NEBOSH General Certificate - Risk Assessment Practical Exam – Part 4

The last section of the blog on new NEBOSH practical has been made in two parts. In the first part, which form Stage 3 of the risk assessment submission, we are discussing about how to prioritise three important risks and actions needed to remove or reduce them.

In the second part, which is the last section of the practical (Stage 4), we will conclude the report by including fixing of review date, how to communicate the findings to respective people manages and how to carry-out follow-up action plan.

Stage 3: Choosing 3 most important activities to reduce risks and justify your conviction

Once you have completed risk assessment process, you need to choose three important action plans of yours which you feel are the most urgent and needimmediate attention. It can be from the chosen hazards or different hazards existing in the workplace. What is important is that they have to be in your immediate priority list of action.

You can use the table in part 3 to priories your action plan and justify your selection by giving appropriate reasons.

Giving justification is very important. You have to provide reasons for selecting 3 hazards as top most priority for fast actions.

Include the following elements in your justification report:

• Provide moral, legal and financial reasons for actions. For instance, legal arguments must have reference regarding specific national/international legislations and standards. That is, when you refer hazardous substances in the U.K, you should mention the implications under the control of substances hazardous to health regulations 2002.
• Include the prospect and chances of severity (while considering current control measures) in terms of injury, destruction or ill-health to workers. Here, you should mention the nature of injury, health disorder and damage likely to happen, who are the employees at great risk, how frequently the activity can be carried out, and the possibility of danger existing in other parts/sections/branches of the organisation.
• Explain what are the effective action plans required which can successfully control the risks.

Stage 4: Fixing review date, report communication and follow-up actions

Stage 4 has three points to be covered – fixing a review date for risk assessment and why and how to communicate your findings to managers and senior executives and how and when to do the follow-up actions.
So, the stage 4 must include:

• Fixing a realistic review date for risk assessment exercise and provide reasons for choosing the particular date.
• Explain to the NEBOSH examiner that how you are going to intimate your findings to appropriate persons in the organisation (through verbal or written document such as email, printed matters for notice board, etc). Who are the responsible persons needed to be communicatedwith your findings?
• Your assessment report must have follow-up action plans. You should include how you are going to devise review plan.