second or third time. Theproblem of course is that, when you are tired and it is late in the evening, it is much easier to sitin your comfy chair and doze your way through one of our books than it is to sit at your desk andspend, perhaps, 40 minutes attempting one long-answer and two or three short-answer questions.It is of course tempting to claim that I dont have time to do the whole paper, so Ill do some

revision instead.It is no secret - and our analyses demonstrate - that many of the same basic questions will, slightly

modied, occur again and again; and why not, there are certain basic principles upon whichNEBOSH lay great stress so they have every right to keep checking the candidates knowledge inthese areas.

Hopefully, we have now made our point about attempting past questions and submitting them forcomment. These are the steps to take ...

Step 1Purchase a few past examiners reports from NEBOSH and attempt some or all of thequestions under examination conditions. Use a wide margin on your answer sheet, leavingroom to

Step 2Check your own answers against your study material and note in the margin anyimprovements which you are now able to make to your answer(s). Submit your work to yourtutor (having made a photocopy if possible).

Step 3We will look through your original answer and your subsequent added improvementsand see if there is any more we can say. Normally, we will discuss your work over the phone,as this is quick and exible.


3/12



NEBOSH NGC


Imagine that a student has attempted the following short-answer (8 mark) Certicate question:

(a) Explain the meaning of the term 'workplace exposure limit' WEL stating

the legal requirements relating to WELs. (6)

(b) Explain the additional legal requirements with respect to WELs for

carcinogenic and asthma-causing substances. (2)

This is how steps 13 would work. (For clarity, the example below is shown in mock-handwriting.)

First, here is the answer which the student has written ...

Workplace exposure limits are listed for all industrial and commercial substancesin the Health and Safety Executive publication EH 40. EH 40 comes out every

year.

A workplace exposure limit must not be exceeded and the legal requirement is thatexposure must be reduced as far below the workplace exposure limit as possible.

Illnesses are acute if they are caused by short exposures, for example to apoisonous gas such as sulphur dioxide or chronic if they are caused by longexposure to a chemical such as hard wood dust which can cause nasal cancer.

Workplace exposure limits are set by the Health and Safety Executive and can beused in courts of law to prosecute companies.

Depending on where you are in your studies (in particular whether or not you have completedelement NGC2/7, which deals with the subject of workplace exposure limits), we would not

necessarily expect you to be able to judge the quality of this answer - although you might questionwhy the student has wasted time by writing WEL and HSE each time in full. (It crossed our

minds that the student might be trying to use up time and space in this way.)

This answer is worth one or two marks at most, mainly because it hasnt actually answered thequestion. While the student has come across the HSE publication EH 40, it is fairly obvious thats/he hadnt, at the time, done much detailed studying. The second part of the question hasntbeen attempted at all - indeed, there is no attempt to divide the answer into parts (a) and (b)and, while marks might still be given even if you dont, it is always a good idea to try to keep theexaminer on your side - and setting your answer out clearly is a straightforward way of doing this.

... continued ...

In a real examination,answers can be in eitherblack or blue ink.


4/12

NEBOSH NGC




Now its time for the student to read the question again and to check his / her answer against the

study material (element NGC2/7), starting by crossing out the bits that are either incorrect (forexample, EH 40 hasnt been updated annually for many years now) or not asked for, such as theinformation regarding acute and chronic conditions

Workplace exposure limits are listed for all industrial and commercial substancesin the Health and Safety Executive publication EH 40. EH 40 comes out every

year.

A workplace exposure limit must not be exceeded and the legal requirement is thatexposure must be reduced as far below the workplace exposure limit as possible.

Illnesses are acute if they are caused by short exposures, for example to apoisonous gas such as sulphur dioxide or chronic if they are caused by longexposure to a chemical such as hard wood dust which can cause nasal cancer.

Workplace exposure limits are set by the Health and Safety Executive and can be

used in courts of law to prosecute companies.

Theres not much left now so its time to add some information in order to produce an improvedanswer

(a) WELs are listed for most common industrial and commercial substances inthe HSE publication EH40. They are limits for airborne concentrations ofsubstances that must not be exceeded. They are average concentrationsmeasured over a period of time, either 15 minutes (short-term exposure) or8 hours (long-term exposure). They form part of the requirements of the

COSHH Regulations in order to control exposure to hazardous substances.

WELs are set by the HSE and can be used as evidence in criminalprosecutions.

(b) For carcinogens and asthmagens, airborne concentrations must be reducedto a level below the WEL that is as low as is reasonably practicable.

This new answer could well be worth full marks and could quite easily be written in eightminutes - particularly by using acceptable abbreviations (the acronym WEL was given in the

question; HSE is always accepted by NEBOSH without spelling it out in full; and COSHH isalso acceptable but could be written out in full to demonstrate further knowledge to the examiner

- provided it is correct!). By mentioning airborne concentrations, the answer now addresses thequestion of What is a WEL?. The answer also identies the relevant legislation with respectto WELs since you can hardly describe the legal requirements without mentioning where therequirements are to be found! And the answer is now clearly divided into two parts to match thequestion - with both parts answered.

... continued ...


5/12


6/12

NEBOSH NGC




SECTION 1

You are advised to spend about half an houron this section which contains ONEquestion.

1 The results of a safety audit have identied weaknesses in the organisations safety

management system and in particular their permit-to-work system.

(a) Outlinethe key elements in the safety management system which would

have been examined during the audit. (5)

(b) IdentifyFIVE typical work tasks that might require a permit-to-work,

giving reasons in EACH case for the requirement. (5)

(c) Identifythe key information which should be found on a permit-to-work. (10)SECTION 2

You are advised to spend about one and a half hourson this section, which contains TEN

questions.

2 Employers have a common law duty of care for the health, safety and welfare

of their employees.

Giving an example in EACH case, identifywhat an employer must provide

in order to full this common law duty of care. (8)

SECTION 1

You are advised to spend about half and hourin this section, which contains ONEquestion.

1 As part of a general refurbishment, air conditioning units are to be installed on

the roof of a two-storey ofce building. The units will be lifted onto the roof by a

mobile crane that is situated at ground level.

(a) Outlinethe control measures that will be necessary to carry out the

lifting operation safely. (12)

(b) Outlinethe control measures that will be required to protect the safety

of the workers on the roof. (8)

SECTION 2

You are advised to spend aboutone and a half hourson this section, which contains TEN

questions.

2 In order to improve the safety of pedestrians in vehicle manoeuvring areas,

identifythe rules that should be followed by:

(a) drivers (4)

As we said earlier, the rst examinations that you should attempt are

the December 2009 NGC1 and NGC2 papers which are duplicated asSample examination papers in your Syllabus Guide. Discuss yourattempts at some or all of the questions with your tutor who will supplyyou with the model answers we have prepared.

This is how the NGC1 paper starts ...

and then the NGC2 paper ...


7/12



NEBOSH NGC


SECTION 1

You are advised to spend approximately half an houron this section which contains ONEquestion.

1 (a) Drawa owchart to show the relationships between the six elements

of the health and safety management system model in HSEs 'Successful

Health and Safety Management', HSG 65. (4)

(b) Outlinethe part that EACH element of the HSG 65 model plays within

the health and safety management system. (12)

(c) Outlinethe economic benets that an organisation may obtain by

implementing a successful health and safety management system. (4)

SECTION 2You are advised to spend about one and a half an hourson this section which contains TEN

questions.

2 Outlinethe general duties placed on employees by:

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (4)

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (4)

3 Outlinethe issues which should be considered to ensure the health and

safety of cleaners employed in a school out of normal working hours. (8)

4 Outlinethe measures an employer might consider to minimize the risk

of violence against employees. (8)

5 (a) In relation to employee involvement in health and safety, explain

the differences between informing and consulting. (2)

(b) Outlinethe health and safety matters on which employers must consult

their employees under the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees)

Regulations 1996. (6)

6 (a) Explainthe meaning of the term competent person. (2)

(b) Outlinethe organisational factors that may cause a person to work

unsafely even though they are competent. (6)

7 Outline, giving an example of each, the differences between health and

safety regulations and HSE Codes of Practice. (8)

8 Nameand describeFOUR classes of safety sign prescribed by the Health

and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996. (8)

9 Outlinethe initial actions to take following a major injury accident at work. (8)

10 IdentifyEIGHT sources of information that might usefully be consulted

when developing a safe system of work. (8)

11 Outlinethe main features of an:

health and safety inspection (4)

health and safety audit (4)

On the following pages you will nd three sets of our own Practice papers, NGC1 + NGC2. Every

question is based on a real past question and the particular mix of questions that we have chosenin these Practice papers is intended to encompass subject areas which we know have causedproblems for candidates.

Starting with NGC1 Practice paper A ...


8/12

NEBOSH NGC




SECTION 1

1 A newly established company is to refurbish existing ofce accommodation

before recruiting staff. Outline: (a) the welfare facilities that should be considered when planning

the refurbishment. (8)

(b) the main issues to be addressed in a general health and safety induction

programme for the new staff. (6)

(c) the procedures that might be needed in order to ensure the health and

safety of visitors to the premises during working hours. (6)

SECTION 2

2 (a) IdentifyFOUR factors relating to the individual that might increase

the risk of accidents at work. (4) (b) Give reasonswhy maintenance operations may pose particular risks

to those undertaking them. (4)

3 Explainthe difference between Approved Codes of Practice and HSE

guidance, giving an example of EACH. (8)

4 (a) Explain, using an example, the meaning of the term risk. (2)

(b) Outlinethe key stages of a general risk assessment. (6)

5 (a) Outlinethe legal requirements whereby employers must prepare a

written statement of their health and safety policy. (2)

(b) Outlinethe circumstances that may give rise to the need for a healthand safety policy to be revised. (6)

6 (a) Explainthe circumstances under which an employer must form a

health and safety committee. (2)

(b) Give reasonswhy a health and safety committee may be ineffective. (6)

7 IdentifyEIGHT sources of information that might usefully be consulted

when developing a safe system of work. (8)

8 (a) Give the meaningof the term health and safety culture. (2)

(b) Identifyways in which the health and safety culture of an

organisation might be improved. (6)

9 Outlinethe reasons why an organisation should monitor and review

its health and safety performance. (8)

10 With reference to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous

Occurrences Regulations, 1995:

(a) Statethe legal requirements for reporting a fatality resulting from

an accident at work to an enforcing authority (5)

(b) OutlineTHREE further categories of work-related injury

(other than fatal injuries) that are reportable. (3)

11 Outlinethe factors to consider when making an assessment of rst-aidprovision in a workplace. (8)

From now on we will not include the instructions that you will see on the examination papers ...

'you are advised to spend approximately half and hour ...'. We assume that you know this.Next, NGC1 Practice paper B ...


9/12



NEBOSH NGC


Here is the third of your NGC1 Practice papers, NGC1 Practice paper C. Again, you should

discuss your answers with your tutor who will supply you with a set of prepared answers.

SECTION 1

1 A factory manager intends to introduce a new work process for which

a risk assessment is required under regulation 3 of the Management of

Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

(a) Outlinethe factors that should be considered when carrying out the

risk assessment. (8)

(b) Explainthe criteria that must be met for the assessment to be deemed

suitable and sufcient. (4)

(c) Identifythe various circumstances that may require a review of the

risk assessment at a later date. (8)

SECTION 2

2 Explainwhy it is important to use a variety of methods to communicate

health and safety information in the workplace. (8)

3 With reference to the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees)

Regulations 1996:(a) Identifythe particular health and safety matters on which employers

must consult their employees (4)

(b) Outlinethe entitlements of representatives of employee safety

elected under the Regulations. (4)

4 (a) Outlinethe circumstances under which a written health and safety

policy is legally required. (2)

(b) Identifythe purposes of EACH of the following sections of a health

and safety policy document:

(i) statement of intent (2)

(ii) organisation (2)

(iii) arrangements (2)

5 Outlinethe ways in which employers might motivate their employees

to comply with health and safety procedures. (8)

6 (a) Denethe term permit-to-work system. (2)

(b) OutlineTHREE types of work situation that may require a

permit-to-work system, giving reasons in EACH case for the requirement. (6)

7 An organisation uses various types of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Outlinethe general issues relating to the requirements, benets and

limitations of PPE. (8)8 (a) OutlineFOUR powers available to an inspector when investigating

a workplace accident. (4)

(b) Identifythe TWO types of enforcement notice that may be served by

an inspector, stating the conditions that must be satised before EACH

type of notice is served. (4)

9 Outlinethe factors that may increase risks to pregnant employees. (8)

10 (a) Statethe requirements for reporting an over three-day injury under

the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences

Regulations 1995. (2)

(b) Giving reasons in EACH case, identifyTHREE categories of persons whomay be considered a useful member of an internal accident investigation team. (6)

11 OutlineFOUR proactive monitoring methods that can be used in assessing

the health and safety performance of an organisation. (8)
http://www.praa.org.uk/http://www.praa.org.uk/http://www.praa.org.uk/


10/12

NEBOSH NGC




SECTION 1

1 (a) Outlinethe four main categories of guards and safeguarding devices that

may be used to minimise the risk of contact with dangerous parts of machinery. (8)

(b) Outlinea hierarchy of control measures which may be used to prevent

contact with dangerous parts of machinery. (4)

(c) IdentifyFOUR non-mechanical hazards that may be encountered on

woodworking machines and outline the possible health and safety effects

from exposure in EACH case. (8)

SECTION 2

2 In relation to the ill-health effects from the use of vibrating hand-held tools:

(a) Identifythe typical symptoms that might be shown by affected individuals (4)

(b) Outlinethe control measures that may be used to minimise such effects (4)

3 (a) Describethe possible effects of electricity on the body (4)

(b) OutlineFOUR factors that may affect the severity of injury from

contact with electricity (4)

4 (a) In relation to the classication of res, give an example of a material

(fuel) that falls within each of the classes A, B, C, D (4)

(b) IdentifyTWO methods of heat transfer and explain how each

method contributes to the spread of re (4)

5 In relation to occupational dermatitis:

(a) IdentifyTWO causative agents (2)

(b) Describethe typical symptoms of the condition (2)

(c) Outlinespecic measures designed to prevent the occurrence

of occupational dermatitis (4)

6 For EACH of the following agents, outlinethe principal health effects AND

identifya typical workplace situation in which a person might be exposed:

(a) hepatitis virus (2)

(b) chlorine (2)

(c) carbon dioxide (2)

(d) silica (2)

7 (a) Identifythe persons that an employer may need to appoint in order to

comply with the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 (2)

(b) Outlinethe means of controlling exposure to ionising radiation (6)

8 An assessment has concluded that the person carrying out a particular

manual handling task is t and capable of lifting the loads involved.

Outlinethe factors associated with the task and the work environment that

would need to be considered in order to complete the assessment. (8)

9 Outlinethe precautions to be taken when using a mobile elevating work

platform (MEWP) to reach a high point such as a streetlight. (8)

10 Outlinethe precautionary measures that may be needed to prevent slip

and trip hazards in an engineering factory. (8)

11 ListEIGHT rules to follow when a fork-lift truck is left unattended. (8)

Turning now to NGC2, here is NGC2 Practice paper A ...


11/12



NEBOSH NGC


SECTION 1

1 An employee is required to use a petrol-driven strimmer to trim roadside

grass verges.

(a) Describethe potential hazards faced by the employee in carrying out

this task. (10)

(b) ListFIVE items of personal protective equipment that should be

provided for and used by the employee in carrying out this task. (5)

(c) Outlinemeasures other than the use of personal protective equipment

that might be necessary to ensure the health and safety of the employee. (5)

SECTION 2

2 Outlinethe main precautions that must be used when excavation work is

being carried out. (8)

3 A large item of equipment, situated within a factory, is to be cleaned

manually with a solvent. Outlinethe precautions to minimise the risksto persons involved in cleaning the equipment. (8)

4 OutlineEIGHT precautions that should be considered to prevent accidents

to children who might be tempted to gain access to a construction site. (8)

5 With regard to work-related upper limb disorders (WRULDs):

Identifythe typical symptoms that might be reported by affected individuals. (4)

Outlinethe factors that could increase the risk of a worker developing

WRULDs. (4)

6 Outlinethe health and safety considerations when a fork-lift truck is to be

used to unload palletised goods from a vehicle parked in a factory car park. (8)

7 (a) Explainthe meaning of the term dilution ventilation. (2)

(b) Outlinethe types of circumstances in which the use of dilution

ventilation may be appropriate. (6)

8 Outlinethe measures that should be taken to minimise the re risk from

electrical equipment. (8)

9 A worker is required to install some glass-bre insulation in a loft.

(a) IdentifyTWO hazards connected with the use of the glass-bre. (2)

(b) Outlinethe precautions that could be taken to minimise harm to the

worker carrying out this operation. (6)

10 Identifysuitable measures to protect against people and / or materials

falling from a mobile tower scaffold. (8)

11 Outlinethe main requirements for the safe escape of personnel from

a building in the event of the outbreak of a re. (8)

Next, NGC2 Practice paper B ...


12/12

NEBOSH NGC




And nally, NCG2 Practice paper C ...

Remember that your tutor has prepared answers for all eight of the Sample and Practice paperscontained in this leaet.

SECTION 1

1 A contractor is to be selected to drain and clear a section of canal.

(a) Identifythe information that might be required to establish the suitability

of the contractor. (4)

(b) Describethe hazards associated with the draining and clearing operation. (8)(c) Outlinesuitable controls to minimise the risk from the hazards identied. (8)

SECTION 2

2 Outlinemeasures to be taken to prevent accidents when pedestrians are

required to work in vehicle manoeuvring areas. (8)

3 (a) ListFOUR respiratory diseases that could be caused by exposure to

dust at work. (4)

(b) Identifythe possible indications of a dust problem in a workplace. (4)

4 (a) For EACH of the following types of non-ionising radiation, identifya source and state the possible ill health effects on exposed individuals:

(i) infrared radiation (2)

(ii) ultraviolet radiation (2)

(b) Identifythe general methods for protecting people against exposure

to non-ionising radiation. (4)

5 Outlinea procedure for the safe lifting of a load by a crane, having ensured

that the crane has been correctly selected and positioned for the job. (8)

6 (a) Identifythe types of hazard against which gloves could offer protection. (4)

(b) Outlinethe practical limitations of using gloves as a means of protection. (4)

7 Outlinethe health and safety risks associated with welding operations. (8)

8 A cleaner is required to polish oors using a rotary oor polisher.

(a) Identifythe hazards that might be associated with this operation. (4)

(b) Outlinesuitable control measures that might be used to minimise the risk. (4)

9 Statethe items that should be included on a checklist for the routine

inspection of portable electrical appliances. (8)

10 (a) Outlinethe possible health risks associated with working in a seatedposition for prolonged periods of time. (4)

(b) Outlinethe features of a suitable seat for sedentary work. (4)

11 ListEIGHT ways of reducing the risk of a re starting in a workplace. (8)

Documents

NGC Practice papers 1Nov2012.pdf